A's to honor Petaluma National Little League team

A native of Petaluma, Oakland As outfielder Jonny Gomestook a vested interest in the Petaluma National Little League teams run to theLittle League World Series.Now that Petalumasrun is over, complete with a third-place finish, Gomes and the As will honorthe team.The As will celebrate Petaluma at Fridays game against theRed Sox, honoring head coach Eric Smith and his staff in a pre-game on-fieldceremony and giving each Petaluma player an As team autographed baseball. TheLittle Leaguers will also shag balls in the outfield during batting practiceand then take the field with the As at their positions during the nationalanthem.Gomes, who supported Petalumathroughout its run and helped raise money to cover the teams expenses byoffering autographed photo cards in exchange for donations, will host theplayers and their families in luxury suites at the Coliseum.If I was lucky enough to go to Williamsport when I was 12, there would be nochance my family would have been able to go on their own dollar, and how bummedout I would be about that, Gomes said.The As, the Giants and Comcast SportsNet each donated5,000 to offset Petalumastravel costs.A's media services contributed to this report.