Eight-year-old Dominic Nevarez’s life-long dream is to play baseball at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, the home of his favorite team. Even though this dream might be a few years away, Dominic experienced the next best thing last summer when he played at the Dodger Stadium replica in Las Vegas, NV.
“The 805 Baseball Club traveled to Vegas last summer to play at the Big League Dreams replica fields,” Jose Nevarez, Dominic’s father, told the Sun. “I can tell you for sure without even having to ask him that it was the most fun Dominic’s ever had.”
Nevarez has only been with the 805 Baseball Club for two years, but he’s played for the NorthSide Little League in Santa Maria for more than five, Jose said.
“We started him with tee-ball when he was 3, and he’s just loved the game ever since,” he said. “There must be something about hitting the ball with a bat that just clicks with him, ever since he was a baby.”
Although baseball is Dominic’s passion, football isn’t far behind, Jose said. He plays flag and tackle football with the Orcutt Wolfpack as a part of of the Central Coast Youth Football League, and his favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys.
“We’ve taken him to one Cowboys game, but we go to Dodgers games every year since it’s so close,” Jose said. “One night, Dominic almost caught one of Adrian Gonzalez’s home runs!”
Dominic has had his fair share of catching and throwing in the field though, usually playing as either shortstop or pitcher.
“My advice to players is just to be brave. Don’t be afraid of the ball,” Dominic said. “You also shouldn’t be afraid to stand up for yourself.”
He recently switched from playing with the NorthSide Little League to the Orcutt National Little League (ONLL). The transition has been smooth, his father said, partly due to many of Dominic’s classmates from Patterson Road Elementary School being on the team, named the Orcutt Brewers—which he and his friends have nicknamed “The Brew Crew.”
“Dominic’s friends really look up to him,” Jose said. “And even though this is his first year with the ONLL, he’s already taking a leadership position among his teammates. So much so that his nickname is the Dominator!”
This article appears in Apr 13-20, 2017.
