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2011 LITTLE LEAGUE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AUGUST 6-13

LITTLE LEAGUE IN BC: 60 YEARS OF GREAT BASEBALLAs unimaginable as it may seem

to some, there was a time in Vancouver when baseball was

bigger than hockey. The Canucks were not yet part of the NHL but Vancouver did have a successful baseball team that played out of Capilano Stadium (since renamed Nat Bailey Stadium). Nat Bailey has often been called “the prettiest little ball park in the World”. It is in Hillcrest Park, in the shadow of “The Nat”, that Little League Baseball was fi rst played in BC.

One can only imagine what fantasies those fi rst boys dreamt up as they stepped up to the plate and looked up to see the stadium next door. Many were certainly dreaming of hearing their own names announced over the loud speakers at Capilano Field, or perhaps at Wrigley, or maybe even at Yankee Stadium…

In 1951, the community of Little Mountain in Vancouver was the fi rst league outside of the US to be granted a charter by Little League. This year marks the 60th anniversary of Little League in BC. Appropriately enough, Metro Vancouver has been chosen as the site to host the 2011 Canadian Little League Championships. The tournament decides which team will advance to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, which team will get to represent Canada and live out every Little Leaguer’s dream—to play in the Little League world Series.

In the early years of Little League in BC, the teams in our province were grouped in the Western Region and competed with teams from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and Utah for a berth in the Little League World Series.

From early on, BC’s Little Leaguers proved to be strong competitors. In 1953, only two years after the program came to our province, the Jaycee Nationals from Little Mountain won the Regional Championship and became the fi rst BC

team ever to advance to the Little League World Series. Boys from BC continued to make appearances in the Western

Regional Tournament over the next

decade—1954 (New West), 1955 (Vancouver Moose), 1957 (New Westminster), and 1964 (Trail); however, Williamsport continued to elude our Little Leaguers.

In 1965, BC began to compete with other Canadian Little Leagues for the Canadian Title and for a berth in the Little League World Series (LLWS) as Team Canada. In that year, the fi rst all-Canadian champion was crowned. Western Canada was represented by East Trail, British Columbia. East Trail journeyed to face the Eastern Canada champions from Stoney Creek, Ontario. East Trail lost 4-0 to Stoney Creek, who moved on to Williamsport and recorded

Canada’s best-ever fi nish, second

A18 - North Shore News - Wednesday, August 3, 2011

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place, at the Little League World Series. Two years later, in 1967, Trail won the Canadian Championship and secured BCs second ever spot in the Little League World Series, but certainly not our last.

Over the 1970s and 1980s, BC teams began to show themselves to be strong contenders for the Canadian Title. Our province brought home the national crown no less than seven times in that period. Trail Little League teams were especially successful at the time, having won the Canadian Championship in 1976, 1980 and 1981. Former NHL player and now Vancouver area sports broadcaster and analyst, Ray Ferraro, played for Trail Little League when they travelled to Williamsport in 1976.

As strong as BC teams had shown themselves to be up to that point, it was not until the last two decades that the

young boys and girls of our province began to assert what true powerhouses they were.

Six more Canadian Championships were captured in the 1990s. In 1990, Jason Bay, future National League Rookie of the Year (2004), foreshadowed his future baseball success by playing for Trail in the LLWS. That year, BC had its best fi nish ever, falling to Taiwan in the fi nals of the International Pool. Taiwan went on to win the LLWS that year.

To date, teams From British Columbia hold 20 Canadian Championships since 1965. The province with the next most

titles is Quebec, with 13 since 1958. Amazingly, BC also holds the record for the most consecutive Canadian titles with 6 (2005-2010). Teams from the Metro Vancouver area--Whalley, White Rock, Hastings, and Little Mountain, have won each of these most recent Championships.

Indeed, when it comes to our Little Leaguers, BC and Metro Vancouver have a lot to be proud of.

One question begs to be asked… What makes British

Columbia such a force in Little League

in Canada?

Some fans insist that it is our longer playing season. With our shorter, milder winters, our kids can start outdoor practices as early as March in some parts of the province. Others assert that British Columbians, because of our love of the outdoors, are simply more inclined to a sporting lifestyle than most other Canadians. While both these explanations may be true, the romantic in me wants to believe that the magic of Little League in BC lies in the park that started it all… Hillcrest Park, in the shadow of The Nat.

2011 LITTLE LEAGUE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AUGUST 6-13

To date, teams from British Columbia

hold 20 Canadian Championships since

1965. BC also holds the record for the most

consecutive Canadian titles with six (2005-2010).

Over the 1970s and 1980s, BC teams began

to show themselves to be strong

contenders for the Canadian

Title.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011 - North Shore News - A19

THE ROAD TO WILLIAMSPORT:

Hard Work for the Love of the GameLittle League holds four

international tournaments every summer for

baseball divisions: Little League (or Majors Division), Junior

League, Senior League and Big League. Although all tournaments feature teams of top players from around

the globe, and all are called “World Series”, it is the Majors’ Tournament, which culminates in Williamsport, Pennsylvania each August

that is synonymous with Little League in the minds of most. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the Little League

Tournaments. While it may be common knowledge that the winner of this

Canadian Championship

will advance to Williamsport, many fans may not know how the participants were chosen or what happens after Team Canada travels to Pennsylvania. Let me enlighten you…

After the regular Little League season ends in June, most leagues hold try-outs for All-Star teams. Players’ skills in hitting, fi elding, and pitching are assessed and cuts are made until the best 11 or 12 players in are left to form the All-Star Team. While the regular season is essentially about learning and playing the game of baseball in a fun and fair environment, the All-Star season focuses on honing baseball skills and enjoying the competitive aspect of team sports.

All-Star teams typically practice three times a week in addition to playing two to three games per week. At this level, games typically last two to two and a half hours and practices can run two to three

hours each. These 11 and 12 year olds and their coaches put in an average of 20 hours a week at the ballpark.

In July, Tournament play begins. Local leagues are grouped into geographical Districts that include anywhere from four to ten leagues. The District Championships for Majors Division in BC are typically held the second week of July and may last up to 10 days. Tournaments are structured in a typical double elimination format where each team plays all others in a Round Robin and the top teams advance to the semi-fi nal games. The semi-fi nal winners face each other in the District Finals.

Teams that have triumphed at the District level, move on to Provincials. In BC this usually happens over the last

Lower Level Tournaments: Lower Level Tournaments: Districts & ProvincialsDistricts & Provincials

2011 LITTLE LEAGUE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AUGUST 6-13

P Officials Only

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Players’ Lounge

Family Zone

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Chris Zuehlke Memorial Field, Mahon Park1899 Jones Avenue (at 19th Street), North Vancouver

A20 - North Shore News - Wednesday, August 3, 2011

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Proudly Supports the 2011 CanadianLittle League Championship.

Congratulations to all the players, families, organizers and fans.

Congratulations to all

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Your hard work makes

Little League great!

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10 days of July and consists of seven teams—a host team and the winning representative from each of the six active districts in BC. In areas where leagues are more numerous, as in much of the US, District winners move on to Sectional Championships, which are followed by State level tournaments.

Success at these lower-level tournaments does not mean a decreased workload for these All-Stars. Having won Provincials, the champs have already faced and conquered 10 to 13 opponents, depending on the size of their District. The big prize is within reach and they know that it is only through discipline and hard work that they as teams will be able to achieve their goals. Between District and Provincial Tournaments, most teams step up their practice schedules.

The next level of Tournament Play is the Regional Championship. Teams crowned Regional Champs will move on to Williamsport and the LLWS. Canada

forms its own Region, whereas, the US consists of eight Regions that are geographically based.

The Canadian Championship consists of six teams: fi ve Provincial or Sectional Champions—BC, Ontario, Quebec, the Prairies, and The Atlantic Provinces and the Host Team. The winner of the Canadian Championship, by the time they arrive in Williamsport, in the third week of August, has met and won against an average of 16 other teams of elite players and, as a team, they have put in well over 160 hours in practice time and games since mid June.

But they have yet to meet their toughest competition…

At Williamsport, the participants are “treated like rock stars”, as one former player phrased it. It is the mission of every volunteer to ensure that each team’s experience at the LLWS is unforgettable. They kids outfi tted with

new, custom-fi t uniforms, equipment bags, batting gloves and “swag” from Little League’s many sponsors. In this writer’s estimation, the kids all deserve it. They and their coaches and managers have worked extremely hard to get to the World Series. Each participant has lived up to the Pledge that Little Leaguers recite before every tournament game: they have “played fair and strive[d] to win”. They have achieved their goal; they are living every Little Leaguer’s dream.

The Little League World Series includes16 teams divided into four pools: two International Pools and two US Pools. Canada competes in International Pool play against teams from Regions such as Mexico, Latin America, the Caribbean, Japan, Europe, the Middle East-Africa, and Asia-Pacifi c. Each team has advanced to Williamsport as Regional Champions in much the same way as Team Canada. All teams are deemed to be the strongest in their part of the world. In order to win the International Pools and advance to the Championship Game versus the US Champs, teams must face four more opponents—the three

other teams in their Pool and the winner of the other International Pool.

These games will be played either at Volunteer Stadium, which can hold up to 5000 fans or at Howard J. Lamade Stadium with a seating capacity of about 40,000. No admission is ever charged and seating is on a “fi rst come, fi rst served” basis. In front of such large crowds of fans, there can be no doubt in the Little Leaguers’ minds—they have made it to the “big time”.

Now you have a better understanding of the teamwork, discipline and dedication to the game the kids you’ll be watching this week have. So, cheer on those kids of ours for having the strength and courage to pursue their dreams. Also remember that the volunteers that help them on their journey toward Williamsport match the dedication and love of the Grand Ol’ Game that the teams possess. Coaches, managers, fi eld attendants, announcers and tournament organizers are all volunteers. Without their help, the Little Leaguers’ dream of going to the World Series would not be possible.

The Regional The Regional TournamentTournament

Williamsport: The Holy Williamsport: The Holy Grail Of Little LeagueGrail Of Little League

2011 LITTLE LEAGUE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AUGUST 6-13

Wednesday, August 3, 2011 - North Shore News - A21

READTHE PROVINCE

SPORTS

BASEBALL

A48 || SPORTS

BY TERRY BELL

SPORTS REPORTER

In the early part of the 2010 sea-

son the Vancouver Canadians

didn’t really look like a threat to win

a Northwest League title.

Well, what a difference a half sea-

son makes.

After finishing 17-21 — last in the

West Division during the first half

— the C’s have punched their ticket

to the postseason thanks to a 23-10

(before Thursday night’s double-

header in Everett) record in the sec-

ond half.

They’ll meet the first half cham-

pion Everett AquaSox in a best-of-

three West Division series that starts

Monday (1 p.m.) at Scotiabank Field

at Nat Bailey Stadium after the two

teams finish their regular season

schedules at the Nat on Friday, Sat-

urday and Sunday.

The playoffs resume Tuesday and

Wednesday in Everett, with the win-

ner will start the NWL final in either

Yakima or Spokane on Sept. 9 and

host Games 2 and 3 on Sept. 10 and

11.For the C’s this six-week stretch

is one huge laundry hamper full of

AquaSox.

It’s also a perfect platform for a

bunch of young players — many

of whom are in their first season of

professional baseball — to show the

Oakland Athletics brass that drafted

them that they are winners.

“It’s very important,” outfield-

er Michael Choice, the A’s top pick

(10th overall) in the June draft, says

of reaching the post-season.

“It’s why we’re here ... to help the

Oakland Athletics win champion-

ships. The Vancouver Canadians are

part of the organization and we want

to bring success to the whole organi-

zation. A lot of players play for years

and years and never get a chance to

win a championship so to be able to

get that experience right off the bat

is huge.”Choice has been a big part of the

C’s reversal of fortune. It’s rare when

a short season, Single-A team like

the C’s gets a first-round pick. Choice

has certainly delivered.

The 20-year-old from the Univer-

sity of Texas Arlington — his home-

town by the way — debuted on Aug.

7. In 88 at-bats he’s hit .273 with sev-

en homers and 26 RBI.

He’s been a nice presence hitting

third in the batting order just ahead

of clean up hitter A.J. Kirby-Jones, a

first baseman who set a C’s Single-A

franchise record with his 13th home

run in a 6-5 win over Salem-Keizer

Monday that clinched the C’s post-

season berth.

“Yeah, I’ m really excited to be in

the playoffs,” says the soft-spoken

Kirby-Jones, a 21-year-old from

Knoxville, Tenn., and a ninth round

pick in June. “Every time you step on

the field you’re thinking about play-

ing well and winning and nobody

likes losing. Getting a chance to play

in the playoffs in your first year is a

good feeling. You play well and good

things happen.”

But how do you explain the turn-

around?The C’s other A.J. — reliever A.J.

Griffin, who had 14 saves heading

into Thursday’s twin bill — thinks it’s

about chemistry and camaraderie.

“We have really good camarade-

rie,” he says. “Everyone on this team

gets along really well. It’s just a great

group of guys and we’ve really come

together. It seems like we just get

everything done when we need to.

We’re all pulling on the same side of

the rope and get the job done.

“The bullpen has been doing real-

ly well. Our pitching all around has

been unbelievable. I wouldn’t want

to face our lineup very often. It’s

been fun.”

Manager Rick Magnante has

watched the progress. He attributes

it to several things.

“We’ve just grown as a team,” he

says. “That’s first and foremost.

The players have come out and

embraced the mantra. The staff

has worked extremely hard. Lefty

(pitching coach Craig Lefferts) has

been tremendous with the pitchers.

Casey (hitting coach Casey Myers)

has been hands on with the hitters

from Day One and the kids have

bought in.

“We’ve got better.”

Magnante cites the arrival of

Choice and second baseman Ryan

Pineda, a 28th rounder this summer

out of Cal State Northridge as being

decisive factors. Pineda is hitting just

.247 and has added defence.

“We’ve had a couple of pieces

to the puzzle that have been add-

ed in Choice and Pineda,” he says.

“They’ve really made a difference,

not just offensively but defensively.

That solidified our lineup. It made

us a little more formidable and they

got used to winning.

“By building that expectation of

winning and expecting to go out

and make it happen every night real-

ly changes the overall mindset of the

team.”Magnante also says it’s important

for his young team to send a mes-

sage to the A’s. Single-A baseball is

about development. But improving

a hitter’s approach at the plate or a

pitcher’s sinker isn’t the only aspect

of player development.

“I think it’s really important,” he

says. “Although we stress develop-

ment a lot, the reality is that at some

point in time you have to be a win-

ner. You have to build a champi-

onship calibre kind of makeup in a

player.“With development goes winning.

I think they go hand in hand. If the

kids get better, then the chances of

competing and having a winning

season become that much more of

a higher percentage.”

Part of development is getting

players to say the right things. The

C’s seem to have embraced that part

of it too.Choice, for instance, might be

thinking about being promoted to a

higher level of baseball. Instead he

talks about wanting to be here.

“Definitely being here in the mix

and helping this team get to where

we are and being with this group of

guys, I definitely want to finish it off,”

he says. “We only have about two

weeks left in the season. It would be

great to stay here and help out.”

And this from Griffin about cinch-

ing a post-season berth:

“It feels amazing but you can’t get

back on your heels,” he says.

“You have to keep going out and

doing the work. We haven’t done

anything yet in my book. It’s a great

thing for the fans and for us, but our

work isn’t done.”

Exactly what you want to hear.

NWL: Magnante tips his hat to Choice, Pineda but mindset of whole team is formidable

The Vancouver Canadians are playoff bound after clinching the Northwest League’s second-half

pennant. — PNG FILES

PAGE A60

It wasn’t quite a nation in mourning, but South

Africans were a subdued bunch after Tuesday’s

loss. And they had drinking partners in Spain.

WORLD CUP, PAGES A53-57

At 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, B.C. Lions running back Jerome Messam has an NFL-ready body, but he’s still learning the Canadian game. JASON PAYNE — PNG

JEROME MESSAM: Bob Marley-loving rookie tailback

has looked so good at camp, his name’s been

injected into the mix to start in the backfi eld

LIONS, PAGES A58-59

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Proud to Support the

2011 Canadian Na onal

Li le League Championships

The Little League program was started back in 1939. Today it includes almost 3 million youth worldwide. With so many participants, over so many years, it is not surprising that many famous people played Little League in their youth. Little League International keeps meticulous records on participants and recognizes former Little Leaguers for their various achievements. This endows the casual Little League historian (me) with the ability to share with you some interesting names…

LIT

TL

E L

EA

GU

E A

LU

MN

I

In the Game of Politics:“It’s as American as Baseball, or apple pie”. Baseball is the US’ national sport, so it is not surprising to fi nd out that a great number of high profi le US politicians played Little League in their youth.

■ Joe Biden, former US Vice President■ George W. Bush, former President■ Bill Bradley, senator/ Rhodes scholar■ Bill Cohen, former Defense Secretary■ Rudolph Giulliani, ex-mayor of NY■ Dan Quayle, former Vice President

The Whole Ballpark’s A Stage?Many actors, writers and singers got their fi rst taste of being centre-stage while stepping up to home plate playing Little League.

■ Danny Devito, actor

■ Dennis Franz, actor NYPD Blue■ John Grisham, author■ Kevin Kostner, actor/director■ Huey Lewis, signer/song-writer■ Kurt Russell, actor■ Adam Sandler, comedian, actor■ Tom Selleck, actor■ Bruce Springsteen, rock legend

Great at the Grand Ol’ Game:Not surprisingly, many Little Leaguers dream of one day playing in the Big Leagues. Here is just a very short list of some who went on to live the dream, and have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame:

■ Roberto Alomar■ Wade Boggs ■ Gary Carter ■ Jim Palmer■ Cal Ripken, Jr. ■ Nolan Ryan■ Carl YastrzemskiNon-Baseball Sports Figures:

The Little League program at its core teaches kids the values of teamwork and discipline. These are lessons that can be transferred to all areas of life and all sports—hockey, football, basketball, even golf.

■ Troy Aikman, NFL■ Drew Bledsoe, NFL■ Mike Ditka, NFL■ Chris Dhrury, NFL■ Brett Favre, NFL■ Doug Flutie, NFL, CFL■ Tony Hawk, skateboarder■ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA■ Phil Mickelson, PGA■ Dan O’Brien, Olympic decathlete

Canada’s Famous Little Leaguers:We Canadians don’t like to brag. Maybe that’s why Little League Canada has no online published records of its alumni. However, here are a few names I came up with that have close ties to little league.

■ Jason Bay, 2004 NL Rookie of the Year. Played in the LLWS in 1990 for Trail, BC.

■ Ray Ferraro, played 18 seasons in the NHL and is now a broadcaster and hockey analyst with TSN and TEAM 1040 Radio. Ray played in the LLWS for Trail, BC in 1976.

■ Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins, 2008 All Star Homerun Derby Winner. New Westminster Little League renamed their Majors Diamond in his honour in 2008.

■ Pierre Turgeon, played in the LLWS for Rouyn, QC in 1982. Played 19 seasons in the NHL and scored over 500 career goals. He is the only Canadian to have been inducted into the Little League Museum’s Hall of Excellence.

2011 LITTLE LEAGUE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AUGUST 6-13

A22 - North Shore News - Wednesday, August 3, 2011

o d l u m b r o w n . c o m

Andy Eisenbock Director, Investment Advisor aeisenbock@odlumbrown.com

Tel 604 844 5379 or Toll Free 1 800 663 0706Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund

With you every step of the wayodlum brown is proud to be a sponsor of the 2011 canadianlittle league championship

Good luck to all of the teams!

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We proudly welcome Athletes and Guests of the 2011

Little League National Championships

to the North Shore!

AUGUST 6-13

Wednesday, August 3, 2011 - North Shore News - A23

Back in 1939, when Little League started, the cost to sponsor a team and provide them with equipment was $30.

The Little League World Series was originally called the National Little League Tournament when it was fi rst played in 1947.

The Little League World Series was fi rst televised in 1953 and Howard Cosell called the play-by-play.

Monterrey, Mexico was the fi rst non-US team to win the LLWS. That League was also the fi rst to win consecutive World Series—1957 and 1958

Dr. Creighton J. Hale, Little League’s Director of Research, invented the protective batting helmet in 1959.

Little League Baseball rules were changed in 1974 to allow girls to play. To date, 13 girls have made it to the Little League World Series. That same year Little League Softball was created.

The Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum opened in 1982.

1990 was the fi rst season of Little League Challenger Division ball for physically and intellectually challenged kids.

The country that holds the most Little League World Series titles is the US with 32. The next most titles is held by Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) with 17 LLWS victories.

Pitch count rules, designed to protect young pitchers from serious injury, fi rst came into effect in the 2007 season.

The fi rst fence was added to the original Little League fi eld in 1943, the distance from home plate was 205 feet. In 2006, the fences at Lamade and Volunteer Stadiums were moved back to 225 feet because homeruns were becoming too common.

Did You Know?Did You Know?

WA

NTE

D North Shore News CarriersAdult & Children Available to Deliver EVERY, Wednesday, Friday & SundayGo to www.nsnews.com to fi ll out an application form.