ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP – Steve Kray is almost as much an institution in North Kingsville as the business he owns.
Kray has also become an institution in Kingsville Area Little League as he has been a player, coach, supporter and fan.
“He grew up here, built his life here, and like so many of the young athletes we celebrate today, he once took the field as a Little Leaguer himself at the original facility on Kingsbury Road in Kingsville,” Kingsville Area Little President Ken Mauro said. “Those early experiences helped shape a lifelong appreciation for baseball and the values it teaches – teamwork, dedication, and community pride.”
Kray, owner of Kray Co., played for Kingsville Area Little League as a kid and continued to support the league and community throughout his life.
“Steve has continued the legacy of service, ensuring the business remains not just a cornerstone of local economy, but also a strong support of the Kingsville community,” Mauro continued. “Among those efforts, Kingsville Little League has been especially meaningful to Steve. Steve has been consistent and generous supporting the Kingsville Area Little League sponsoring teams assisting with field maintenance, working on equipment and stepping in whenever needed. His contributions, both seen and unseen, have helped provide countless young athletes with the opportunity to learn and grow through the game of baseball.”
Kray delivered the ceremonial first pitch during KALL’s Opening Day ceremony in Edgewood High School’s gymnasium on Saturday, May 2.
“It’s a very, very, big honor,” Kray said. “I don’t know what to say. I’d rather have been outside, but it was in here and I got it across the plate, so I think we did great.”
The Kray family has a connection to KALL as Steve, his son, Steven, and his grandchildren, Logan and Carly, have all played for teams in the league.
“For Steve, Little League is also family tradition,” Mauro said. “His son, Steven, followed in his footsteps through the program and his grandchildren, Logan and Carly, carried on the legacy as he watched multiple generations of his family take the field in Kingsville.”
Kray was the second member of his family to have thrown out the ceremonial first pitch, as Steven did the same in 2024.
“I played a long time ago in Kingsville, down on Kingsbury Road, I think it was Allen Park, they called it at that point,” Kray said. “I loved the Little League down there. We did a lot of things. We made some new fields when Steven was coming up through there and maintained a lot of the others.”
Little League is an important organization for kids.
“For myself, growing up, it was something to do besides working at the store or going there with my parents,” Kray said. “With Steven, it was just a great honor to have him playing there and the seasons they had together.”
Little League offers valuable life lessons.
“It’s sportsmanship,” Kray said. “You’ve got to learn to win or lose, the hard work involved and everything else. It’s life. It’s what goes on in life. You win and you lose, and you have to put in the work.”
During the ceremony, Mauro announced that Kingsville Area Little League has 278 kids participating in 2026.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Mauro said. “Last year was our biggest year. We had 253 kids. This year, we have 278. It’s just amazing to see all the smiling faces of the players and the families coming together, the community coming together. It’s just truly amazing to show what Kingsville Area Little League’s about.”
The Opening Day ceremony is special for the kids who will don their teams’ uniforms.
“I think it’s very important,” Mauro said. “We start in January to start planning for our opening day and we try to do what’s best for the kids, what’s going to be the most fun for the kids. Of course, we would always love to be outside, but it’s great to have the support from Edgewood High School, Steve Kray, and all the workers there. (We love) to see all the smiles on these kids’ faces, watching them have fun and not worry about being a player, but just be a kid with their teammates and friends and enjoy a special day today.”
Mauro hopes KALL can build upon a successful 2025 season.
“We are coming off a fantastic season,” Mauro said. “We are hoping to go back down to states. I’m hoping to get some boys’ teams down there this year. We have a huge hill to climb, you know, little steps, but we have the talent in our Minor division all the way up. It starts with T-ball and coach pitch. We have amazing coaches down there getting them familiar with the game. That’s what builds the future for our league. We have some goals set for all the teams and all the divisions. For All-Stars, we’ll start focusing once the season gets going, but I like to have All-Stars in every age division that we can and that way they just keep getting experience and keep moving up. It’s going to be exciting this year for Kingsville.”
If the attendance at the Opening Day ceremony is any indication, KALL has plenty of community support for the season.
“Just a huge thank you to our community and our families for always supporting us on field cleanup days,” Mauro said. “It was freezing cold down there. We had so many parents and coaches come down and help us. As a board, we can’t do it without an amazing community and amazing families and our sponsors to Edgewood High School for having us do our skills assessment here during the winter. We are so thankful to have such strong support from our community.”
