DEMS EAT, PLAY BALL GATHERING IS ANNUAL EVENT.

Byline: Alex Dobuzinskis Staff Writer

Democrat battled Democrat in an annual Labor Day weekend softball game on Sunday, as top elected officials mixed with party loyalists for a friendly competition and traditional summer barbecue at Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks Park.

The Democratic Party of San Fernando Valley's sixth annual contest started with opposing captains Sen. Richard Alarcon, D-Van Nuys, and Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, each picking their teams schoolyard-style. Levine's squad went on to beat Alarcon's team 9-6.

Alarcon, who is running for mayor of Los Angeles, put a positive spin on his team's defeat. ``We have the better baseball dressers. We dress much better than them,'' said Alarcon, who sported a National League All-Star jersey with former Los Angeles Dodger Paul Lo Duca's name on it. ``As you can see, we're not the most skilled baseball players but we have a lot of fun.''

Mayor James Hahn braved the 97-degree heat to make it to the game, although he did not play.

``I wanted to go where it was cool today; I said - the Valley,'' Hahn joked with fellow Democrats.

The game and barbecue attracted dozens of Democrats, many of them staff members of elected officials. But some, such as Nayra Perez of Encino, who ran around the base paths in a black cowboy hat, were Democratic Party activists.

Activist and grandmother Lane Sherman, whose son is Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, acted as cheerleader, waving a pom-pom and leading spectators in a cheer for Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate.

The player with the most grit was Calabasas City Councilwoman Lesley Devine, who completed chemotherapy treatment two weeks ago.

``This is called 'you'll pay for it later.' I will hit the couch later this afternoon and it will take a 10-ton truck to get me out of it,'' Devine said.

City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa and former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg, who are both running for mayor of Los Angeles, took a few minutes to chat - away from the hard-fought softball contest. Hertzberg, who was known in Sacramento as a generous giver of bear hugs, emerged from the meeting arm-in-arm with his political opponent.

Attorney General Bill Lockyer, Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Woodland Hills, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel and San Fernando City Councilwoman Nury Martinez were among the officials at the event.

Amid all the camaraderie, German student Peter Dyllick-Brenzinger, 22, who is working for the Democratic Party as an intern, tried to make sense of softball and talked about the difference between political parties in this country and in Germany, where party members pay a membership fee and the political process is less open.

Dyllick-Brenzinger said he was surprised by how easy it is for rank-and-file Democrats to volunteer for the party during the elections.

``That would never happen in Germany,'' he said.

Alex Dobuzinskis, [phone]

alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Softball in hand, state Sen. Richard Alarcon chases Tracey Poirier, caseworker for Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, during Sunday's annual softball game and barbecue.

(2) Mayoral candidates Antonio Villaraigosa, left, and Bob Hertzberg, center, take a few minutes for a chat.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer