Joe Battista: Nothing Small About Little League

I have a Little (League) confession to make:

I have lived almost my entire life in Pennsylvania and for 30 years as a resident in Central Pennsylvania. I live just 75 minutes from Williamsport, home of the Little League World Series, and yet I had never seen the tournament or the Lamade or Volunteer Stadiums.

I had never stepped foot inside the Little League World Series Hall of Fame. I had never witnessed first-hand the tradition of sliding down the ballpark hillside on old cardboard boxes. I had never experienced the camaraderie and sportsmanship displayed by all the athletes.

But like so many others these past few weeks I was caught in the magical spell weaved by the Keystone Little League team from Clinton County.

I was actually the public address announcer for its Pennsylvania State Tournament semi-final game played on Montressor Field in S&A Park just down the street from my home in Stonebridge. My son’s all-star team comprised of 10-year-olds all-star had recently lost to the Keystone’s 10-year-olds All-Stars. Let me tell you, that organization is loaded with talent and great coaching, so it’s no surprise they have been so successful.

Prompted in part by these “connections” to Keystone’s program, I was finally inspired to make the trip over to see if the annual tournament in Williamsport — made popular by the coverage by ESPN and ABC — was really all that people make it out to be.

FULL DISCLOSURE

I have become pretty cynical about youth sports. I have spent a lifetime around sports as a participant, coach, and administrator. As I have mentioned in previous columns, I have seen the “Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” sides of youth sports.

I had particularly been critical of what I believed to be excessive coverage of the LLWS and all the attention heaped upon these youngsters on a grand stage at an age when most are still not equipped to handle the pressure from large crowds, the media, and of course, over-bearing parents.

Perhaps I am a bit more “open minded” these days because my youngest son Ryan has played youth soccer, basketball, and baseball the past few years.

I have resisted the temptation to coach my son — not that I am especially qualified to coach any sport other than hockey (and some would argue that I wasn’t very good at that either!). I did play my share of baseball and competitive softball and I am still a diehard Pirates fan. So I think I could get by coaching baseball if I had to do so. Thankfully, my son has been fortunate to have outstanding coaches who teach the game the way it’s supposed to be played — they still make it fun for the boys.

WILLIAMSPORT, HERE WE COME

We loaded up the mini-van on Saturday and my son Ryan and his buddy, Ryan Terrizzi (Ryan B. and Ryan T. as we call them), joined me on a quest to see these youngsters in person as they played in the international and U.S. championship games in Lamade Stadium.

In a word: Impressive!

I came away a convert. The cynic in me was squelched as I learned about how Little League Baseball ran such a first-class function — full of activities for the participants that made it so much more than just about winning and losing.

These kids were having a ball! The genuine admiration and sportsmanship was so pleasing to this old jock (remember, I am no longer an athlete, just an athletic supporter!). Everyone we came across was friendly and helpful (although the facilities could use a few more bathroom facilities!). The complex is amazing and it was truly an inspiring event and atmosphere.

What really struck me as odd when we first entered the stadium was how steep the hillside behind the outfield fence was. Television doesn’t do it justice. What looks like one continuous hill on TV is actually two separate hills with a good 30-yard level stretch between them. Quite the optical illusion.

We were given an outstanding game to watch and in the end the Japanese team proved to have superior depth and pitching.

As the Japanese team completed its win over a gutsy and entertaining team from Mexico, its players stopped to hug and console their disappointed opponents.  There was a lot of respect and admiration and the fans who traveled from Mexico gave their kids a well-deserved ovation.

As the Japanese team made its way around the field on its victory lap the kids from Montana and California stopped warming up and clapped in recognition of the Japanese team’s victory. A number of kids ran over to give high-fives and shake hands. There were smiles everywhere as the crowd gave the kids a standing ovation.

These youngsters are not far removed from the memories of one of their country’s worst natural disasters. But for that day they gave everyone back home in Japan reason to smile and be hopeful. Ah yes, nothing like youthful enthusiasm and energy. The kids stopped in front of their parents and politely bowed and waved to the crowd smiling ear to ear. 

THE MUSEUM AND T-SHIRTS

Between games we toured the LLWS Museum and enjoyed reading all about the history of the tournament and participating in all the interactive displays and activities.

We walked around the grounds and visited the souvenir store. The Mid-Atlantic T-shirts, hats and jerseys were all but sold out. The Ryans were lucky that they found some youth sizes mixed in among the few adult shirts since the Mid-Atlantic representative was none other than the kids from Keystone! It didn’t take long for all the Japanese merchandise to make its way off the shelf after their victory.

While the U.S. title game lacked the suspense of the previous meeting between California and Montana, it was equally as enjoyable to watch the kids and their followers taking in the atmosphere as one team said good-bye and another lived to play another day. 

HOME RUN

The ride back to Happy Valley was quick and we had to check in with my father to give him all the details. “Pap-Pap” still plays competitive softball at the spry old age of 79! He and his grandson have shared a fun summer of baseball and it has energized my father beyond words.

So after doing the “honey-do” list on Sunday we all settled in to watch the championship game on TV. It didn’t disappoint!

After the team from Japan jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, California’s star player, Hagen Danner, crushed a homer to tie the game. The score remained deadlocked until the final inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Nick Prato smacked a hard single to center field and the California kids captured the LLWS title. 

What happened following the game was a delight to see.

The kids from Cal displayed a remarkable level of sportsmanship and respect toward their emotionally-spent opponents. I watched those kids hug each other and honor each other with the respect that only two equally worthy opponents can share when only one can claim a final victory. I had tears in my eyes and was amazed at the maturity and grace of the young athletes.

Just when I thought I had seen enough Little League baseball, my wife and son invited me to share some popcorn and watch “The Perfect Game,” the true story of the 1957 team from Mexico. That team shocked everyone to become the first international team to win a LLWS title.

They did it behind the only perfect game ever thrown in a LLWS championship game.  No runs, no hits, not walks, no errors. Eighteen batters came to the plate and 18 in a row made an out. The kids overcame many obstacles and prejudices to do the improbable. It’s a terrific family movie that will have you cheering and bring a smile and tear or two.

Now that I have seen the Little League World Series in person, I can another check off on my own personal bucket list.