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Hartnell Little League

2024-2025 Hartnell Little League Board of Directors

Dale Fors- President
Kelley Lopez- Vice President/Fields & Grounds/Uniforms
Megan Lopez- Secretary
Balynda Cota- Information Officer
Alicia Amaral-Media Relations
Kristy Blair- Fundraising/Sponsorship Coordinator
Jessica Dominguez- Concessions Manager
Michael Kong- Treasurer/Scheduling
Stephen Drewry-Equipment Coordinato
Christian Scott- Safety Officer/Player Agent
Juan Del Real- Coaching Coordinator
Gil Meza- Coaching Coordinator


Hartnell Little League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to developing the qualities of citizenship, discipline, teamwork and physical well- being in children of our community.

Chartered by Little League International, Hartnell Little League has been an official Little League organization serving the youth of Salinas, California since 1961. Little League International was founded in Williamsport, PA, in 1939 and is the largest organized youth sports program in the world. Little League establishes the official rules and procedures in place for all its chartered leagues, including the boundaries for all Little Leagues in operation.

To join our league, you must be a resident of or attend school within our defined boundaries which includes most of South Salinas, Los Laureles, Las Palmas, Toro, San Benancio and Spreckels. We offer baseball teams for kids starting with Tee Ball through the Juniors divisions spanning ages of 4 - 14.
Our league is a 100% volunteer-run operation. It takes a team effort by our parents to create a season full of fun, life-long memories and life lessons for our players. Board Members, Managers, Coaches, Team Parents and Volunteers sacrifice countless hours before, during, and after the season to ensure that the league runs successfully. Hartnell Little League is funded entirely by registration fees, fundraising, concession sales, and sponsor donations. We are especially proud to be supported by several local sponsors who are indispensable in our efforts to help youth in Salinas. See below on our rolling banner to learn which entities and individuals have consistently supported our program. Whether as a volunteer or sponsor, you can also make your contribution. We are always in need of your help. We invite you to learn more about our services and activities here on our website.  Please contact us to obtain more information.

Whether as a volunteer or sponsor, you can also make your contribution. We are always in need of your help. We invite you to learn more about our services and activities here on our website. Please contact us for more information regarding a sponsorship opportunity by email at [email protected]. Donations to our league can be made payable to Hartnell Little League [League Donation] and sent to the following mailing address:  P.O. Box 1935, Salinas, CA 93901.


 Interesting Facts about Little League

  • Carl Stotz founded Little League in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1939. 
  • One of Carl's motivations for founding Little League was to provide adult supervision for kids in his neighborhood that were always bickering at the local sandlot.
  • The first Little League Game was played on June 6, 1939. 
  • The first three Little League teams were sponsored by a local lumber company, dairy and a pretzel company.
  • Little League can now be found in more than 80 countries worldwide with more than 2.4 million children participating each year.
  • The first LLWS champion from outside the United States was a team from Monterrey, Mexico, who won in 1957 (dramatized in the 2010 movie, "The Perfect Game"). 
  • Although countless numbers of Little League players have played in the Major Leagues, only two Major League players have appeared in a Little League World Series, College World Series, and Major League World Series Series:  Ed Vosberg and Jason Varitek.
  • President George W Bush, Bruce Springstreen and yes, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, all played Little League as kids. 
  • SInce 1955, Little Leaguers across the world have recited the following pledge:

Pledge 

I trust in God 
   I love my country 
And will respect its laws 
I will play fair 
And strive to win 
But win or lose 
I will always do my best

ELLIOTT A. DOGLIONE 

Hartnell Little League has the distinction of calling the baseball field at Woodside Park, home.  That baseball field is named after Elliott Doglione.  Who Is Elliott Doglione (Pronounced - 'Dough' - 'Lee' - 'Own' - 'Eee')?  Read the italicized text below which was copied directly from a letter written by Donna Doglione, Elliott's mother, and a longtime resident of our Salinas Community, to learn about Elliott and his life experience.

Elliott was drafted as a 9 year old to the Majors and played several different positions: primarily pitcher, catcher, and 3rd base. He played for the Orioles his entire Little League career. His love of the game and the amount of time he spent practicing was legendary around the league. He was one of those kids who always smiled, whether he was winning or losing (& he hated losing), but he just loved being on the field, making his best contribution. He lived up to the expectations that were put on him when he was drafted & he was called from the beginning of his Little League career "the next X Nady." To which he always answered, "No, I'm the first Elliott Doglione" (and then he'd smile this huge smile).

He was playing "winter ball," a program that his dad and several other Board members put together for kids who wanted to improve their game outside of the regular baseball season, when he suddenly started experiencing double vision. He was catching & happened to mention to me that he was seeing 2 balls coming toward him. This was in late October, 1992.

We immediately took him to the doctor's office. After an emergency MRI, he was admitted to the hospital for an initial surgery to reduce the pressure on his brain that was a result of a tumor. The 2nd surgery took place a day later; it was a 10 hour tumor excision that was successful. His prognosis was good; the tumor seemed contained & he was back to his old self in just a few days. He was released from the hospital (where he had been in ICU for 9 days) the day before his 12th birthday. 

Once the wound healed (he had 22 staples down the back of his head; 2 vertebrae had been severed & reconstructed during the surgery), he faced 12 weeks of radiation, which was worse than anything you can imagine. The side effects of radiation are brutal; it was a nightmare to have to watch him go through this time. Elliott & I lived at the Family House at UCSF during the week & we would come home on weekends. He finished his course of radiation in late January, 1993 and things went well when we moved back home. He returned to home schooling (it was the heart of flu & cold season, so his doctors didn't want him in school with his lowered immunity). He began playing basketball on the driveway with his friends and baseball at the school diamond. 

In March, he returned to the Orioles & baseball practice. He had lost 10 pounds, his hair was just growing back, he was weak, but he was determined that he would play the best baseball ever. Having to sit out basketball season was dreadful for him; he was going to play every minute of baseball that he could. That year, there was so much rain; most of the March games on the Orioles schedule weren't played because of the weather. But his first real game in April, the first time he was up at bat, he hit an out of the park homerun. There wasn't a dry eye in either section of the bleachers; everyone knew what he had been through in the off season, but to come roaring back his first time at bat, it was quite a statement. He told the newsman who was doing a story on his return to baseball that he felt like he was back and Elliott couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

Unfortunately, less than 3 weeks later, he began getting very tired and complaining that his bones hurt. An MRI revealed that his tumor had metastasized and we found out on Mother's Day that he had only a few weeks to live. We kept him comfortable at home (thanking God for hospice); he passed away early in the morning on June 3, 1993. He had been on this earth only 12 years, but had managed to pack a lifetime into that span. He was well traveled; an outstanding student and athlete. He had friends of all ages; he was quite a social being, so he golfed with men who were 5 times his age; he played tennis with his friends and their older brothers & sisters; he went to every game his sister played in (and would critique her play as only a younger brother can). I can't imagine how many people he touched in his life, but I know he continues to impact kids who receive his scholarship awards. 

It has always been important to us that people remember Elliott's great sportsmanship and courage on and off the field. Those who played with him will tell you that though he hated to lose, he respected everyone on the field and would always congratulate players who made great plays, whether on his team or the opposing team. And they would also mention his smile; it was luminous & he had it on his face all the time. He would stay at the ballpark until all the games were over; he liked to study all the other teams and the way they handled situations. We would have to force him to come home if there were games still going on....

Well, I've probably given you way too much information, but I always love to talk about El....he was such a blessing in our lives and we hold him close to our hearts always.

Donna Doglione