All players are invited to write-up a report on a game of their choice. Just make sure to keep it positive and neutral, report about games between teams that you don't play for and use first name, last initial to indicate players' names. Don't forget the date and field location. Send your submittals to dennisjkane@yahoo.com.
Angels Win Baseball Majors Title
Reported from Premier Field by Danny K. - June 10, 2008
The 8th seeded Angels went on a 5-0 playoff run to win the Manhattan Beach 2008 Majors championship. The Halos won the final contest with an all-around team effort that included great fielding, solid hitting and a stellar performance by the Dave O./Tanner K. pitching tandem.
The A’s busted out of the gate in the top of the 1st with a leadoff home run by Duncan M. on a 1-1 count. Two walks and 1 out later, Will D. hit a double up the gut to bring in 2. After that, David O. bounced back and sent down 2 in a row to end the inning.
Will D. kept the Angels quiet in the bottom of the 1st, holding them to no runs.
In inning 2, the lead off batter went down swinging, then Walker H walked on a good at bat, and Duncan moved him along with a single. Walker then scored on a fly out by Jason C. Thomas L. then came up and busted one down the third base line for a double, allowing Duncan to score. Will D. beat one out that was hit to the third baseman, but then Gabe S. made a nice throw home to Tanner K. who blocked the plate to get T-Lap.
Just when it looked like the A’s could run away with this one, the Halos put together a string of hits from Matt R., David O. Thomas S., and Tanner K. to put them in the lead, 7-5, at bottom of two.
With such early scoring it looked like this could be a slugfest in the making, but defense prevailed for both teams.
In the first at bat of the third, Dylan T. walked but the A’s failed to produce any runs.
Then, as pitcher, Dylan T. held the Angels scoreless in the bottom half of the inning.
The 4th was quiet and quick, with Dylan T. and Tanner K. pitching 1-2-3 innings.
Tanner pitched another 1-2-3 inning in the 5th, in part thanks to an amazing play by Vince M. at 3B, and on the flipside, Dylan T. held the Angels scoreless.
The A’s had one more chance to score in the top of the 6th. Tanner struck out the first two batters. Then, Jordan B. came up to the plate and walked. For the final out, Jeffrey D. hit a solid ball in between 1st and 2nd. Matt R. caught up to it though, and made a flawless play to finish the out, the game, and the championship.
Said MLL VP of Hardball Bob Wymbs, “It’s good to see the 8th seed come back and win the championship. It shows the balance the league had this year.”
An emotional David Odle Sr. the Manager of the Angels stated, “Our team had a lot of heart. Even when we were down runs, we always fought hard.” Tanner “the Closer” concluded, “I’ve never had an opportunity like this in Little League. This is an amazing experience.”
This game was a great way to end the 2008 little league season, which saw a new pitching rule that limited the number of pitches that pitchers could throw in each game. This forced teams to use multiple pitchers, which gave more kids the opportunity to pitch while preventing the overuse of the “ace” pitchers. It also evened the playing field, maximizing the fun for all participants.
Hopefully, most of the kids who played Majors will continue to play baseball and enjoy the little league experience. I know I will, as nothing compares to the feeling of getting a game-winning hit, making a great play or seeing a teammate make a clutch play to win a game. This league has been so great to so many baseball lovers like me. Hope to see you playing this summer and beyond.
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An “A” Game
Reported from Premier Field by Danny K. - May 4, 2008
When you see a match up between the A’s and the Angels, it is natural to expect a great game. What happened was all that was promised. The game was exciting and close, but in the end, the A's came out ahead in the final score, winning 8-7.
With Thomas L. pitching, the game began with the visiting Angels coming to bat. Mathew R. started off with a hard hit grounder single. After that,“T-Lap” bounced back, getting 3 straight outs.
In the bottom of the first, Jason C. ripped one to center with 1 out. 3 batters later, on an 0-2 count with the bases loaded, Dylan T. tattooed one to left-center and gave a present to the ducks relaxing in Polliwog Pond. “It felt cool,” said Dylan of the grand slam, “I just tried to make contact.”
In the 2nd, Thomas L. was hurling the ball, clocking in at 61mph. After 40 pitches, Jason C. relieved him, and the quiet top of the inning finished with a good play byThomas L. On the flip side of the inning, Tanner K. completed his start with a strikeout and David O. finished the inning by getting the next two batters with strikeouts.
Matthew R. started a rally for the “Halos” in the top of the 3rdwith a great single over the third baseman’s head. Thomas S., Gabe S., and Michael scored along with Mathew M. In the bottom of the inning, Will D. then hit a hard grounder that got past the shortstop, hitting the fence in left center andscoring 2.
In the 4th, Vince M. hit a great triple down the right field line, and Tanner K. capped off the rally with a 2 RBI single, knocking in Michael R. and Vince M. The A’s bounced back in the bottom of the inning. After Duncan M. doubled and a walk by Jeffrey D.,Thomas L. drove in 2 runs with a ground rule double.
The 5th was a quiet inning. Dylan T. and Gabe S. both pitched well.
Us faithful watchers only got to see the top of the 6th, because the game was over after Dylan T. had a 1-2-3 inning with 2 strikeouts.
Over all,the contest was well played. The game had a professional-like feel, with few errors and solid rips. Connor L. made a great catch and Duncan M. showed some crazy “wheels" as he sprinted and got a double. Both teams played a nice game, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see another match upbetween them late in the playoffs.
Next up for the Angels are the Nationals, while the 4-1 A’s face the 4-1 Mets.
