Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. inspires young athletes during Santa Rosa appearance

Baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. was in Santa Rosa last week kicking off a new speaker series designed to “inspire and motivate the next generation,” according to the organizer.

The March 16 event at Sonoma Country Day School was presented by Nor Cal Oaks, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of youth softball and baseball players in Sonoma County, and open only to its players and their families.

Before a crowd of roughly 300 people, shared favorite stories and lessons from his long career with the Baltimore Orioles and answered questions from the audience.

“To have someone like Cal come — the kids’ faces just lit up,” Nor Cal founder Joe Poletto said.

Poletto and Ripken have known each other for years, having first met in 2000 at an Oakland A’s game.

Nicknamed “The Iron Man,” Ripken played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 2001. During that time, he won two Gold Glove Awards, was a 19-time All-Star, and was twice named American League Most Valuable Player. He holds the record for most consecutive games played at 2,632. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.

“I think he got a real kick out of it,” Poletto said of the former baseball star. “He was just really phenomenal. He even stayed an extra hour and shook every kid’s hand.”

There were hot dogs and Cracker Jacks available for the children, along with an opportunity for photos with Ripken.

The former big leaguer also presented three area teens with Nor Cal Oaks’ first-ever All-Star Awards, which recognizes local high school student-athletes who make a positive impact in their community and school. The winners, chosen by Nor Cal Oaks coaches, were Mia Avila of Windsor High School, Austin Steeves of Casa Grande High School, and Caze Derammelaere of Rancho Cotate High School.

Poletto founded Nor Cal Oaks in 2021 in hopes of providing a youth baseball league at no cost to players or parents.

The Sonoma County-based organization is made up of four boys’ baseball teams and one under-14 girls’ softball team. Players are ages 10-14 and come from Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Windsor.

“Inability to pay fees does not exclude anyone from the organization,” Poletto said. Parents of players who are unable to pay fees are instead asked to volunteer time to running the organization’s bake sales, car washes, or other fundraising events.

Nor Cal Oaks coaches, both paid and volunteers, are “some of the best in the area,” Poletto said. They include former Casa Grande High School baseball coach Paul Maytorena and Windsor High School baseball coach Dave Avila.

The next tryouts will be sometime in the summer, Poletto said.

Poletto will be announcing the speaker for the next event in the series, which is set to take place in October, next week, hinting it may be a current San Francisco 49ers player.

To learn more about Nor Cal Oaks, go to bit.ly/3FHjl3F.

Kylie Lawrence can be reached at kylie.lawrence@pressdemocrat.com.