OGDEN — The for-ev-er ban that kept Michael “Squints” Palledorous from patronizing Lorin Farr Pool has been lifted.

In fact, he has a key to get in.

Chauncey Leopardi, the actor who played Squints in the 1993 baseball classic “The Sandlot,” received the ceremonial key Monday afternoon from Ogden Raptors team president Dave Baggott and Ogden City Mayor Mike Caldwell in a meet-and-greet at the pool. A couple hundred people from the community showed up for the event.

In the movie, Squints fakes his own drowning in a ploy to kiss lifeguard Wendy Peffercorn — a scene filmed at Lorin Farr Pool.

“They kicked us out 30 years ago and now we’re finally welcome back!” Leopardi joked while signing autographs at Monday night’s Ogden Raptors game. “It’s really cool, man. I hadn’t been back to the pool before this trip since we shot the film. So it brought back a lot of memories and obviously, the people from Ogden have showed up and showed us a lot of love.”

Leopardi and others from the movie have made appearances like this for about the last 10 years, often at minor league or independent baseball games.

“It’s cool to be part of something that’s stood the test of time and that kids are still interested in, it’s generation after generation. That’s really special,” he said. “We’re happy to be here doing this. It puts a smile on people’s faces and they want to show their kids the films. I think it’s so great.”

Monday’s festivities coincide with others in Northern Utah with appearances from “The Sandlot” actors over the weekend to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the beloved movie, including a charity baseball game in Ogden. The Raptors got involved as it dovetails with the team’s 30th year of professional baseball in Ogden.

A hearty crowd of 4,578 fans came to Lindquist Field to see the Raptors, in their “The Sandlot”-themed jersey tops, take on the first-place Rocky Mountain Vibes in a potential September playoff preview. The visitors prevailed 14-7.

The Raptors (38-29, 7-12) took an early 3-1 lead on two homers from league-leading bomber Reese Alexiades, giving him 22 on the season.

The Vibes (33-33, 13-6) answered with a three-homer, six-run fourth inning. Matt Hogan (three-run), Brandon Crosby (solo) and Jacob Barfield (two-run) turned the outing by usual Ogden ace Brock Gilliam from good to bad with three swings.

Raptors right fielder Cam Phelts blooped in two runs in the sixth inning to cut it to 7-5 only for the Vibes to single in a pair in the seventh to extend their lead to 9-5.

Ogden infielder Rafael Narea socked a two-run homer to left, with the table set by Damian Henderson via single, to bring the deficit back to two at 9-7.

But Ogden’s hopes for a comeback ended in the top of the ninth when Hogan hit his second homer of the game, an opposite-field grand slam hit high off the scoreboard in left that gave Hogan as many RBIs as the Raptors totaled runs.

FOUR RAPTORS MAKE ALL-STAR TEAM

The Pioneer Baseball League announced its midseason All-Star team Monday and the Ogden Raptors have four representatives: center fielder Reese Alexiades, catcher Logan Williams, and relief pitchers Brandon McCabe and Dan Kubiuk.

Kubiuk leads the league in saves with 12.

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