Hundreds of children were snapped greeting D-Jay, the mascot for the Dunedin Blue Jays, on opening day of Greater Dunedin Little League.
Mayor Dave Eggers and Buck Martinez addressed the uniformed children before a crowd of excited parents at the Fisher Little League Complex at Highlander Park on Feb. 19.
Eggers, who coached a Dunedin team to the 1995 Little League World Series, told the kids to be nice to the umpires and to "respect the game. It's a tough game. It will reward you if you work hard at it."
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Buck Martinez, a former Major League Baseball catcher and manager who has Dunedin roots, encouraged players to never give up on their dreams.
"Who's to say there's not some major leaguers sitting out there about to start their Little League season," Martinez said. "As long as you enjoy the game, continue to play. All of a sudden, something might click."
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He also warned the kids of the dangers of drugs in light of the recent steroid controversy in Major League Baseball. He named a handful of former star players including Barry Bonds.
"They took drugs, and no matter how good they were, they all got caught. Now they are paying the ultimate price. They are out of baseball forever," he said.
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