Long before there was an official City of Goleta, there was the Dos Pueblos Little League, which has built community for 50 years.

From its origins at Goleta Valley Junior High School to later at what’s now Camino Real Marketplace, to its permanent and prime home now at Girsh Park, DPLL has has been home to multiple generations of joy.

“DPLL is the gem of Goleta,” Dr. Dan Brennan, who coached three sons in the league, told Noozhawk.

“For 50 years and several generations, local families have volunteered their blood, sweat and tears to build and maintain a very special community.”

DPLL will celebrate 50 years of youth baseball in 2024 and is planning a spectacular gala on March 2 at UC Santa Barbara’s Corwin Pavilion.

The event will include a patio reception, an evening of music, food and drink, a DPLL Alumni Wall of Fame Gallery, highlight reels and guest speakers.

All proceeds will go to the league to aid in scholarships, updating equipment and field improvements.

DPLL is a league for players between 4 and 14, from T-Ball to Juniors Division. It’s also the only Little League in the area with a Challengers division, which allows players with development disabilities to play baseball at Girsh Park.

The league has produced incredible talent and characters over the years.

Rick “Buddy” Wolin, perhaps the league’s greatest advocate and fan, became a household name for DPLL families. He died in 2020 at the age of 70, but every kid who played DPLL fondly remembers his soft hand-touch (not a shake), while reciting his own name “Buddy” as he shuffled around the fields.

Among the speakers at the gala will be Scotty Randall, a DPLL alumnus who also played Major League Baseball. Randall and his father, Ralph, are the legends of the league.

Randall starred at Dos Pueblos High School and played for the Cincinnati Reds, and his dad has volunteered thousands of hours over the years coaching kids and teaching them how to pitch.

Ralph Randall coached just about every kid who has pitched at DPLL over the past decade. He’s thrown out first pitches, traveled to tournaments, and shared his wisdom and baseball expertise with players, coaches and families.

“I am honored to have been a part of the league for so many years, and thank it for having such a positive impact on our family’s life,” the elder Randall said.

“And for the lesson it taught me so many years ago that despite the stress, arguments, disappointments, failure and time overload that always occur, the rewards of community service are exponential.”

He recalled how his son played in DPLL for 10 years. In his first year, Scott suffered through an 0-20 minors season, but over the next three years, under manager Dan Rohde, his DPLL majors team, the Twins, won two league championships and two freeways series games against the Goleta Valley South Little League.

“He feels that DPLL was his foundation, his emotional and fundamental development base, that got him prepared to pitch nine innings in the CIF Division 2 high school championship game in Angel Stadium, his scholarship to UCSB, his drafting by the Colorado Rockies, and his journey to the big leagues,” Ralph Randall said of his son.

Both Brennan and Randall cited the families they have come to know by volunteering over the years.

Perhaps the most influential family in DPLL was the Brunner family, led by the patriarch, Dean Brunner, and his wife, Penny.

Brunner coached his sons, Zac, Cy, Justin and Beau. The grandkids have also played, including Zac Brunner’s sons, Zachary; Justin Brunner’s sons, Cyrus and Lincoln; along with Beau’s three girls, Anastasia, Juliana and Giana.

One of Dean Brunner’s daughters, Jami Brunner, has been an anchor of the league for nearly two decades.

She and her husband, Stoney Stetler, have also coached multiple teams at different levels, and their kids, Jackson, Scott and Brett, also played in DPLL.

Jami Brunner also coached granddaughter Lilyana and niece Juliana on the same T-Ball team.

Dean Brunner and Jami and Stoney Stetler also spent several years on the volunteer DPLL Board of Directors.

“DPLL is not just a baseball league but a community,” Jami Brunner said. “My memories of childhood at the park and through the present have always been a way to see your friends and also to make new ones.

“There are lifelong relationships that have been created around the league, and 50 years marks not just the age of the league but also recognizes the generational relationships that have formed over the years.”

Brennan served on the DPLL board for 16 seasons, including five as board president. His sons, 19-year-old Josh, 16-year-old Andy and 13-year-old Matty, played at DPLL from T-ball through Juniors.

“DPLL helped to create numerous lifelong friendships from before they could walk all the way through high school,” Brennan said. “With the help of many mentors, they learned the importance of hard work, being part of a team and bringing a great attitude and effort to each practice and game.

“The lessons they learned at DPLL carried over to the classroom, and will serve them well for the duration of the personal and professional lives.”