Jason Redmond / Star staff "This whole idea spurred from what we can do for the kids in Little League?" said Rob Zucco, exhibit specialist at the Reagan Library.

The Reagan Library will open a small exhibit Monday featuring signed baseball memorabilia and photos of President Reagan with professional, minor and Little League players.

The Special Baseball Exhibit will run for two weeks in conjunction with the World Series of Youth Baseball, hosted by the city of Simi Valley.

"This whole idea spurred from what we can do for the kids in Little League?" said Rob Zucco, exhibit specialist at the Reagan Library.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum will also host a baseball-themed community event to honor the 250 or so young athletes on July 17, followed by a private ceremony with baseball Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda.

Ross Porter, the announcer for the Dodgers, and Fred Roggin, NBC's sports anchor, will also speak at the private ceremony, to be held in the Air Force One Pavilion.

The exhibit will run through July 21 in the Signature Gallery and features signed caps, balls and bats that were culled from the gifts and artifacts in the museum's basement.

Photo enlargements will also be hung, showing Reagan with various baseball teams across the nation. They include Reagan signing baseballs and sitting with players from Little League teams like the Athletics.

A baseball mitt that Nancy Reagan wore to toss the first pitch at the 1983 World Series is one highlight on the two- table display.

One of the quirkier items is a plastic phone that has three bats holding up a baseball, a present given to Reagan by Lasorda.

There is a poster of Reagan meeting Cal Ripken Jr. in 1986 and a photo of the president shaking hands with Joe Dimaggio and another of Lasorda when he took the Dodgers to a World Series win in 1988.

There is also a football team photo featuring George Gipp, a legendary University of Notre Dame football player and athlete, whom Reagan played in the 1940 movie, "Knute Rockne, All American." Reagan was nicknamed "The Gipper" as the result of the movie.

Also on display is a press pass from the San Diego Baseball Club that reads "Ronald Reagan," and under team affiliation it says "President of the United States."

The community event will be held July 17 from 3 to 6 p.m. and will include baseball-themed games and activities.

For more information on the exhibit or the community event, visit http://www.reaganfoundation.org or call 522-2977.