State Senator Anthony Cannella, R-Ceres, recently recognized the contributions of a well-known baseball coach and retired deputy fire chief, Joe Carrillo of Ceres.

"I have been a big fan of Joe for a long time, and I was proud to be able to publicly thank him and honor him for his years of service to our community," said Cannella during the closing ceremonies of Ceres Youth Baseball held June 22 at Costa Field in Smyrna Park. "Joe not only coaches our youth on the basics and finer points of baseball, but he also imparts the importance of team work and respect in competition to kids and parents alike."

Carrillo was born in Chihuahua, Mexico and grew up in Hayward. From a young age he had a love for baseball and played little league level and then for his high school. After retiring from a 30-year career with the San Jose Fire Department, earning a rank of deputy chief, Carrillo continued his love of coaching youth in the techniques and art of baseball. Since 2000, he has coached many teams in the Ceres Youth Baseball league, and just finished his third year with the Ceres High School JV team. Joe has also contributed to his community through his participation in several service organizations outlined in the Senate Resolution presented by Senator Cannella.