Little League through the years - Sun

Transcription

2
Williamsport Sun-Gazette, Friday, August 15, 2008
Little League World Series game schedule
UNITED STATES
Inside
Page 4
Little League in the
Video Game Age
Pages 6-11, 18-19
Little League
through the years
Pages 13, 16
Map of Little
League Complex
grounds
Pages 14-15
Map of Little
League competition
regions and representatives
Pages 20-24
Little League
Award winners
Pages 24-25
Things to do
during the Series
Pages 26-27
Little League
Museum events
Directory
SPORTS EDITOR
Ben Brigandi
bbrigandi@sungazette.com
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Jake Felix
jfelix@sungazette.com
COVER-GRAPHIC DESIGN
T.R. Wertz Jr.
twertz@sungazette.com
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
John Leeser
advertising@sungazette.com
PUBLISHER
Robert O. Rolley Jr.
brolley@sungazette.com
INTERNATIONAL
POOL A
MID-ATLANTIC, Hagerstown, Md.
NORTHWEST, Mill Creek, Wash.
SOUTHWEST, Lake Charles, La.
GREAT LAKES, Jeffersonville, Ind.
POOL B
NEW ENGLAND, Shelton, Conn.
WEST, Waipahu, Hawaii
SOUTHEAST, Tampa, Fla.
MIDWEST, Rapid City, S.D.
POOL C
CARIBBEAN, Willemstad, Curacao
MEXICO, Matamoros, Tamaulipas
EUROPE, Emilia, Italy
ASIA-PACIFIC, Yona, Guam.
POOL D
MEA, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
JAPAN, Tokyo
CANADA, White Rock, British Columbia
LATIN AMERICA, Maricaibo, Venezuela.
Friday, Aug. 15
Rapid City, S.D. vs. Tampa, Fla.
2 p.m. Volunteer
ESPN
White Rock, B.C. vs. Maricaibo, Venezuela
Shelton, Conn. vs. Waipahu, Hawaii
4 p.m.
6 p.m.
Lamade
Volunteer
ESPN2
ESPN2
Hagerstown, Md. vs. Jeffersonville, Ind.
8 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 16
Lamade
ESPN
Willemstad, Curacao vs. Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Emilia, Italy vs. Yona, Guam
11 a.m.
1 p.m.
Lamade
Volunteer
ESPN
ESPN
Rapid City, S.D. vs. Shelton, Conn.
Tokyo vs. Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
3:30 p.m. Lamade
6 p.m.
Volunteer
ABC
ESPN
Lake Charles, La. vs. Mill Creek, Wash.
8 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 17
Emilia, Italy vs. Matamoros, Tamaulipas
12 p.m.
Lamade
ESPN
Lamade
ESPN*
White Rock, B.C. vs. Tokyo
Volunteer
ESPN2
Jeffersonville, Ind. vs. Lake Charles, La.
3:30 p.m.
Maricaibo, Venezuela vs. Dhahran, Saudi Arabia 6 p.m.
Tampa, Fla. vs. Waipahu, Hawaii
8 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 18
Mill Creek, Wash. vs. Hagerstown, Md.
12 p.m.
1 p.m.
Lamade
Volunteer
Lamade
ABC
ESPN
ESPN
Lamade
ESPN
Yona, Guam vs. Matamoros, Tamaulipas
1 p.m.
Rapid City, S.D. vs. Waipahu, Hawaii
3 p.m.
Willemstad, Curacao vs. Emilia, Italy
4 p.m.
Tampa, Fla. vs. Shelton, Conn.
6 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 19
Maricaibo, Venezuela vs. Tokyo
12 p.m.
Mill Creek, Wash. vs. Jeffersonville, Ind.
2 p.m.
White Rock, B.C. vs. Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
4 p.m.
Volunteer
Lamade
Volunteer
Lamade
ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN
ESPN2
Lamade
Volunteer
Lamade
ESPN
ESPN
ESPN
Willemstad, Curacao vs. Yona, Guam
Lake Charles, La. vs. Hagerstown, Md.
Volunteer
Lamade
ESPN2
ESPN2
6 p.m.
8 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 20
International
Pool D No. 1
vs. Pool C No. 2
4 p.m.
Lamade
ESPN
United States
Pool B No. 1
vs. Pool A No. 2
8 p.m.
Lamade
ESPN
Thursday, Aug. 21
International
Pool C No. 1
vs. Pool D No. 2
4 p.m.
Lamade
ESPN
United States
Pool A No. 1
vs. Pool B No. 2
8 p.m.
Lamade
ESPN
Friday, Aug. 22
Rain Day
no games scheduled
Saturday, Aug. 23
International championship
12:30 p.m.
Lamade
ABC
U.S. championship
3:30 p.m.
Lamade
ABC
Sunday, Aug. 24
Third Place
U.S. runner-up
vs. International runner-up
12 p.m.
Volunteer
ESPN
World Championship
At Lamade Stadium
International champion
vs. U.S. champion
3:30 p.m.
Lamade
ESPN
By JON GERARDI
jgerardi@sungazette.com
If you drive around on any
given Saturday morning, you’ll
notice something similar in all
the parks, there’s no kids playing pickup, sandlot baseball
games on the empty diamonds.
But why is this?
A changing society is to
blame. With video games, the
Internet and access to other
sports that weren’t necessarily
available to kids thirty or forty
years ago, kids just have too
many other options to do.
Many former professional
baseball players can remember
getting up early on Saturday
morning, rounding up a bunch
of neighborhood kids and going
out and playing baseball until
it got dark. Almost all of them
agree that more options are the
reason kids aren’t playing
sandlot baseball anymore.
“We played basketball, baseball, we did everything outside,”
former Pittsburgh Pirates and
Cleveland Indians pitcher
Jason Philips said. Phillips, a
graduate of Hughesville High
School, broke into the majors in
1998.
“Now
with
Nintendo,
PlayStations, video games of
any sort, children don’t want to
do that with TV,” said Phillips.
Former major-league pitcher
Tom Tellman, who has his own
baseball academy in Warren,
says that a lot of young kids are
playing soccer now that is partly to blame in addition to video
games.
“The biggest thing now is
you can pretty much drive by
playgrounds and you don’t see
kids playing baseball anymore,”
Tellman said. “When I was a
kid you got there at nine, you
had to wait until noon to get in
the game until someone went
home to lunch and it’s just not
that way anymore.”
Although not everyone is in
consensus about whether kids
not playing sandlot baseball is
hurting the game at all, many
feel it does.
According to Little League,
last year there were 2,150,535
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229 W. 4th St., Williamsport
326-4700
kids who played Little League
baseball in the United States.
Although this number may
seem like a lot, the total enrollment of players generally
declines about one percent per
year.
Little League says that this
to is due to socio-economic factors and other options children
have such as varied youth
sports, less free time for par-
ents, traveling to practices and
games, part-time jobs for players in upper divisions and video
games.
Although Little League’s
(See Page 4)
Number of players
declines each year
3
Little League in the video game age
4
Are video games to blame?
(From Page 3)
enrollment has dropped slightly, participation in other youth
sports, such as soccer and hockey, have also declined an average of four percent in the last
ten years according to information from Little League
International.
However in recent years,
Little League has created programs to help get kids in metropolitan areas to play youth
baseball. In 1999, Little
League created the Little
League Urban Initiative,
which helps get financial assistance to local leagues in metropolitan areas, and created the
League Development department in 2005, which helps educate communities about Little
league’s baseball and softball
programs and helps charter
and establish new leagues.
“Kids aren’t playing other
than when they come to practice and when they’re coming
to play for the game,” Philips
said. “You are literally teaching them fundamentals and
rules and everything as a
young child that I took for
granted.”
Philips currently coaches
Little League.
Manager Paul Roman,
who’s been involved in
Loyalsock Little League for 26
years, said there’s been a drop
off in kids playing even locally.
Roman agrees that both video
games and other sports have a
large role into why kids aren’t
playing as much, however he
contributes a lack of children
to the problem as well.
“I can speak for Loyalsock
really,” Roman said. “I think
it’s in large part, the number of
children in the community are
down. I think you’re seeing
fewer children able to play.”
Recently, Loyalsock closed
down one of their elementary
schools, Becht Elementary,
which Roman attributes to a
lack of children in the community.
In 1972, Loyalsock Little
League had eight major teams
and 10 minor teams with
approximately 15 kids per roster. This past year, Loyalsock
had only four major league
teams with 11 kids per roster.
“We did see an up-check in
minors,” Roman said. “But it’s
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette
Nippenose Valley celebrates after winning the Mac McCloskey Tournament. The tournament is one of several that allows players to compete closer to the end of summer and
after their regular season.
a little bit deceptive in that
minors, you started as eight to
ten, now we start minors as
young as six.” Loyalsock had
seven minor league teams
with 11 kids per roster, which
is a slight increase from prior
years.
According to many local
coaches, Little League and
other youth baseball programs
help kids continue to play
baseball until they are able to
join a school’s team in high
school.
“Kids get knocked out of
districts very quick,” Jersey
Shore/GSV McCloskey tournament manager Greg Hancock
said. “If they lose the first two
(games), they can be out the
first week. McCloskey kids, all
these boys have the opportuni-
ty to play at least two, three
more games. So it’s a great
opportunity to play baseball.”
Rob Lytle, who managed
Loyalsock in the McCloskey
Tournament, a post Little
League District 12 playoff
event run by Original League
for local teams, remembered
playing sandlot baseball into
September and agreed that
tournaments
and
Little
League keep kids playing
baseball at a young age.
“I just don’t think kids are
motivated at all now to get out
there and play a sport,” Lytle
said.
“With it being over in June
(Little League tournament)
and now because of All-Stars
and because you have to get so
many tournament games in,
kids don’t have a lot of opportunities anymore.”
Lytle sees tournaments
such as McCloskey and even
Little League as a way to give
kids a chance to keep playing
baseball, something they probably wouldn’t do if they didn’t
have a league to join.
Welcome to Williamsport
Enjoy the Little League World Series
I
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5
6
1938 — Williamsport
resident Carl E. Stotz gathers neighborhood children
during the summer and
devises the first rules and
field dimensions for his
planned boys baseball program.
1939 — Little League
Baseball is founded by Carl
Stotz, who enlists help from
others in the community.
Stotz, George Bebble and
Bert Bebble are the first
three managers. ... A $30
donation is sufficient to purchase uniforms for each of
the first three teams,
named after their sponsors:
Lycoming Dairy, Lundy
Lumber, and Jumbo Pretzel.
… The first season is played
in a vacant lot near the outfield fence of Bowman Field.
1940 — A new playing
site is used near the original field. ... A second league
is formed in Williamsport,
modeled on Carl Stotz’s
pilot program. ... Rosters are
limited by guidelines limiting the area from which the
leagues can draw players, a
process that continues
today.
1942 — The “keystone”
logo of Little League is created by Carl Stotz and
becomes the symbol for
Little League Baseball. ...
Ed Yonkin pitches the first
no-hitter in Little League
history, leading Lundy
Lumber over Stein’s
Service.
1943 — A home run
fence is added to Original
Little League Field. Until
that time, all home runs
were “inside-the-park.”
SUN-GAZETTE FILE PHOTO
In 1968, the old wooden stands at Howard J. Lamade
Memorial Field were replaced with concrete and the venue
is renamed Howard J. Lamade Stadium. Above, the opening pitch is thrown, officially beginning the 1968 Little
League World Series.
1944 — Carl Stotz
receives a draft notice.
However, the draft regulations are soon revised, and
he remains in Williamsport.
1945 — Mac McCloskey
builds the world’s first
remote-controlled electronic
scoreboard for Original
Little League Field. ... A
game at Original Little
League in Williamsport is
suspended, Aug. 14, 1945,
after it is announced at the
field that World War II has
ended.
Baseball expands to 12
leagues, all in Pennsylvania.
1947 — The
Hammonton, N.J., boasts
having the first Little
League outside of
Pennsylvania. ... The first
Little League World Series
(known then as the
National Little League
Tournament) is won by the
Maynard Midgets of
Williamsport. ... Allen
“Sonny” Yearick, who played
in the first Little League
game for Lycoming Dairy in
1939, is the first Little
League graduate to play
professional ball in the
Boston Braves organization.
grows to 94 leagues. ... Lock
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expands to 307 leagues in
the U.S. ... A feature about
Little League in the
Saturday Evening Post
spreads the Little League
story to more than 14 million people. ... Newsreels
highlighting the 1948
National Tournament are
seen by millions more, and
Carl Stotz is deluged by
requests for information on
starting a program in hundreds of communities. ...
Little League moves to pro-
Spec$ial:
Oinnclulyding1t8
ax!
tect its name by incorporating, in the state of New York.
1950 — The shortest
World Series game ever,
lasting exactly one hour, is
played between
Hagerstown, Md., and
Kankakee, Ill. ... The first
leagues outside the U.S. are
formed at each end of the
Panama Canal.
1951 — The first permanent Little League outside
of the United States is
formed in British Columbia,
Canada. ... Little League
grows to 776 programs.
1952 — Peter J.
McGovern becomes the first
full-time President of Little
(See Page 7)
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• Scuba & Snorkel Gear •
1941 — The need for
workers and war materiels
slow the growth of Little
League as the nation prepares for war. The field is
taken over for war production, and the operation of
“Original Little League”
moves to Max M. Brown
Memorial Park.
Haven wins the second
Little League World Series,
defeating a team from St.
Petersburg, Fla. ... U.S.
Rubber (now Uniroyal)
becomes the first corporate
sponsor of Little League.
• Military Surplus!!! •
Little League through the years
2098 Lycoming Creek Road • 570-326-1591
7
(From Page 6)
League Baseball. ...
Baseball immortal Connie
Mack is a visitor to the
World Series. ... Little
League expands to more
than 1,500 programs.
1953 — The Little
League World Series is televised for the first time, by
CBS, with rookie announcer
Jim McKay behind the
mike. Howard Cosell handles the play-by-play for
ABC radio. ... Birmingham,
Ala., defeats Schenectady,
N.Y., 1-0, in one of only two
1-0 finals in World Series
history. ... Joey Jay, who
played Little League in
Middletown, Conn., becomes
the first former Little
Leaguer to reach the Major
Leagues (Milwaukee
Braves).
1954 — Boog Powell,
who would later play for the
Baltimore Orioles, participates for Lakeland, Fla., in
the World Series. ... Ken
Hubbs, who would win the
1962 National League
Rookie of the Year Award
with the Chicago Cubs,
plays in the Little League
World Series for Colton, CA
... Little League Baseball
expands to more than 3,300
leagues.
1955 — Baseball great
Cy Young makes his last
visit to the Little League
World Series before his
death in September. Carl
Stotz is a pallbearer at his
funeral. ... Morrisville, Pa.,
defeats Delaware Township,
N.J., 4-3, in seven innings
(the first extra-inning Little
League World Series championship game). ... A player
for the New Jersey team is
Billy Hunter, who would go
on to play football for the
Washington Redskins and
Miami Dolphins, and executive director of the NBA
Players Association. ... Little
League is now played in all
48 states. ... Nine-year-old
George W. Bush plays his
first of four years at Central
Little League of Midland,
Texas, where he is a catcher
on the Cubs. He later
becomes the first Little
League graduate to be elected President of the United
States.
1956 — An out-of-court
settlement of a dispute with
the Little League Board of
Directors ends with Carl
Stotz severing ties with the
organization he founded. ...
The Little League
Foundation is created. ...
The first Little League
World Series perfect game
is pitched by Fred Shapiro
of Delaware Township, NJ.
... Little League grows to
more than 4,000 leagues. ...
The first Little League
Congress takes place in
Chicago.
1957 — Monterrey,
Mexico, becomes the first
non-U.S. team to win the
as Angel Macias pitches the
first perfect game in a
championship final.
1958 — Monterrey,
Mexico, becomes the first
(See Page 8)
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8
(From Page 7)
Little League to win consecutive World Series championships. ... Hector Torres,
who would later play in the
Major Leagues, plays for
Monterrey. ... Rick Wise,
who would also play in the
Major Leagues, plays for
Portland, Ore., in the World
Series.
1959 — The modern protective helmet is developed
by Dr. Creighton J. Hale,
then director of research for
Little League Baseball. ...
The World Series is played
for the first time at its present site in the borough of
South Williamsport. ... Little
League Baseball now has
more than 5,000 leagues. ...
The second week of June is
proclaimed National Little
League Week by President
Dwight D. Eisenhower.
1960 — The first
European entry in the Little
League World Series is
Berlin, Germany. ... The
Little League Baseball
International administration building is completed.
… The World Series final is
broadcast live on television
— ABC’s first. ... More than
27,400 teams participate in
more than 5,500 Little
Leagues.
1961 — Senior League
Baseball is created for players 13 to 15 years old. ...
Brian Sipe, who would later
play quarterback for the
Cleveland Browns, plays for
the World Series champions
from El Cajon, Calif. ...
More than 5,500 teams participate in Little Leagues.
Summer Camp opens in
Williamsport. ... Jackie
Robinson is inducted into
the Baseball Hall of Fame
and is a guest at the Little
League World Series. ...
National Little League
Week is proclaimed by
President John F. Kennedy.
1963 — ABC and its
Wide World of Sports program televises the Little
League World Series championship game for the first
time, with Chris Schenkel
calling the play-by-play.
Baseball is granted a
Charter of Federal
Incorporation by the U.S.
Congress. ... Danny
Yacarino pitches a no-hitter
and hits a home run to lead
Mid Island Little League of
Staten Island, NY, against
Monterrey, Mexico, 4-0, for
the Series title.
1965 — Venezuela and
Spain are represented in
the Little League World
Series for the first time.
Baseball's first regional
headquarters, the Southern
Region Headquarters, opens
in St. Petersburg, Fla. ... A
rain delay during a World
Series game holds up the
contest for one hour and 33
minutes. ... The game is
broadcast in color for the
first time on ABC Wide
World of Sports.
1967 — West Tokyo,
Japan, becomes the first Far
East team to win the Little
League World Series title. ...
Baseball great Ted Williams
is an announcer for ABC. ...
Future Major Leaguer
Bobby Mitchell plays in the
The Wakayama Little League of Osaka, Japan, shown above, defeated the Tuckahoe
Little League of Richmond, Va., in the championship game of the 22nd Little League
World Series on Aug. 24, 1968.
HAPPY ACRES
RESTAURANT
1967 Little League Baseball
World Series for Northridge
Little League.
1968 — The old wooden
stands at Howard J.
Lamade Memorial Field are
replaced with concrete, and
the venue is renamed
Howard J. Lamade
Stadium. ... Big League
Baseball for players 16 to
18 years old is started. ...
Turk Schonert, future NFL
quarterback, is a member of
the Garden Grove, Calif.,
team in the Series.
(See Page 9)
U D I D I T!
O
Y Welcome to the
2008 Little League
World Series,
from the
Borough of
South
Williamsport
& GENERAL STORE
B”
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9
(From Page 8)
1969 — The Western
Regional Headquarters of
Little League Baseball in
San Bernardino, Calif., is
opened. ... Newberry Little
League participates in the
World Series, becoming the
first Williamsport-area
team to play in the World
Series since 1948. ... Taiwan
wins the first of its 17 Little
1970 — The Canadian
Headquarters of Little
League Baseball opens in
Ottawa, Ontario.
1971 — Lloyd
McClendon, who would
become a Major League
player and later the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates,
hits five home runs in five
at bats during the World
Series for Gary, Ind. ... One
of the longest games in
World Series history is
played over two hours and
51 minutes as Gary and
Tainan, Taiwan battle for
nine innings. ... A Little
League State Center opens
in Waco, Texas. ... Howard J.
Lamade Stadium is expanded to increase seating
capacity to 10,000. ... The
aluminum bat, developed in
cooperation with Little
League, is first used.
1972 — Taiwan wins a
second consecutive World
Series championship for the
Far East Region. ... Title IX,
giving women and girls
greater opportunities at
higher levels of athletics, is
signed into law by
President Richard M.
Nixon.
1973 — Dr. Creighton J.
Hale is elected president of
(See Page 10)
Little
League
through
the years
www.sungazette.com
Park
& Ride
to the
Little League World Series!
®
2 Special Passes Available!...
Little League Express Pass:
Good for unlimited rides on the Little League
Express Bus from August 15 through
August 24, 2008 - only $3.00
Little League Grand Slam Pass: Good for
unlimited rides on the Little League Express Bus
AND all RVT routes from August 15 through
August 24, 2008 - only $7.50
• Passes available from the Little League Express Driver or at
the Trade & Transit Information Office beginning Monday,
August 11, 2008.
• Regular fare and Youth Pass accepted.
• Senior Citizens ride FREE ALL DAY!
• Service every 30 minutes from the Third St. Parking Garage
and Little League Stadiums.
• Park & Ride: FREE Parking in the Third St. Parking Garage when
you ride the Little League Express to the World Series. Have your
parking ticket validated by the Little League Express Driver.
LITTLE LEAGUE
EXPRESS
TO THE SERIES
Service to the stadium
operates every 30 minutes
2008 SCHEDULE
Friday, Aug. 15
10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Saturday, Aug. 16
9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sunday, Aug. 17
9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Monday, Aug. 18
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Tuesday, Aug 19
10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Schedule subject to change. Call 326-2500 for daily updates.
For your safety and enjoyment during the Little League Baseball World Series the following items are
prohibited in the complex: Alcohol, Large Coolers, Pets, Fireworks, Skateboards, Scooters, Containers
w/liquid (cans, glass, and plastic)*,Tarps and Tents, Large bags or containers, Solicitation, Laser
Pointers, Roller Blades, Weapons of any kind. All Smoking and use of smokeless tobacco products is
prohibited on the Little League International complex. All items brought to the complex are subject to
inspection. Personal items are to be removed daily from the complex. We reserve the right to remove
from Little League property any individual or group whose actions are deemed inappropriate.
*Containers of liquid for infants (i.e., baby bottles, formula) will be permitted, but are subject to inspection. Thank you for helping to keep the Little League Baseball World Series a safe and fun event.
More info? (570)326-2500 • www.rideRVT.com
Little
League®
Express
Service
sponsored
by...
Wednesday, Aug 20
1:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Thursday, Aug 21
1:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Friday, Aug 22
No Games
Saturday, Aug 23
9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Sunday, Aug 24
9:00 am - 3:30 pm
NOTE: Service from the stadium will operate every 30 minutes until completion of the
last game. Upon completion of the last
game of the day, Little League Express will
provide direct service to all routes.
10
(From Page 9)
for Barrington (Ill.) Little
League in the Little League
World Series. ... Derek Bell
returns with Belmont
Heights, but his team falls
to Taiwan again. Bell
becomes the first Major
League player to have
played in two Little League
World Series.
Little League Baseball, only
the second full-time president in 35 years. ... Future
Major Leaguer Ed Vosberg
plays in the Little League
World Series for the runnerup team from Tucson, Ariz.,
and goes on to become the
only person to participate in
Series, College World Series
(University of Arizona,
champions, 1980) and Major
League World Series
(Florida Marlins, champions, 1997).
1982 — The Peter J.
McGovern Little League
Museum opens at the Little
League International
Headquarters complex. ...
Future Major Leaguer
Wilson Alvarez plays for the
Maracaibo, Venezuela, team
in the Series. ... Kirkland,
WA, defeats Taiwan, 6-0,
before a then-World Series
record crowd of 40,000 as
Cody Webster tosses a twohitter in the final game,
rules are revised to allow
participation by girls. ...
Little League Softball and
Senior League Softball programs are created.
1975 — Non-U.S. teams
are barred from advancing
beyond regional play
because of an over-emphasis
on tournament play. ...
Lakewood, N.J., defeats
Belmont Heights, of Tampa,
Fla., 4-3, in the final.
1976 — Baseball Hall of
Famers Joe DiMaggio,
Ernie Banks and Bob
Gibson are Series guests as
Chofu, Japan, wins that
country’s third championship, led by Kiyoshi
Tsumura, who pitches a
perfect game in the semifinal against Europe.
1983 — Baseball
Commissioner Bowie Kuhn
throws the ceremonial first
pitch at the Little League
World Series championship
game and music star Chuck
Mangione plays the
Dominican Republic
National Anthem. ... East
Marietta (Ga.) National
Little League wins the
World Series with future
Major Leaguer Marc
Pisciotta on the mound.
1984 — Seoul, Korea,
wins that country's first
championship, defeating
Altamonte Springs, Fla., 6(See Page 11)
In 1972, Taiwan wins a second consecutive World Series
championship for the Far East Region.
for San Ramon Valley Little
League of Danville, Calif.
1979 — Junior League
Baseball is created for t13
year olds. ... Future Major
Leaguers Dwight Gooden,
Floyd Youmans and Vance
Lovelace play for the
Belmont Heights (Tampa,
Fla.) team in the Senior
League Baseball World
Series in Gary, Ind.
1980 — George Bush, a
former Little League coach
who is elected vice presi-
dent three months later,
throws out the first pitch for
the World Series championship game. ... Big League
Softball is started for players 16 to 18 years old. ...
Belmont Heights reaches
the finals of the Little
Series, falling 4-3 to Taiwan.
Gary Sheffield and Derek
Bell, future Major Leaguers,
play for Belmont Heights.
1981 — Dan Wilson,
later a Major Leaguer, plays
1977 — Future Major
Leaguer Charlie Hayes
plays in the 1977 Series for
Hattiesburg, MS.
grows to include more than
6,500 Little Leagues for 9to-12-year-olds, 2,850 Senior
Leagues for 13-to-15-yearolds, and 1,300 Big League
programs for 16-to-18-yearolds. ... Little League and
Senior League Softball
teams total more than
7,400. ... Future Major
Leaguer Erik Johnson is a
pitcher in the 1978 Little
Series championship game
ending Taiwan’s 31-game
winning streak in
Williamsport.
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(From Page 10)
2. One Altamonte Springs
player is future Major
Leaguer Jason Varitek. ...
Peter J. McGovern, Little
League Board of Directors
Chairman for more than
thirty years, dies June 30.
1985 — For the first
time, ABC-TV carries the
championship game live on
Wide World of Sports. ... For
the first time in baseball
history, ABC mounts a
micro- miniature camera on
the mask of the home plate
umpire, Frank Rizzo.
1986 — Baseball
Commissioner Peter
Ueberroth makes his first
visit to the Little League
World Series for the championship. ... Bill Shea, president of the Little League
Foundation and the namesake of New York's Shea
Stadium, throws the ceremonial first pitch.
1987 — The 1947 Little
League World Series champions, the Maynard Midgets
of Williamsport, are reunited on the field before the
championship game.
1988 — Tom Seaver,
graduate of Spartan Little
League in Fresno,Calif., is
the first enshrinee of the
Peter J. McGovern Little
League Museum Hall of
Excellence.
delivered in person by
President George Bush. ...
Trumbull (Conn.) National
Little League becomes the
first U.S. team to win the
World Series since 1983
before a crowd of 45,000.
Future NHL star Chris
Drury pitches for Tumbull.
mentally and physically disabled children. ... Little
League in now enjoyed by
children in thirty— nine
countries. ... Taiwan regains
the championship of the
with a 9-0 victory over
Shippensburg, Pa.
Baseball launches the first
full season of the
Challenger Division for
1991 — Taiwan defeats
Danville, Calif, 11-0 in the
final game of the Little
1992 — Carl E. Stotz,
founder of Little League,
dies. ... The Little League
World Series undergoes a
series of changes ... A “pool”
format is adopted in which
each team is assured a minimum of three meaningful
games in World Series play;
A state-of-the-art Musco
Sports Lighting System is
installed at Howard J.
Lamade Stadium, and the
(See Page 18)
Baseball celebrates its fiftieth anniversary. ... Poland
receives four certificates of
charter for the first Little
League programs in a former Eastern-Bloc country,
Welcome all Little League Players and Families
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13
16
14
15
Follow all of the action
Get the Little League Extra every day
in the
Williamsport Sun-Gazette
or visit us on the web at www.sungazette.com
LIVE Broadcasts of the Little League
World Series on 1200 & 1400 WRAK-AM.
Bring your radios for all the action.
17

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18
(From Page 11)
first Little League World
Series night game is played.
... Long Beach (Calif.) Little
League is named World
Series Champion following
the disqualification of
Zamboanga (Philippines)
City Little League. ...
Guests at the Series include
former Little Leaguers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
George Will, Tom Selleck
and Vice President Dan
Quayle.
1993 — Long Beach
becomes the first U.S.
league in history to win consecutive Little League
Baseball World Series
championships with a
thrilling 3-2 victory against
a team from Panama. Long
Beach is led for a second
year by Sean Burroughs,
who pitches two no-hitters
in the World Series, and
later would later play in the
Major Leagues.
1994 — After a record
three hour, six minute rain
delay, Coquivacoa Little
League of Maracaibo,
Venezuela, becomes the first
Latin American team to win
Series since 1958. ...
Stephen D. Keener becomes
the first Little League graduate to be named president
of Little League Baseball,
succeeding Dr. Creighton J.
Hale.
Lundy Little League
Conference Center is dedicated at Little League
Baseball International. ...
Taiwan wins a 17th series
title.
and Major League Baseball
enter an agreement for the
first time, co-producing a
magazine that is mailed
free of charge directly to
nearly 2 million Little
Leaguers. ... An all-time
record 2,993,760 Little
Leaguers participate. ...
Sharon Robinson (daughter
of the late Jackie Robinson)
is a guest at the Little
League World Series. ... For
the first time, U.S. Regional
championship games in
Little League Baseball are
televised nationally on
ESPN2. ... Linda Vista
Little League of Guadalupe,
Mexico, wins the Little
League World Series with a
four-run rally in the last
inning. ... The Chinese
Taipei Baseball Association
decides leagues in Taiwan
will not charter with Little
League.
expands to include 95 five
countries. ... Toms River
1999 — The number of
countries with Little
League programs hits 100
for the first time as
Burkina-Faso joins. ...
Hirakata Little League of
Osaka, Japan, wins that
nation's first World Series
title since 1976, defeating
Phenix City, Ala., 5-0. ...
Little League begins the
first capital campaign in the
program’s history, to raise
$20 million for a variety of
projects.
2000 — Construction
begins on Little League
Volunteer Stadium, just
north of Lamade Stadium,
in preparation for expansion of the Little League
World Series from eight to
sixteen teams in 2001. ...
Fraser Valley of British
WelcomeLeaguers
Little Fans!
&
1995 — Hall of Famer
Stan Musial throws the ceremonial first pitch for the
Little League World Series.
... After a three-year
drought, Taiwan defeats
Spring, Texas, 17-3, for the
world title.
celebrates the fiftieth World
Series. ... Little League's
first full-service Regional
Headquarters outside the
U.S. is opened, in Kutno,
Poland. ... The Little League
Education Program for
Managers and Coaches is
launched. ... The John W.
(N.J.) East American Little
League wins the Little
Series, defeating Kashima
(Japan) Little League 12-9
in a championship game
featuring eleven home runs
and 41,200 fans. ... It is
announced that the Little
League World Series will
expand from eight teams to
16 in 2001, and a second
stadium will be built.
3 miles awaygue
from Little LeaW
on Route 654
Mon-Thurs....6:30-2:30
Friday...........6:30-7:00
Saturday.......6:30-2:00
Sunday...........Closed
• Daily Specials
• Club Sandwiches
• Burgers / Rubens
• Homemade Soups
2703 Euclid Ave, Duboistown • 601-EATS (3287)
Columbia wins Canada's
first World Series, taking
the Big League Baseball
title in Tucson, Ariz. ...
Sierra Maestra Little
League of Maracaibo,
Venezuela, defeats a team
from Bellaire, Texas, 3-2, in
the Little League Baseball
World Series final. ... Little
League graduate George W.
Bush, son of former
President George Bush, is
elected to the highest U.S.
office.
(See Page 19)
WelcomeLeaguers
Little Fans!
&
3 miles awaygue
from Little LeaW
on Route 654
Mon-Thurs....6:30-2:30
Friday...........6:30-7:00
Saturday.......6:30-2:00
Sunday...........Closed
• Daily Specials
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2703 Euclid Ave, Duboistown • 601-EATS (3287)
19
Baseball World Series history, Valley Sports American
Little League wins the
championship against
Sendai (Japan) Higashi
Little League.
(From Page 18)
2001 — Construction is
completed on Volunteer
Stadium in time for the
expansion of the 55th Little
Series. ... George W. Bush
becomes the first U.S.
President to visit the Little
Series, watching as Japan
defeats a Florida team 2-1
in the final game. First
Lady Laura Bush and
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom
Ridge also attend. A day
earlier, New York Mayor
Rudy Giuliani attended a
World Series game involving a New York City team.
… A special field is constructed by Little League
Baseball International personnel as President Bush
invites Little League Tee
Ball teams to the White
House for three historic
baseball games on the
South Lawn. A fourth game,
scheduled for Sept. 16, is
postponed because of the
terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
2002 — Little League’s
“Honoring Our Hometown
Heroes” program is
launched paying homage to
2003 — In the latest
phase of the Little League
Child Protection Program,
local Little Leagues are now
required to conduct background checks on certain
volunteers. … A team from
Africa (Cape Town, South
Africa) is the first from that
continent to advance to a
World Series, earning a
berth in the Big league
Baseball World Series in
Easley, S.C.
In 1980, George H.W. Bush, a former Little League coach
who is elected vice president three months later, throws
out the first pitch for the World Series championship game.
law enforcement personnel,
firefighters, military personnel and local heroes in thousands of communities worldwide. … The Little League
Parent Orientation Program
debuts. … In the Junior
League Softball Division,
Windmills Little League of
Utrecht, Netherlands,
becomes the first European
team to win a World Series.
… In one of only three 1— 0
final games in Little League
Bittner’s
Junction of Rts. 14 & 15, Trout Run
2004 — The inaugural
Little League Urban
Initiative Jamboree is held
at Little League
International, as eight
teams from several states
spend a four-day weekend
in Williamsport. ... Jack
Losch, centerfielder for the
Maynard Midgets league
team that won the first
World Series title in 1947,
dies. Losch became an AllAmerica sports star at the
University of Miami, was a
running back for the Green
Bay Packers, was an Air
Force jet fighter pilot and
retired as a senior executive
at General Motors. ... John
W. “Jack” Lundy, owner of
Lundy Lumber and one of
the original sponsors of
Little League in 1939, dies.
… U.S. Vice President Dick
Cheney, wife Lynne, daughter Liz, and granddaughters
attend a U.S. semifinal
game during the World
Series.
introduces “Ask Little
League,” an interactive
online session in which
guests and friends of Little
League answer questions
from players, volunteers
and fans. The first guest is
Mike Mussina (New York
Yankees pitcher, and member of the Little League
International Board of
Directors). … For the first
time in more than 55 years,
Little League changes the
league age determination
date for players, effective in
2006. The old date of July
31 for both baseball and
softball becomes April 30 for
baseball, and Dec. 31 (of the
previous year) for softball.
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20
Bill Fields: 2008 Little League
Challenger Award Winner
Bill Fields, Assistant District Administrator for
the Challenger Division in Arizona District 5, will
be recognized for his efforts on behalf of physically and mentally disabled children during the
Fields serves on the board of the Tucson (Ariz.)
Challenger Little League, which serves children
in District 5 and 12, and is the largest Challenger
program (based on participation) in Arizona.
“In the early years of our program, Mr. Fields
successfully convinced leagues to host Challenger
games during the season,” Gene Biernat, president of Tucson Challenger Little League and
Arizona District 5 Administrator, said. “Bill
advanced as one of our leaders of the program and
was appointed as Assistant District Administrator
for the Challenger program in 1994.
“Bill instituted many innovative programs to
FIELDS
promote and encourage participation and support
from the community,” Biernat said. “He has been quite successful in getting the message out to the community with his simple motto – ‘We are doing this for kids.’”
Little League International names
Kevin Trainor 2008 Good Sport of the Year
The Little League Good Sport Award annually
recognizes a Little League player who has demonstrated superior qualities of sportsmanship, leadership, a commitment to teamwork and a desire to
excel. Kevin Trainor of Viera Suntree Little
League in Melbourne, Fla., has exemplified all of
those qualities and will be honored with the
award during the Little League World Series.
“Being a good sport has little to do with talent
or ability and everything to do with character and
attitude,” said Little League CEO Steve Keener.
“Kevin is one Little League player who has
demonstrated the ability to transform a potentially debilitating birth defect (Esophageal Artesia),
into a willingness to lead by example and be a supportive teammate. These attributes nurtured
through Little League often translate into success
later in life, making Kevin a worthy recipient of
TRAINOR
this award.”
Kevin, 13, is the son of Kevin and Dorothy
Trainor, and is a recent graduate of Manatee Elementary School in Viera, Fla. He
will be attending Kennedy Middle School in Rockledge, Fla., this fall. A Little
League participant since he was five, Kevin played much of this season at shortstop,
second base and showed his greatest improvement as a pitcher.
“As coaches, teammates, umpires, and all that have come across him on the baseball diamond can attest, Kevin exudes all the qualities that constitute sportsmanship, respect and human decency,” Mike Neal, manager of the Viera Suntree Little
League Diamondbacks and Kevin’s coach, said “There are times when he has had
great success, and there are times when opposing hitters have had success against
Kevin, but he handles both situations with the same unwavering respect for the
game and with great sportsmanship.”
Kevin was born premature and without an esophagus. To date, he has undergone
several medical procedures and surgeries to correct the birth defect.
“Playing Little League gives Kevin a sense of pride,” Kevin’s father, Kevin
Trainor, Sr., said. “It has taught him about the importance of teamwork, having fun
and enjoying the challenge of competition. His drive and determination are apparent to his teammates and coaches. The fact that Kevin has been named the 2008
Good Sport Award winner is a tribute not only to him, but also to the Viera Suntree
Little League, along with league vice president Dave Zavetz and coach Mike Neal.
Both have spent tireless hours instilling sportsmanship principles in every player
under their tutelage.”
“I feel Kevin is a little more thankful than most because of the hurdles he’s had
to clear in his brief life,” Mr. Trainor said. “When he found out we’d be going to
Williamsport, he was shocked and tremendously excited. He’s looking forward to
seeing the best players at his age in the world.”
Football Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome
enshrined in Hall of excellence
From
Muscle
“Still, things were
Shoals, Ala., to Canton,
beginning to change.
Ohio, Ozzie Newsome
African-Americans
has always appreciated
could now compete
his success, yet is moddirectly with everyone
estly humble about his
else, and I started to
accomplishments. On
develop diversity with
Aug. 21, at the Little
those relationships.
The playing field
Series, the Pro Football
became level because
Hall of Famer will be
the coaches wanted
honored by Little
the best players to
League International
play and that was the
with his is enshrinefirst time had I had
ment into the Peter J.
experienced that balMcGovern
Little
ance.”
League Museum Hall
Newsome played
of Excellence.
football at Alabama
NEWSOME
Newsome, General
under coach Paul
Manager and Executive Vice President “Bear” Bryant. During his four-year colof the Baltimore Ravens, is considered legiate career, the 1994 College Hall of
one of the top executives in the Fame inductee helped his team win
National Football League (NFL) and three Southeastern Conference champiwas the architect of the Ravens’ Super onships. He was team captain in his senBowl XXXV Championship team in ior year, and following his senior season
2000.
was voted SEC Lineman of the Year and
“Little League created a foundation received All-America recognition.
for me,” said Newsome, a former NFL
In 1978, Newsome was selected by
Executive of the Year and one of the the Cleveland Browns in the first round
elite tight ends in league history. “My of the NFL Draft. During a 13-year NFL
first steps toward understanding team career, highlighted by three Pro Bowl
work and accountability came in Little selections (1981, 84-85), he became one
League. When you look at our nation of the league’s premier tight ends. With
we work as a team. Playing Little 662 career receptions and nearly 8,000
League helped me become an unselfish yards receiving, Newsome ended his
player and taught me to take the career as the fourth-leading receiver in
responsibility to be the very best I league history.
could be.”
Newsome, 52, played in the Muscle
Following his retirement as a player Shoals Little League Association for
in 1990, Newsome joined the Cleveland two seasons. In his second year of
Browns’ front office. Moving with the Senior League, his all-star team
franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore advanced to the regional tournament
in 1996, Newsome held several player in Georgia after winning the Alabama
personnel positions with the Ravens, state title and the sectional champiincluding director of player personnel. onship tournament in Tennessee.
In 2002, former Ravens owner Art
The Alabama state champions failed
Modell promoted him to General to win the regional tournament, but
Manager, making him the first African- Newsome still has fond memories of
American to hold that position in NFL what those days were like, and how the
history. Newsome was elected to the exposure helped him in his eventual
Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, decision to attend the University of
Ohio, in 1999.
Alabama.
The
social
climate
around
“I was a gym rat as a kid, but I
Newsome’s 1960s Alabama childhood always had my parents blessing,” said
did not allow him the opportunity to Newsome, who graduated from
participate in organized youth sports Alabama with a degree in recreation
until he was a teenager. When he did administration. “Sports played a big
get a chance to play, a Senior Little part in breaking down racial barriers,
League team in Muscle Shoals was the and I saw that happening. Little
first he joined.
League created a social outing for my
“When I was 14, desegregation family, and it was a great opportunity
allowed African-Americans to play in to get involved.
Little League,” Mr. Newsome, an all“The first time I got my own Little
star catcher in his first Little League League uniform was unbelievable,”
season, said. “I can remember at my Newsome said. “In Little League, I
first practice, the coach asked me, learned what it was to be a part of the
‘What position can you play?’ Basically, team, and what it meant to sacrifice
I thought I could play them all.
what you wanted to do for what was
“All the coaches where white, and best for the team. Everything in life has
that’s when I realized just how segre- disciplines and I learned discipline in
gated Alabama was,” Newsome said. Little League.”
TEKULVE
old pitcher and shortstop, his
team reached the quarterfinals of the Ohio state tournament.
“I loved playing baseball as
a kid, and Little League was
my first opportunity to play
organized ball,” said Tekulve.
“At that age it was the anticipation of the next game that
got me excited. I could not wait
for the next game, because it
was so much fun. My dad was
a semi-pro baseball player and
he had a great love for the
game. He was my coach and he
made Little League fun
because the two of us, my
younger brother, and my mother were all able to share time
together at the field.”
Tekulve was not drafted by
a Major League team out of
Marietta (Ohio) College and
signed an amateur free agent
contract with the Pittsburgh
Pirates in 1969. At the age of
27, and after spending six
years in the minor leagues, he
made his Major League debut
on May 20, 1974. In eight
games that year, he posted a 11 record with an ERA of 6.00
in nine innings of work.
By 1977, the lanky 6-foot-4,
180-pound right-hander had
established himself as an effective set-up man for closer and
2008 Baseball Hall of Fame
inductee,
Rich
“Goose”
Gossage. After going 10-1 that
year, and following Gossage’s
departure to the New York
Yankees via free agency,
Tekulve became the Pirates’
bullpen ace.
In his third Major League
season, Mr. Tekulve’s trademark “submarine” pitching
style was baffling hitters. He
appeared in 91 games, posting
an 8-7 record, and set a team
record with 31 saves for the ’78
Pirates.
“I’ve always looked forward
to the next game,” Mr. Tekulve
said. “For me growing up, life
revolved around the next game
and that didn’t change from
when I was nine, playing Little
League, until I retired from
Major League Baseball at the
age of 42. Actually, I still feel
that way and I think I’ll take
that mentality to the grave
with me.
“In the beginning, when you
first start in Little League you
learn from playing,” Mr.
Tekulve said. “You learn about
sportsmanship, teamwork, and
respecting your teammates,
your opponent, and the game.
Those were the roots that kept
growing throughout my baseball life. The more technical
stuff would not have grown if
those seeds had not been
planted. Little League gets
kids off to good start.”
One year later, he again
logged 31 saves in a teamrecord 94 appearances, as the
Pirates won the 1979 World
Series in seven games over the
Baltimore Orioles. In the
Series, Mr. Tekulve earned a
record three saves, as he
struck out 10 Orioles in 9.1
innings. In his postseason
career, Mr. Tekulve pitched in
nine games, amassing an
earned run average of 3.29 in
13.2 innings, while allowing
five runs on nine hits, and
striking out 14.
During the 1980 season, Mr.
Tekulve was selected to the
National League all-star team,
his only all-star selection, but
he did not play in the game. In
1982, he led the National
League in appearances (85)
and relief wins (12).
After
10
years
in
Pittsburgh, Mr. Tekulve was
traded to the Philadelphia
Phillies, where he proceeded to
break Spark Lyle’s MLB
record for career games
pitched without a start, finishing with 943. While with the
Phillies in 1987, he became the
first National League pitcher
to have three 90-appearance
seasons, and at age 40, he was
the oldest pitcher to lead the
National League in appearances.
He pitched four seasons for
the Phillies, before being
released in December of 1988.
At the age of 42, he pitched his
final season in 1989 for his
home state Cincinnati Reds.
In a 16-year Major League
career, Mr. Tekulve appeared
in 1,050 games, all in relief; a
record that stood until 1999
when the New York Mets’
Jesse Orosco eclipsed the
mark. He compiled a record of
94-90, with 184 saves, a 2.85
earned run average and 779
strikeouts in 1,470 innings of
work. His 94 wins in relief
places him seventh on the alltime list.
“It’s amazing watching the
games on TV,” Mr. Tekulve
said. “It’s been 50 years since I
played Little League, but
when I see those games, I
become like a kid again. I can
imagine the same feelings
those kids have.
“I always remember the
anticipation about the tournament,” he said. “I remember
getting to the field a couple of
hours early to work on fielding.
It was great that my family
was all together because of
baseball. I was a third generation baseball player and playing was a family tradition. I
loved playing the game and
wanted to get better. In playing all-stars you were doing
things to get yourself better at
playing the game. It was fun to
be better at it.”
Contini recognized as 2008 Mom of the Year
Abby Contini of Dover, Ohio, will be
recognized during the Little League
Baseball World Series as the 2008 Little
League Mom of the Year.
“My Mom should be the Little
League Mom of the Year because of her
commitment and dedication to our
league,” Contini’s son, Cory,,wrote when
nominating his mother. “She is the assistant treasurer of our league, the secretary for my team, and runs our concession stand. She does all this and still
finds time to be the best mom in the
world.”
The Little League Mom of the Year
Award was established in 1991 as a
symbolic form of recognition and tribute
to the millions of mothers in communities around the world who contribute
their time to the Little League program.
“This year’s Mom of the Year truly
represents the majority of Little League
Moms,” said Little League CEO Steve
Keener. “Responsible, dedicated and
unassuming in tending to her tasks for
Dover (Ohio) Little League, Abby
Contini is the quintessential Little
League volunteer because others notice
and appreciate her commitment before
she does. Her efforts have had a profound influence on her son, his team and
their league, and Little League
International is pleased to honor her
with this special award.”
Each year, Little League players are
invited to compose an essay that
explains why their mothers should be
the Little League Mom of the Year. From
that group, one Little League mother is
selected.
“Abby has been a great asset to Dover
Little League,” Paul Monaco, Dover
Little League President, said. “I’ve know
her for 18 years, and she does whatever
needs to be done for the league. We were
pleased to hear that Cory nominated
Abby, because the whole family is deeply
involved in our program. I know she
enjoys watching her son play, but she is
always there to do things to help the
league.”
CONTINI
From the late 1970s to the
late 1980s, Kent Tekulve, the
former all-time leader in relief
pitching appearances, was one
of the marquee names for the
Pittsburgh Pirates, including
their 1979 World Series champion “We Are Family” team.
Now a color analyst for Pirates
telecasts on Fox Sports Net
(FSN) in Pittsburgh, Tekulve,
will be presented the 2008
William A. “Bill” Shea
Distinguished Little League
Graduate Award.
The award was established
in 1987 and is presented to a
former Little Leaguer in Major
League Baseball who best
exemplifies the spirit of Little
League
Baseball.
Consideration includes both
the individual’s ability and
accomplishments and status
as a positive role model.
“Kent Tekulve has been in
baseball a long time, but his
first years were spent as a
Little Leaguer,” said Little
League CEO Steve Keener.
“Mr. Tekulve played the game
for its enjoyment and had the
talent to make baseball his
career. Now as a baseball commentator and community liaison with the Pirates he has
come full circle with his experiences and enthusiasm for
Little League, which makes us
proud to honor him with this
award.”
Tekulve, now 61, played for
Lindenwald Little League in
Hamilton, Ohio, pitching and
playing third base, shortstop
and center field. As a 12 year-
21
Former MLB relief pitcher Kent Tekulve receives
Bill Shea Distinguished Little League Graduate Award
22
Parents of Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Justin Verlander
chosen as Little League Parents of the Year
While pitching for the
Detroit
Tigers,
Justin
Verlander has experienced
much success on the field,
including an appearance in the
2006 World Series and a nohitter in 2007.
Although displaying grit,
intensity and competitiveness
on the mound, his compassion
and grounded persona away
from the field remain a tribute
to his parents, Richard and
Kathy.
In recognition of the
Verlanders enduring support
and commitment to their children and the Little League program, they will be honored as
the 2008 George and Barbara
Bush Little League Parents of
the Year at the Little League
World Series.
“Justin’s work ethic and
competitiveness come naturally,” Mr. Verlander said. “Early
on he showed he had the athleticism and intangibles to be a
special player. None of us really
knew however he’d become a
Major Leaguer, we just hoped
he be successful at whatever he
did.”
Describing his son as a “late
bloomer,” Mr. Verlander said
that Justin threw his first pitch
at age six, and since he was 10
his first love has been baseball.
The Verlanders encouraged
their son to try baseball after
taking a walk near a pond one
day when Justin was young.
As Mr. Verlander tells the
story, “We were at a park one
day. Walking along a trail, I
picked up a rock and threw it
half the way across a pond.
Justin then picked up a rock
and threw it all the way across
the pond. At that point we
knew he had a special arm.”
Playing in the Tuckahoe
Little League in Virginia,
Justin was coached by his
father and made the league’s
major division when he was 10.
Tuckahoe Little League has
produced many quality players
and teams over the years, highlighted by three trips to the
World Series in Williamsport
(1968, ’76, and ’93).
Certainly the league’s winning reputation motivated
Justin, but his time for success
would come later in life since
his Little League all-star teams
never got out of district play.
In Tuckahoe Little League,
ed as an American League AllStar, and was rated as having
the best fastball and secondbest curveball in the American
League by Baseball America.
On June 12, 2007, Justin
struck out 12 en route to pitching the first no-hitter in
Comerica Park history and the
first Tigers’ no-hitter since
1984, in a 4-0 victory over the
Milwaukee Brewers.
Not getting too high or too
low is a life lesson stressed by
the Verlanders. After Justin’s
no-hitter, his boyhood hero
Nolan Ryan called to congratulate him. Looking back on the
no-hitter and that conversation
with the Hall of Fame pitcher,
Mr. Verlander remembered
telling Justin, “Those are
moments you hold on to,
because there will be days
when you have to hold it
together, adjust and believe you
belong there.”
“Some of our fondest memories are of traveling with
Justin’s Little League teams,”
Mr. Verlander said. “The time
we spent together as father and
son, and as a family, were just
as special as any accomplishments on the field. That’s what
makes Little League great,
because the most rewarding
thing about the program is parents can get just as much out of
the experience as the kids do.”
Mr. Verlander and his wife of
33 years, Kathy, reside in
Goochland, Va., but the
Verlanders talk with their son a
couple times a week. The conversation is typically not a critique of the day’s performance,
or full of coaching tips.
For Mr. Verlander, it is his
time to encourage his son to do
his best and remind him that
he has earned his success.
WEST BRANCH TENNIS CLUB
KATHY AND RICHARD VERLANDER
Justin played shortstop, third
base and pitched. His dad said
he was a pretty good hitter in
Little League. Despite his
youthful prowess with the bat,
Justin did not have to step into
the batter’s box during his college days at Old Dominion
University (2001-2004); and at
the Major League level, he is a
career 0-for-12 at the plate.
“Justin worked very hard to
get from one level to the next,”
Mr. Verlander said. “As a parent you tell your child it’s great
to have a dream, but you
should always have a ‘Plan B.’
In Little League, Justin always
went out to the mound to be
successful, and to this date
when he’s throws he likes to be
in charge. That attitude and
his expectations of himself
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come from his Little League
days.”
As the No. 2 overall in the
2004 player entry draft, Justin
quickly established himself as
player to watch.
He debuted in the majors on
Aug. 4, 2005 going 0-2 that
year. In 2006, he secured a spot
on the Tigers’ pitching staff out
of spring training and compiled
a 17-9 record with an earned
run average (ERA) of 3.63 in 30
starts as the Tigers reached the
World Series.
With a full year of Major
League experience behind him,
Justin pitched the Tigers to 18
wins in 2007.
Posting an 18-6 record, with
183 strikeouts, and an ERA
under 4.00 in more than 200
innings of work, he was select-
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WRIGHT
can not be understated or overlooked. Such commitment for so
many years has allowed neighboring communities to reap the
benefits of his vision and leadership. For these reasons, Little
League is honored to present
Mr. Wright with this award.”
Paster, the president of the
Little League Foundation
Board of Trustees, is executive
vice president of public relations and public affairs, at WPP
Group, and was chairman of “A
World of Opportunity - Little
League Baseball Capital
Campaign for the Future.”
Paster is director of the Folger
Shakespeare
Library
in
Washington, D.C.
The Little League Urban
Initiative has seen success in
nearly 100 U.S. cities since it
began in 2000. In the past year,
Castle Hill Little League in
Bronx, N.Y.; Rosemoor Little
League in Chicago; and
Peninsula Little League in
Portland Ore, were among several leagues that received funding and assistance through the
Little League Urban Initiative.
“Mr. Wright has been president of Yellow Jackets Little
League for many years, and has
more knowledge of baseball
than most managers will have
in
a
lifetime,”
Danny
Rodriguez,
president
of
Northwest Little League in
Tampa, said. “This man is a
Little League Baseball icon in
the Tampa area.”
“His heart, sweat and dedication belong to Yellow Jackets
Little League,” he said. “Mr.
Wright is a man who has
earned the respect of his peers
within District 6, and the Little
League Urban Initiative, but
most importantly, he has the
respect of the players, parents,
and community surrounding
the Yellow Jackets complex.”
Yellow Jackets Little League
participated in the third annual Little League Urban
Initiative Jamboree held in
Williamsport, June 2-4, 2006.
Mr. Wright traveled with the
team to that event.
Through the 2008 Little
League season, the Little
League Urban Initiative has
stimulated the participation of
2,779 teams, which equates to
approximately 43,000 players,
and has participated in 21 field
renovation/development projects.
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On and off the baseball field,
James Wright has dedicated
much of his life to furthering
the appreciation and influence
of Little League in his Tampa,
Fla., neighborhood, and Little
League International will recognize his commitment with
the presentation of the Howard
and Gail Paster Little League
Urban Initiative Volunteer of
the Year Award at the Little
League Baseball World Series.
Little League International
created the Little League
Urban Initiative Volunteer of
the Year Award in recognition
of the vital volunteer service
being performed by thousands
of dedicated people in urban
settings around the country.
This award annually acknowledges an adult volunteer
involved with a Little League
program participating in the
Urban Initiative. The recipient
has provided a positive Little
League experience for the children and adults within a local
league’s metropolitan neighborhood or community.
“James Wright understands
the role that Little League can
play in building lasting bonds
between the adults and children in a urban neighborhood,”
said Little League CEO Steve
Keener. “His selfless commitment on behalf of the children
and volunteers in Yellow
Jackets Little League, and
throughout the Tampa area,
23
James Wright to receive Little League
Urban Initiative Volunteer of the Year Award
24
Michael Smith Named Little League Volunteer of the Year
Michael Smith has been a
volunteer in the Nanticoke
Little League for 11 years, and
currently serves as league resident, but it is his efforts at
many levels of the Little
League program that have
brought Mr. Smith to be honored as Little League’s
Volunteer of the Year during
the Little League Baseball
World Series.
The Little League Volunteer
of the Year award recognizes
the selfless efforts of more than
one million volunteers at the
grass-roots level of the Little
League program. To his credit,
Mr. Smith has displayed a tireless commitment to the
Nanticoke Little League and
Delaware District 3.
“Mike is one of the most
eager volunteers in our district,”
Martin
Donovan,
Delaware
District
3
Administrator, said. “The best
part of this award is that the
people who nominated Mike
were people that served on the
Nanticoke Little Leagues
Board of Directors, parents of
players in Nanticoke Little
League and people from
SMITH
Delaware District 3 staff who
have worked with him. I think
that says a lot about Mike as a
person and fellow volunteer.”
Aside from his regular-season duties as league president,
Smith coaches teams in the Tee
Ball, Minor Softball and Major
Baseball divisions. His also
umpires games and coordinates
the concession stand for the
local league that serves more
than 750 children.
“I’ve spent a lot of years as a
volunteer in Nanticoke Little
League and this is my second
year as league president,” Mr.
Smith, who is the director of
special programs and services
for the Seaford, Del., School
District, said. “I volunteer
because of the children, so
when I found out I was going to
receive this award, I was in
awe. Personally, I am happy
that the efforts of the volunteers in our league are being
recognized by this award.”
In recent years, Smith developed plans for two new fields,
including one that was dedicated earlier this year to mark the
50th anniversary of Nanticoke
Little League.
Smith, who has four children playing in Nanticoke
Little League, also is an active
participant during tournament
season, serving as the
Delaware District 3 Minor and
Major Division Softball tournament director, and volunteering
at the Senior League Softball
World Series, in Lower Sussex,
Del.
“Around 99 percent of the
volunteers in our league have
children playing in the league,
so I try to remind them to be as
enthusiastic now as they were
when they’re child was five and
in their first season of Tee Ball,”
Smith said. “No mater at what
level, or how much time a person puts in, being a volunteer
means being involved and helping out. The little things that
volunteers do, add up to the
whole of providing a great
league for the kids.”
The Little League Volunteer
of the Year Award, established
in 1989, was designed to provide local leagues an opportunity to honor a deserving individual with this prestigious distinction. This honor is recognized as the most important
and visible of the Little League
Baseball and Softball award
programs.
“Being a Little League volunteer can be many things, but
the common tie is the willingness to get involved and give
freely of one’s time without
expecting even a ‘thank you,’”
said Little League CEO Steve
Keener. “To take on such an
array of responsibilities is certainly admirable and testament to Mr. Smith’s belief in
the Nanticoke Little League,
and the other leagues in
Delaware’s District 3. Such
effort on behalf of the children
and his league make him worthy of this recognition and a
well-deserving recipient of the
Little League Volunteer of the
Year Award.”
Things to do, places to see
Thomas T. Taber Museum
Pine Creek Rail Trail
Experience
Lycoming
County’s rich history from its
early American Indian roots
to the lumber barons with
their wealth and opulence.
At the Thomas T. Taber
Museum, 858 W. Fourth St.,
you may find relics of these
past eras and so much more.
Visit the different period
rooms like the Frontier Room,
Victorian Parlor or an authentic Woodworking Shop.
The museum also boasts
one of the greatest model
train collections in the United
States.
The LaRue Shempp Model
Train exhibit contains more
than 300 toy trains and two
working displays.
A must-see when visiting
the museum is its Art Gallery,
showcasing five paintings by
Severin Roesen, a 19th-century still-life painter.
The Thomas T. Taber
Museum is one of only 32
museums accredited by the
American Association of
Museums in Pennsylvania.
What is the Pine Creek
Rail Trail?
In 1883, the Jersey Shore,
Pine Creek, and Buffalo
Railroads began carrying timber to the sawmills of
Tiadaghton, Cammal, and
Slate Run.
By 1896, this portion of rail
was carrying 7 million tons of
freight and three passenger
trains on daily runs from
Wellsboro to Williamsport.
Come and see for yourself
what USA Today calls one of
the 10 best hiking trails in the
world.
The Pine Creek Rail Trail
stretches for 64 miles from
Ansonia in Tioga County to
Jersey Shore in Lycoming
County. Hiking and Biking
along the Pine Creek Rail
Trail provides many opportunities for sightseeing.
Spot bald or golden eagles,
ospreys, coyote, deer or a river
otter or wind past dramatic
rock outcrops and waterfalls
along the trail.
Williamsport Crosscutters
Baseball isn’t just for kids
in Lycoming County. Come
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(From Page 24)
see Williamsport’s own minor
league baseball team in
action.
The Williamsport Crosscutters are a class A affiliate
of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Throughout the summer you
can find the Crosscutters
playing at Historic Bowman
field, the second oldest minor
league ballpark in America.
The Williamsport Trolleys
Williamsport’s millionaires
in the 1800’s helped pave the
way for the city’s first form of
public transportation — the
streetcar. The first electric
streetcars were introduced to
Williamsport in 1891, one
year
before
those
in
Philadelphia.
They operated in the city
until June 11, 1933, when the
last trolley rolled to a halt.
Today, River Valley Transit
recreates that era with the
Peter
Herdic,
Anne
Weightman and Carl Stotz
Trolleys.
The trolleys are named
after Peter Herdic, one of
Williamsport’s most memorable millionaires; Anne
Weightman, the one of the
countries first female millionaires; and Carl Stotz, the
founder of Little League
Baseball.
The trolleys are available
for Historic Trolley tours
through the Millionaires’ Row
District and other Williamsport locations. Ride the trolley
while listening to a taped narration and go on a walking
tour of a few historic homes.
Come experience Lycoming
County’s rich history aboard
the Peter Herdic, Anne
Weightman, or Carl Stotz
Trolleys.
James V. Brown Library
The James V. Brown
Library, 19 E. Third St., was a
gift to the city of Williamsport
from Lumber Baron James
VanDuzee Brown in 1907.
Brown died in 1904, just three
years shy of the completion of
his dream to give Williamsport a free, public library.
The James V. Brown
Library is the 10th busiest
library in the state.
Today, the library is used
not only for checking out
Lycoming
County
Visitors
Bureau
All information
is courtesy of
the Lycoming
County
Visitor Bureau,
210 William St.,
Williamsport.
More
information
and discount
coupons are
available
for these
attractions and
others
in the area.
Phone:
(800) 358-9900.
Online:
www.vacationpa.com
E-mail:
visitorinfo@
williamsport.org
Hours:
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sunday, and 8 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Monday
through Saturday.
books, but seminars, genealogical research and children’s
activities like story time,
workshops and computer programs. Spend an afternoon at
the James V. Brown Library
and you will find this library
offers more than just a good
book.
Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland
Did you know that there
are more than 6,000 reptiles
and more than 4,000 species
of frogs in the world? Did you
know that alligators could
have up to 80 teeth?
The answers to these questions and many more can be
found at Clyde Peeling’s
Reptiland near Allenwood,
where visitors get up close
and personal with alligators,
snakes, turtles and more.
At this Association of Zoos
and Aquariums-accredited
habitat, one-of-a kind zoo visitors can watch giant Aldabra
tortoises, American crocodiles
and poison dart frogs in
action.
The
experienced
and
friendly staff can answer
questions on a range or topics
from alligator snapping turtles to frilled dragons. Visitors
can explore the interactive
exhibits and get a chance to
touch a lizard or snake.
Reptiland offers visitors
the choice to enjoy a picnic
lunch in their outdoor picnic
area or grab a bite to eat at
the Crocodile Creek Cafe
restaurant.
Walk in rates are $10
adult; $8 children and groups
of 15 or more are $7 adult and
$5 children.
Community Arts Center
The Community Arts
Center, 220 W. Fourth St. is
referred to as the “Jewel of
Downtown Williamsport.”
Carefully restored to its
1928 magnificence this 2,000seat theatre has hosted such
notable acts as Bill Cosby,
David Copperfield, Anne
Murray, Barry Manilow and
Willie Nelson.
On any given night at the
Arts Center visitors will find
a Broadway musical, concert,
musical review or film. The
theatre also is home to local
artists such as the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra
and civic chorus.
Visit the Community Arts
Centers’
Web
site
at
www.caclive.com to find a
schedule of upcoming events
and check out their online
ticket ordering.
Hiawatha River Boat
At the Hiawatha River
Boat, visitors can cruise down
the West Branch of the
Susquehanna River on the
Hiawatha
Paddlewheel
Riverboat, an authentic stern
paddlewheeler.
The Hiawatha offers public
and private charter cruises as
well as a variety of dinner and
sunset concert cruises. The
Hiawatha is a replica of its
namesake that sunk in 1914
in a bad storm. The original
boat was used to take Sunday
picnickers to Sylvan Dell
Park.
Little League Baseball World Series Stadium
FIRST EDITION ARTIST PRINTS
NEW RELEASE:
“Howard J. Lamade Stadium”
NEW RELEASE:
“Volunteer Stadium”
Available at the Little
League Gift Shop
Meet the Artist:
Little League Museum
By Local Artist: Kathleen B. Bonnell
Contact Artist at (570) 433-4434 / Email: kathy@kbsb.com / www.kbsb.com/kb
Art Gallery & Boutique
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And much more to be discovered at Katie’s.
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Things to do, places to see
26
Museum announces events for Little League World Series
Authors of four books
involving topics about Little
League Baseball or Softball
will be at the Peter J.
McGovern Little League
Museum during the 2008
In addition, an artist from
Montoursville will unveil her
latest works featuring Lamade
and Volunteer stadiums.
The festivities will be in
addition to the museum’s special exhibit featuring the
Philadelphia Phillies and the
unveiling of a new exhibit
about safety and the newly
renovated Gallery of
Achievement and the Hall of
Excellence.
Participating authors
include Bill Winokur, who
wrote “The Perfect Game,” an
account of the Little League
World Series won by
Monterrey, Mexico, in 1957
which soon will be released on
the silver screen; Mark
Kreidler, who wrote “Six Good
Innings,” featuring the teams
from Toms River, N.J., who
made it to Williamsport for the
Little League World Series;
Jeff Davenport, who wrote
“Chatter Up,” a book that give
clear, creative solutions for
parents and coaches so the
focus stays on the player’s
enjoyment and the healthy
competitive aspects of learning
to play baseball and softball;
and Gary Yeagle, writer of
“Little Big Men – The Road to
Williamsport,” a story about
the Louisville, Ky., team’s trip
to Williamsport in 2002.
Although Phil Bildner,
author of the popular
Barnstormers series books is
unable to attend this year’s
World Series, the third book in
his collection will join the first
two in the museum store.
Bildner hopes to attend the
2009 Little League World
Series. Also at the museum
store will be copies of
“Baseball’s Greatest Hit: The
Story of ‘Take Me Out to the
Ball Game’,” by Andy
Strasberg, Bob Thompson and
print of Howard J. Lamade
Stadium since 1991. Over the
years this impressive Stadium
has transformed into a Sports
Complex. Improvements and
expansions mandated a need
for new release prints. So, this
year Kathleen and Little
League are proud to announce
the release of First Edition
Prints of Howard J. Lamade
Stadium and also Volunteer
Stadium. All prints are signed
and numbered by the artist.
Kathleen is a past
President of The Bald Eagle
Art League. She specializes in
water color portraits, wildlife
and historic buildings. She
holds an Associate of Arts and
Science Degree from Penn
College. For several years she
has operated her own commissioned art business. Kathleen
has participated in many art
exhibitions in Pennsylvania
and surrounding states. She
has also demonstrated watercolor techniques at the State
(See MUSEUM, Page 27)
Warning...
tiveBuns!
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A
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e
Extr
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Every Monday,
Tuesday & Wednesday:
Tim Wiles. Wiles is employed
by the National Baseball
Museum and Hall of Fame in
Cooperstown. The book
includes a bonus CD of rare
and classic recordings of the
song.
Artist Kathleen Bonnell,
above, recently completed new
pencil drawings of Lamade
Stadium and of Volunteer
Stadium. She will be in the
museum displaying her work.
The museum, which is open
daily, will extend its hours during the Little League World
Series. The museum will be
open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on
the first Friday, August 15; 9
a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug.
16; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday,
Aug. 17; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 18, through
Thursday, August 21; 10 a.m.
to 7 p.m. Friday, August 22; 9
a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug.
23; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 24.
Ticket prices are $1.50 for
children 4 through 13; $5 for
adults and $3 for those 62 and
older. Visitors receive a wristband and may visit the museum throughout the day.
Special events follow:
• Small Coffee & Mini Sticky Bun........$1.89
• 6 oz. Fresh Hamburger on a
Home Made Roll (reg. $4.29).............$2.29
• 6 oz. Cheeseburger (reg. $4.49)...........$2.49
• Chef Salad w/choice of Regular Mini Bun,
Small Soda or Coffee...................$5.69
• August 16, Meet the
artist, Lamade Stadium and
Volunteer Stadium, Kathleen
Bonnell, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
About the artist: Kathleen
Bonnell has been associated
with her Little League Artist
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5th Annual
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CRAFT SHOW
Friday, Aug. 22nd 9-6 pm
Saturday, Aug. 23rd 9-5 pm
Stop in and See our In-Store Specials
the Entire Month of August!
• Up to 30 Craft Vendors • Many Door Prizes
• Food by Picture Rocks Vol. Fire Dept.
• Demonstrations on HQ16 Quilting Machine
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Any Regular Priced Gift
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Certain exclusions apply. See store for details.
One coupon per customer, per day.
With this coupon. Offer expires 8/31/08.
Andy Strasberg, Bob Thompson
and Tim Wiles
2 Day In-Store Specials
• 50% Off Select Canvas Pictures & Ribbon (yard)
• 25% Off Assorted Wood Shelves & All Fabrics
• 20% Off Select Yankee Candles
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Lowes Plaza (Clarkstown), Rt. 442 Muncy • 546-8272 • 1-800-521-8200 • M-F 9-9 / Sat. 9-7 / Sun. 12-5
• August 18 and 20,
Book signing, “Little Big
Men: The Road to
Williamsport,” Gary Yeagle,
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• August 19, Book sign-
ers who feel inspired by their
predecessors’ legacy but also
the pressure to bring home
another championship.
With deep empathy, incisive
reporting, and intimate access,
Kreidler weaves stories of the
coaches, the parents, the fans,
the town itself, and the true
boys of summer into a memorable tableau.
• August 21, Book signing, “Chatter Up,” Jeff
Davenport, 1 to 5 p.m.
About the Book: For a child
who dreams of wearing a uniform and playing on a baseball
or softball
team,
there is
nothing
more
exciting
than
becoming
a part of
a Little
League
team. It’s
a chance for kids to build fundamental skills, make friends
and have fun. It’s also a chance
for parents to feel proud.
Unfortunately, all too often the
joys of the game are ruined by
parental outbursts when
things go wrong on the field.
When parents lose their perspective on the true meaning
and value of the game, everyone—kids especially—must
suffer the consequences. Dad’s
who “punch out “ coaches for
bad plays and mom’s who “call
out” umpires for bad calls have
forgotten that it’s “just a game”
and not a contest about whose
kid is better on the field.
Written for parents and coaches alike, Chatter Up is an
essential guide to ensure that
kids get the most out of Little
League. Author and baseball
professional Jeff Davenport
gives clear, creative solutions
for parents and coaches
involved in the game, so that
the focus stays on the kid’s
enjoyment and the healthy
competitive aspects of learning
to play baseball and softball.
artist, Lamade Stadium
and Volunteer Stadium,
Kathleen Bonnell, 9 a.m. to
7 p.m.
artist, Lamade Stadium
and Volunteer Stadium,
Kathleen Bonnell, noon. to
6 p.m.
(570) 326-3607 or
www.LittleLeague.org/museum
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Rt. 220 McElhattan Exit, 129 Park Ave., Woolrich
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30 E. SOUTHERN AVE.
570-323-2022
OPEN 24 HOURS
Retirement Sale
• August 17, Book signing, “The Perfect Game,”
Bill Winokur, noon to 3 p.m.
and 5 to 7 p.m.
In the impoverished factory
town of 1957 Monterrey,
Mexico, young Angel Macias
and his rag-tag gang of New
York Dodgers-worshipping 12
year-olds dared to become a
baseball team, though they
had only heard games on an
old church radio and had never
actually seen one played.
Determined to join in “just
one real game,” the boys coerce
a downtrodden MexicanAmerican ex-patriot to teach
them a thing or two about the
sweet science, and together toting a change of underwear in
brown paper bags they cross
the Rio Grande on foot, walking ten miles to a Little
League field in Texas. There
they face an American baseball
team — fully anticipating
defeat.
Instead they barrel into an
inexplicable winning streak
that sets them on an impossible cross-country odyssey.
Against all odds, the
Monterrey “Little Giants,”
swimming in their oversized
uniforms,
become
the first
foreign
team to
ever
make the
finals of
the Little
League
World
Series in
Williamsport — a series that
culminates in divine drama.
Based on the little known
true story of a triumph beyond
anyone’s wildest imagination,
The Perfect Game extols the
purity of faith, the perils of
self-doubt, and the power of
those who truly have nothing
to lose.
ing, “Six Good Innings,”
Mark Kreidler, 3 p.m. to 7
p.m.
About the book; Every year,
approximately 2.2 million boys
play Little League in 50 U.S.
states and across 75 countries.
In his first book, the critically
acclaimed Four Days to Glory,
award-winning ESPN sportswriter Mark Kreidler followed
two 17-year-old wrestlers during their final high school season in Iowa. Now, in “Six Good
Innings: How One Small Town
Became a Little League Giant”
(Harper/HarperCollins
Publishers, July 8, 2008),
Kreidler deftly illuminates
how Toms River, a seaside
town in New Jersey, consistently produces Little League
champions who win titles at
the local, regional, and even
international levels.
Out in time for the 10th
anniversary of Toms River’s
momentous victory at the
(August 1998) and just before
the 2008
Little
League
championship
season,
“Six Good
Innings”
follows
the most
recent
juggernaut
through one tumultuous season, as Coach John Puleo
struggles to strike a balance
between healthy competition
and bloodless ambition and the
players themselves reckon
with the daunting knowledge
that they have been identified
throughout their region – and
within the neighborhood
blocks of their own baseballcrazy town – as the team to
beat.
In
addition
to covering last
year’s
team
game-bygame,
Kreidler
conveys
the ways
in which
Toms River’s success on the
baseball diamonds has affected
the town as a whole, and particularly the 12-year-old play-
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825 Westminster Drive • 570-322-4255
East of Loyal Plaza, Williamsport
(From Page 25)
College Festival of The Arts.
Although she works full time
at a local dental office, she still
finds time to follow her passion.
27
Museum announces events for Little League World Series
28