Little League That Nurtured Brandon Crawford Merges

PLEASANTON, CA - Two Pleasanton Little League organizations are joining forces, including Pleasanton National, where San Francisco Giant Brandon Crawford played his early days of organized ball.

Pleasanton Little League will begin play in 2016. It’s the product of both Pleasanton National Little League and Pleasanton American.

The hope is to provide a better baseball experience for the kids.

Little League International has already approved the merger.

”We’re ambassadors of baseball for all kids, not just those within our boundaries,” the PNLL board said in a statement. “We have an obligation to help make the Little League baseball experience a positive and fulfilling one for every child.”

Details of the merger are still being hammered out, but the first step has already been taken with the beginning of joint online registration by both leagues.

Pleasanton Foothill Little League, the city’s third and newest little league organization, is still separate.

“We wanted a stronger, better experience for our kids and we don’t want to keep losing kids (to travel ball or other sports),” the Pleasanton American board said in a statement.

Pleasanton American also noted that $20,000 that had been embezzled from the organization was reimbursed before the merger.