A’s help little leaguers with shirts, caps

More than 5,000 players of youth baseball and youth softball received Oakland A’s shirts and baseball caps Saturday at the Oakland Coliseum, A’s officials said.

The shirts and caps are meant to help outfit the players before the upcoming Little League seasons.

The donations were made possible by the Oakland A’s Community Fund, Black Bear Diner and a posthumous gift from longtime A’s season ticketholder Elizabeth Ruchenski, according to A’s officials.

The uniform program helps deserving Bay Area youth leagues, such as the Oakland Cal Ripken – Babe Ruth Baseball league, as well as teams from Alameda, Hayward, San Leandro, San Lorenzo and Richmond.

Eighteen leagues and more than 350 teams benefited from the uniform program, A’s officials said.