IN PICTURES: UPPER KEYS LITTLE LEAGUE SEASON UNDERWAY

A Yankees runner celebrates after he scores to bring his team closer to the lead. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

The 2022 Upper Keys Little League kicked off last weekend with games at Key Largo Park on March 4-5. An opening ceremony by Ryan Raschein, Upper Keys Little League board chair, was held before the first pitch. On March 5, the Yankees faced the Brewers in a majors (kid pitch) game at the south field. The Brewers got on the board early, but the Yankees made a comeback. The Brewers won the game 10-8. The Upper Keys Little League includes softball, teeball, minors, majors and 50/70. Visit upperkeysbaseball.com for more information. 

Jim McCarthy
Jim McCarthy is one of the many Western New Yorkers who escaped the snow and frigid temperatures for warm living by the water. A former crime & court reporter and city editor for two Western New York newspapers, Jim has been honing his craft since he graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 2014. In his 4-plus years in the Keys, Jim has enjoyed connecting with the community. “One of my college professors would always preach to be curious,” he said. “Behind every person is a story that’s unique to them, and one worth telling. As writers, we are the ones who paint the pictures in the readers minds of the emotions, the struggles and the triumphs.” Jim is past president of the Key Largo Sunset Rotary Club, which is composed of energetic members who serve the community’s youth and older populations. Jim is a sports fanatic who loves to watch football, hockey, mixed martial arts and golf. He also enjoys time with family and his new baby boy, Lucas, who arrived Oct. 4, 2022.