A Little League, A Big Legacy

Pine Hill closes the book after 65 wonderful years in existence

By Cary Shuman

It will certainly go down as one of the most dramatic speeches in the history of Little League Baseball in Lynn.

When PHLL President John Cronin approached the stage and took the microphone at the annual awards banquet Nov. 26 at Prince Restaurant, the gathering of players, parents, coaches, and league officials could sense that something monumental was happening.

And who better to deliver an historic speech than John Cronin, the eminent Harvard man and former college baseball player, who with the help of a dedicated board of directors, worked so diligently to continue providing the Pine Hill neighborhood a league of its own and keeping it vibrant – despite the dwindling numbers the last few seasons.

Cronin was speaking for all the coaches, past and present in Pine Hill, the leaders of distinction, builders of confidence and esteem, and teachers of the game, like legendary Daily Item scribe Steve Krause, St. Mary’s renowned basketball coach David Brown Sr., current Greater Lynn Babe Ruth President and Lynn Facilities Manager Rich Avery (whose wife, Jill Avery, splendidly served as PHLL president for nine seasons), former Lynn Tech star lineman Peter Dow, and revered youth sports leader Joe Driscoll.

Many athletes in Lynn began their sports careers in PHLL, notably Mr. Brown’s son, David Brown Jr., who went on to achieve all his goals as a state champion and All-Scholastic at St. Mary’s High School, and who currently plays football at Bentley University. And more recently, 12-year-old Jacob Morin’s incredible 26-homer performance in the 2024 Lynn Little League Home Run Derby at Chris Spagnoli Field (besting league mate Alex Ramos in the finals) will forever stand tall in PHLL annals. As will the special award presentation to Jacob’s deserving family at the league’s last official banquet.

John Cronin knew that he had to deliver a gem in his farewell address, and with his own family present in the room, the father and coach rose to the moment with extraordinary grace and class and said what he wanted to convey and thanked those he felt were necessary to be thanked.

Yes, Pine Hill Little League is calling it a day and relinquishing its charter, but the baseball and softball-playing “Hillies” will always have the memories of all those joyful spring and summer nights at Spagnoli field in their hearts forever.

Following is the text of PHLL President John Cronin’s remarks at the banquet:

“Players, Coaches, Parents, Family and Friends-

Welcome to the Pine Hill Little League 2024 banquet.  For those counting, this little neighborhood Little League has not only thrived, but survived, for 65 seasons.  It’s been a constant that has marked the march of time for us, our kids, our parents and grandparents, and provided a place to gather, to compete, to marvel at the determination and dedication of the people of our corner of Lynn.  A corner that we, in our time as shepherds of this league, have sought to protect and enhance.  As we wrap up another season of watching our favorite people – these guys – build confidence and camaraderie while playing our nation’s pastime, I’d like to think we did a pretty good job.  I mean, just LOOK at those smiles out there.

It may sound simple or shallow to start there, but where else would we start?  What else is this league for, is this league about, if not than to see the smiles on the faces of Selena Harkins, or Mateo Marichal, or Nora Grawe?  To see the pride on the face of Todd Goodwin as he watched Jonathan step up to the plate as a Pine Hill All-Star this year?  Or to welcome Zach Kahrimanovic, or Liam Mora, or any of our new t-ballers into the fold?  To witness the joy of our 8-year-old tournament team beating Peabody West (that one was sweet), or our Minor A Yankees going through West Lynn to get to the championship? 

Well, there’s one other place I can think of to start.  And that’s the benches at Gallagher Park on a warm spring night, with the smell of the grill in the air, a few kids on bicycles, others yelling at each other jokingly about who caught or dropped the ball off of the wall, a Weinberg toddler or two or three (or 10, I’ve lost count), running the bases and laughter all around, from inside the concession stand and without.  Simply: perfection.  The culmination of the work that everyone here put into for months and years – a true community party on a weekly basis.  A home for us and our kids.

Little league may be about some other important things:  competition, learning life lessons, developing character.  In Pine Hill, it’s always been about even more.  It’s been about community, and family, and the love and the appreciation that we all have for those things.  An unspoken promise to never take that for granted.

So, while we remember, honor, and join in the smiles on all these little faces that have and continue to make this all worth it, tonight is, unavoidably, also bittersweet.  When I took over as president of this league in late 2020, the long-term future of the league was uncertain, with graduations of players from multiple core league families pending.  It begged the question:  where do we go from here?  For the last four seasons, YOU answered that question – we weren’t going anywhere.  We battled to keep enrollment up, to fundraise to support our operations, to give the kids the Pine Hill Little League experience that we had come to expect and cherish. 

Our teams competed and we had many of those great, memorable Gallagher nights.

All along, however, I personally, and our board in general, have had to struggle with the reality of baseball and youth sports in the modern day.  Falling participation numbers, exacerbated by a global pandemic, combined with competition from other sports, AAU programs, and consolidation of other leagues presented a harsh reality which resulted this year in being only able to field a single major league team and, going forward, the likelihood of not having enough players at that level to participate in All-Stars.

Thankfully, we are not the only people in this City whose outlook and mission are to make baseball in Lynn a family-focused, character-building endeavor where player development comes first, and competitive success comes second. The coaches and board members of West Lynn Little League have been true partners in our baseball experience over the past several seasons. From welcoming us to special season-ending games under the lights at the Minor B level, to keeping our strong association at the upper minors, to being willing partners in re-vamping this year’s city series and being co-operative Jimmy Fund participants, the administration and families of West Lynn have given us hope that, with the right plan going forward, baseball in this part of the City can continue to survive and thrive.

And now they’ve stepped up and PROVEN that they agree with our belief that our leagues fit together.  Many of you may know this already, but I’m proud – and a little sad – to formally announce that, pending confirmation by Little League International, 2024 will be the last season for Pine Hill Little League as an independent league.  I’m sad because of the symbolic nature of that announcement, the reality that things will be a little different going forward.  But proud because this group here tonight has done the hard work of building the relationships and the reputation that lead a league like West Lynn to be willing to join us and form a new, combined league under their name, while also proudly retaining the Pine Hill name at Gallagher Park as the center of our new Pine Hill Developmental Minor League Program.

As we have done aggressively over the last 4 years, we will continue to focus just as heavily on the youngest and most eager of learners as we do our majors players.  To make sure that our 4 to 9 year olds are on equal footing with our 10-12 year olds in terms of opportunity and skill development.  And just as importantly, to make sure that Gallagher Park and Pine Hill remain a center of good friends, good food (the best in the district), good baseball, and overall good times.

So.  I know I’m dropping some heaviness on you.  We not only celebrate 65 years tonight, but, in a way, say a symbolic goodbye.  Let’s reminisce, let’s enjoy a fantastic slide show put together by Josie Marichal, but let’s do one other thing.  Let’s get excited and determined.

Excited at the opportunity for our kids to compete.  Not just in general, but to have a real chance at an equal footing that had begun to evade us as other leagues garnered more territory – and, as a result, more players.  But even more importantly – let’s get determined.  Determined to seize this opportunity to work with a willing partner in West Lynn who appreciates what we have had in Pine Hill, that wants to afford us the opportunity to keep that spirit alive and bring it to the larger West Lynn community.  Determined to remember the amazing 65 years we’ve had in this league.  Determined to have more of those perfect Gallagher nights.  I hope that all of you will join me in helping make that happen.  Keep coaching, keep volunteering, keep coming down to the park to see those little smiles.  It’s what Little League and what Pine Hill are STILL and will ALWAYS be about. 

Thank you for 65 great years.  Here’s to 65 more, even if it’s in a different form.  Because those smiles will never leave our memory and will never stop driving us to keep this neighborhood what it is.  Not perfect, but on those few spring nights every year, our idea of perfection.”