Baseball season is back, and not just in the big leagues. And its a special season for San Jose American Little League, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary with a day of events later this month that includes an alumni wiffle ball game.

Rocco Souza, a parent volunteer and president of SJALL’s board, said that after its 2020 season was canceled and the 2021 season abbreviated, the league is excited to bring back generations of players to honor its history — and just enjoy playing baseball again.

“Even in such challenging times for our region and country, baseball continues to be a constant in bringing people of all backgrounds together,” Souza said.

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 7: The Rockies’ Caleb Roth blows a bubble while playing second base against the Pirates on Cory Field at San Jose American Little League in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 

The league traces its roots back to 1952 when it was founded as part of Santa Clara Valley Youth Village, an organization started in 1944 on the border of Santa Clara and San Jose with a simple mission straight out of a Frank Capra movie: Give kids something to do to keep them out of trouble while their dads were off fighting World War II. Youth Village — also known as the “Wutzit Club” — was originally organized by the kids themselves but found its greatest success after Rev. Walter Schmidt began running it. The Jesuit educator and administrator at Santa Clara University expanded Youth Village’s athletic offerings and stayed at the helm until it was closed down in 1985.

At that point, San Jose American Little League split off on its own and moved to its current field at the former Cory Elementary School at the corner of Monroe Street and Woodland Avenue, just north of Westfield Valley Fair. The league now plays weekday games there at 5:30 p.m., as well as a day of games on Saturdays starting at 9:30 a.m. San Jose American is much smaller now than it was in its heyday, so some games are played with teams from other leagues like Willow Glen or Lincoln Glen.

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 7: The Pirates cheer after playing against the Rockies on Cory Field at San Jose American Little League in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 

The anniversary has looked to the past as well as the future. Five alumni — including Aaron Lilly, an assistant principal at Lincoln High — threw out ceremonial first pitches during the league’s opening ceremonies March 5. But you don’t have to be in the bleachers anymore to watch the games: A camera at Cory allows all the games on the main field to be streamed this year.

Of course, fans will want to be there in person for the anniversary celebrations April 24, starting with the alumni wiffle ball game at 10 a.m. There also will be a coaches’ home run derby, a dunk tank and baseball-related games. You can get more information, as well as read alumni memories and look through a photo gallery, at www.sjall.org.

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 7: The Rockies’ Sean Solda (left) and Noah Navarette (right) run off the field at Cory Field at San Jose American Little League in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 

MUSICAL MENUS: I stopped by El Halal Amigos recently to congratulate chef and owner Hisham Abdelfattah for opening a brick-and-mortar location on Lincoln Avenue in Willow Glen after launching his popular food truck in Fremont during the pandemic. Abdelfattah isn’t Latino, but the Filipino-Palestinian grew up in the South Bay surrounded by Mexican culture through his friends and naturally fell in love with the food.

As the name implies, the food is all halal — permissible under Islamic tradition — so that means there’s no pork in the dishes, but he’s done an amazing job with chicken al pastor and a brisket barbacoa. (Come hungry: The street tacos are addicting, and the burritos are the size of your head).

El Halal Amigos is in the former Main Street Burgers spot in Willow Glen Town Square on the corner of Lincoln and Willow Street. How did Abdelfattah wind up with such a choice location? He’d been director of operations for Main Street Burgers for five years, and owner Ed Rathmann was clearly impressed with both him and his successful concept.

Main Street Burgers fans can still get their fix at the original location in Los Gatos. But the eatery also has added a new “South of Main” menu with barbacoa and shredded chicken tinga tacos, a Spicy Chicken Philly sandwich and a burger loaded with queso fresco and pasilla peppers. I guess palates are heating up in Los Gatos.

GETTING JAZZED UP: In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was crippling musicians and performing arts groups, San Jose Jazz’s board of directors took the incredible step of creating the SJZ Jazz Aid Fund and raised $33,000 that was distributed as emergency grants to 33 artists. That effort also resulted in the commission of several pieces, which gave birth to the SJZ New Works Fest last year.

San Jose Jazz is back again this year with $1,000 grants going to 27 standout musicians. And nine of them will be featured in the second New Works Fest, which starts April 21 and runs through May 15 with 8 p.m. shows at the intimate SJZ Break Room. The lineup includes Brian Sheu with his new jazz fusion group Huney Knuckles, soul artist ASTU, bassist Michael “Tiny” Lindsey, Oakland keyboardist Mike Blankenship and his band, Kim Nalley and Tammy Hall; Sylvia Cuenca Group, with guest percussionist Will Martins; Kristen Strom and her quartet; vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Cava Menzies and guitarist David Lechuga.

Tickets to the shows are $10 each, and the shows also will be offered as livestreams or in a package of highlights released next month. Go to www.sanjosejazz.org for details.

POWERFUL EXHIBIT COMES TO SOUTH BAY: A display of 1,000 backpacks — each with a personal artifact or story from suicide survivors or people who have lost someone to suicide — will be laid out on three South Bay campuses over the next week, with a goal of starting conversations about mental health on campuses. The traveling exhibit, “Send Silence Packing,” will be at San Jose State’s Tower Lawn on April 12, West Valley College in Saratoga on April 13 and Mission College in Santa Clara on April 14.

Kell Fujimoto, San Jose State’s senior director of counseling and psychological services, says SJSU hopes the event will reduce the stigma associated with mental health treatment. “Mental health and the awareness of suicidality are very important issues for our student population,” Fujimoto said. “We want students to reach out, support one another and help each other connect to resources.”

“Send Silence Packing” has been around for more than a decade and was created by a nonprofit called Active Minds, which was started in 2003 by University of Pennsylvania student Alison Malmon after the suicide of her older brother, Brian. You can find out more about the exhibit and Active Minds’ work at www.activeminds.org.