Melrose Little League Looks Forward to Another Successful Season
Written By Patrick DeVivo
Photo From Melrose Little League
On Saturday, April 11th , the Melrose Little League will kick off its 2026 baseball season with an opening day parade and ceremony at the Lewis Monk Field on Tremont Street.
All Melrose children, ages 4 to 16, are eligible to play on a team in one of seven divisions, depending upon their age. The new season extends a long tradition of Little League baseball in Melrose that dates to the 1950s.
After opening day games on the 11th, the regular season will continue through early June and wrap up with the League playoffs and a championship series by the end of June. In addition to the spring season, Melrose participates in a summer Jimmy Fund Tournament with other cities and towns in Massachusetts Districts 12 and 13. The League also offers a “Summer Dogs” program in late summer, and a “Fall Ball” season after Labor Day for those who can’t get enough of the game during the spring and summer months.
The League focuses on developing baseball skills, generating a love for the game, and instilling an appreciation for respectful competition. The youngest players are taught baseball fundamentals, while the older players have the opportunity to perfect and develop those fundamentals at each division level.
Players are introduced to the basics of the game at the early levels. They begin pitching, subject to pitch count restrictions, when they reach the Minors (ages 9-10). At the Junior and Senior League levels (ages 13-16), players move from the little league diamond (60-foot basepaths, 40 feet from the pitcher's mound to home plate) to the standard baseball diamond (90-foot basepaths, 60 feet from the pitcher's mound to home plate). Including the Junior and Senior League levels in the overall Little League program enhances player development by providing one consistently taught approach to the game up through high school.
Photo From Melrose Little League
The League is affiliated with Little League International. It competes to represent Massachusetts District 12 (including the Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Everett, Hill House, Mission Hill, Somerville, and South Boston Little Leagues) in the tournament that ultimately crowns a champion in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
This year, the League hopes to build on its 2025 success, when Melrose Little League tournament teams won District Championships at the 10 and under, 11 and under, and 12 and under levels, and the 14 and under team won the Massachusetts State Championship.
Melrose ball players have the advantage of competing at two of the most admired baseball venues in the region. The Lewis Monk field, or “The Monk,” is the city’s primary Little League field, named in memory of two coaches, Don Lewis and Herb Monk, who, tragically, lost their lives in an automobile accident after attending a Little League conference on Cape Cod in 1980. Morelli Field, located across the Fellsway from Lewis Monk, is a sought-after location for high school, park league, and semi-professional baseball. The complex is named for Dr. Richard Morelli, an Obstetrician/Gynecologist in Melrose who was a long-time supporter and benefactor of Melrose baseball.
Photo From Melrose Little League
According to current League president Nic Sarata, there will be around 400 Melrose Little Leaguers playing ball this year.
League coaches donate their time, in some cases spending many hours at the field coaching their players over the course of a season. Coaches run the gamut from first-time coaches, who take a team mostly out of a desire to be present for their kids, to experienced baseball coaches whose children have graduated from the program but continue to coach out of love for the game. All coaches have access to information and training on topics such as how to teach baseball fundamentals, how to run an effective team practice, and how to manage a team throughout a season.
The League would not function without the tireless efforts of a contingent of volunteers, who handle assignments such as fundraising, player registration, community sponsors, equipment and field management, and umpire scheduling. Other volunteers assist at game time, preparing the field, laying down new baselines, cleaning up after each game, and running the concession “Hut” during games.
It’s not too late to register for the 2026 season, or get more information about Melrose Little League at https://www.melroselittleleague.org.
