Little league “stars” on the field

Korey Singh Photo courtesy of Kimberly Singh It’s a scene being played out on thousands of baseball diamonds across the country as youngsters take the field in pursuit of their dreams. They want to throw, hit and pitch. They want to learn, play and win. They put on a heart-tugging, ball-playing show in front of their parents, friends and neighbors.

Ask many of them what they want to be when they grow up and invariably the answer will be: “I want to be a pro baseball player.”

The Chesterfield Observer this week features three little leaguers who excel on their field of dreams.

Korey Singh

Korey Singh pitches and plays first base for coach Andy Lingle’s Huguenot Little League Major Division (ages 11-12) Angels. He also plays Amateur Athletic Union ball for the U12 Huguenot Huskies team.

“This is an exciting year for us because we play in Cooperstown, N.Y., in August,” Singh said. “I guest play with other travel baseball teams, too.”

Nicholas Butts Photo courtesy of Christine Butts Playing year-round is a way of life for Singh. “I love to play baseball,” he said.

He has been playing for the past seven years, making his debut as a tee-baller with Huguenot Little League.

He carries an array of pitches to the mound as a southpaw. “I throw a two-seam baseball, change-up and cutter. I think my best pitch is my two-seam baseball because it tails a lot, and it can be tough to hit,” he said.

One of Singh’s favorite highlights from this little league season is "winning against the Tigers because they are one of the top teams in the Majors Division. We won 6-4 in a nail-biter game. My entire team played a great game.”

Asked about his success on the field, Singh says, “First, I have to give credit to the many coaches that have taken a special interest in me to help me improve my game. Also, I practice a lot, either with my teams, instructors or on my own with my dad. Lastly, I always try to keep a positive attitude during my games.”

Randy Hahn Photo courtesy of Photo courtesy of Randy Hahn He added, “My grandmother always gives me a bear-hug before each game, and that brings me good luck for hitting home runs.”

Singh, a sixth-grader at Midlothian Middle School, said his favorite pro players are Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard and New York Mets third baseman David Wright. He aims to play in the big leagues one day as well. “Plan A is to be a professional major league player,” Singh said. “Plan B is to make Plan A work.”

Nicholas Butts

Twelve-year-old Nicholas Butts has had a year to remember, excelling for three different baseball teams. He suits up for the Chesterfield Baseball Club (CBC) Pony (ages 11-12) Woolridge Wildcats and two travel teams, the Southside Dirt Dogs and the 13-year-old Nationals team.

Twice he struck out 17 batters on a good Clover Hill team in CBC play. “My coaches call good pitches, and I am able to keep the hitters off balance and guessing,” Butts said. “I have also gotten good advice from Rich Graham [who played for the Red Sox organization] at RBA (Richmond Baseball Academy) South who tells me that I should live and die by my fastball, but to use my other pitches to throw them off. My teammates are also very encouraging when I am on the mound.”

The Bailey Bridge Middle School seventh-grader also was a standout for the Dirt Dogs in a tournament at the infamous Ripken’s Place (brothers Cal and Billy own and run it) facility in Aberdeen, Md., earlier this month. He had 11 hits in 14 at-bats, including three home runs, and pitched a complete game in a 3-2 victory. He also plays catcher, third base, shortstop or center field.

Of his hot hitting stroke, Butts said, “I have a weekly hitting workout with Ron Mauer (who played for the Dodgers organization) at RBA South which has really helped improve my hitting. My Woolridge and travel team coach works with me a lot in practice and really helps me see and understand what I may have done wrong at a bad at-bat. I also go to Future Stars Baseball Academy to hit in the cage on non-practice nights to get extra hitting work.”

Butts said his favorite player is New York Yankees first baseman Mark Texeira. He, too, hopes to play pro ball one day. “It is the best sport in the world,” he said. “It is fun to play, and I am good at it.”

Randy Hahn

Twelve-year-old Randy Hahn holds the distinction three years ago of being the lone 10-year-old selected to play in the Central Chesterfield Little League (CCLL) Major Division (ages 11-12). He justified that selection by earning a spot on the CCLL District 5 All-Star team.

“I enjoyed representing Central Chesterfield Little League, which has been a great place to play,” said Hahn, who plays for the Dodgers.

The Matoaca Middle School sixth-grader lists Seattle Mariners right-fielder Ichiro Suzuki as his favorite player.

Hahn pitches and plays shortstop. He throws a two-seam and four-seam fastball as well as what he calls “a circle change-up.”

He attributes his hitting success to “form and speed.”

He loves the challenge of playing ball. “I like the competition and being put in a winning or losing situation,” he said.

He used to play baseball year-round but now devotes a lot of his athletic energy to running track and cross-country. “I want to be an Olympic runner when I grow up and have a running career after that,” he said.