Play Ball!: A 12-year-old Little Leaguer helped his dad get the pitcher’s mound at Elks Field in shape for Opening Day

By Mark E. Vogler

Devin Voong won’t get to walk in the parade or enjoy the rest of this year’s Opening Day festivities for the Saugus Little League, which is set to officially begin its 2024 season tomorrow (Saturday, April 20). The 12-year-old, who pitches, catches and plays third base for Saugus Black, along with the rest of his teammates and other players, will miss the fun because they will be playing ball tomorrow.

But Devin will still be able to say he played a key role in helping to make Opening Day a success. He volunteered two hours of his time last Saturday helping his dad, Yat Voong, get the pitcher’s mound in shape at the newly renovated Elks Field – which will host this year’s Opening Day ceremonies.

“The pitching rubber is bigger than I expected,” Devin said, as he cradled the white hard rubber slab in his arms.

“It’s 46 feet from the pitching rubber to the back of home plate,” said Devlin, who helped his dad measure the difference. The boy noted that it would involve a little math to prepare the pitcher’s mound.

“I love math. It’s one of my favorite subjects,” said Devin, who is a straight A student in the sixth grade at the Saugus Middle-High School.

Saugus Little League Baseball and Saugus Softball Little League are gearing up for a historic Opening Day: For the first time in recent memory, the two leagues will be joining in a parade, which will begin at 9 a.m. from a staging area at the old Oaklandvale Elementary School at 266 Main St. Because parking is extremely limited at Oaklandvale School (266 Main St.), there will be a rolling drop-off from 8:15 to 3 p.m. at the school. The parade route, which is new from the one used in recent years, will proceed west down Main Street to the newly renovated Elks Field, adjacent to the Saugus-Everett Elks Lodge #642 at 413 Main St.

A rain-out date has been set for Sunday, April 21.

Yat Voong, the umpire-in-chief for the Saugus Little League, is also an assistant coach for the Saugus Blacks. He said he had never installed a pitching rubber before. But he added that he learned how the pros do it by watching a video. He also has mechanical skills that come in handy.

“I’ve done my research on YouTube,” Yat said.

“And we save some money by doing this. When you pay somebody to do it, you have to work according to their schedule or wait for them to become available. So, we’re better off learning how to do it and doing it ourselves,” he said.

In this case, the afternoon turned out to be a bonding experience for father and son.

Yat Vong owns Budget Floors in Saugus. The 43-year-old Everett native is a member of the Everett High School Class of 2000. His parents immigrated to the U.S. from China in 1986. He and his wife Anna live in East Saugus. They have an eight-year-old daughter, Avery, who is an Honor student at the Belmonte STEAM Academy. She excels in gymnastics and dance.