SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Chula Vista Park View can lay claim to being the best Little League All-Star team in the world.
After falling behind 3-0, Park View rallied to defeat Taiwan 6-3 Sunday to win the 63rd Little League World Series before a national television audience and 32,400 at Howard J. Lamade Stadium.
Manager Oscar Castro talked about winning the championship for San Diego: “Being from San Diego, we always get close but we never get it with the Padres and Chargers. I’m really happy we got it for the city and for our community.”
Shortstop Andy Rios went 3-for-3, scored two runs and knocked in one for Park View. Third baseman Seth Godfrey went 1-for-2, driving in two runs. Kiko Garcia got the win in relief, working 3 1/3 innings of no-hit, shutout ball while striking out six.
Said Garcia on the thrill of winning: “To think you’re the best team in the world … wow.”
Taiwan took a three-run lead in the top of the third on two home runs.
Park View had built its reputation on the long ball, hitting a LLWS-record 19 home runs coming into the championship game. But today it won with small ball.
On not hitting any home runs, Garcia noted: “It’s kind of shocking because that’s what we usually do (hit home runs).”
Park View scored one run in the third on a single, double, intentional walk and a Taiwan error. The hosts left the bases loaded in the inning.
In the fourth, Park View struck for three runs with help from some unexpected sources. Jensen Peterson led off with an infield single, and Nick Conlin followed with a double. Peterson and Conlin came into the game a combined 0-for-8 in the series.
Godfrey, who the team likes to claim is Little League’s best No. 9 hitter, made it 3-2 with a sacrifice fly to center. Conlin scored the tying run on a wild pitch. After Garcia struck out and Luke Ramirez was intentionally walked, Bulla Graft drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out, line-drive single.
Chula Vista Park View becomes the second team from San Diego County to win the Little League World Series. El Cajon/La Mesa Northern won the title in 1961, defeating El Campo, Texas, 4-2.
Two other teams from San Diego County have played in the LLWS championship game. La Mesa Northern (1957) and El Cajon Western (1977) lost in the final.
Garcia sent this message to the team’s fans: “Thanks for being supportive. We brought it back to Chula Vista for you guys. I hope you enjoyed it.”
Jim,
Thanks for posting this. These little guys are amazing! I couldn’t believe how poised they were throughout the entire tournament. They deserve all the praise bestowed.
As a former and possibly future LL All-Star manager what an accomplishment. Great for those South Bay residents too who got behind those boys. How fun is it to watch those little kids, if I only I didn’t have to see the camera on the little guy who strikes out and has a tear in his eye.
The Dodgers are a mere 2 hours away if you’re tired of being let down by the Madres.
Way to bring it back and rep SD little guys. Must have been quite an experience.
You know what’s cool about this is that these kids are from San Diego/Chula Vista. Not like professional corporate teams where the players are bought, sold, traded and somehow interpreted to represent a city.
And, what a morale booster for the South Bay which has been nailed by this recession.
I watched the game. It was truly exciting and nail byting.
Congrats Park View!
Amazing win. No doubt you will hear about some of these kids going forward.
These kids ruled under pressure. You have to play/win about 40 playoff games to get to this point in June, July and August.
I watched every Park View LLWS game with my son who plays little league over the last 10 days, he’s only 9 so he has 3 years left to play and watching these kids and learning from them is a big motivator for future San Diego County little leaguers!
Time for the Chula Vista LL to hit up the city for a new ball park…..!
Congrats.
I hear stories of highschool kids getting steroid shots at TJ, substance abuse, middleschoolers dying after football practice… the way public schools are used as farming fields for pros is despicable.
Way to go PVLL. Now maybe Chula Vista will be off Forbe’s list of most boring cities. PVLL should have another good team in two years, the youngest Ramirez (Ben) will be on the team and Ric Ramirez should coach again.
Perhaps this Little league fairy tale (which has been awesome BTW) will help divert some south-bay homeowner’s attention away from the fact that their property values have dropped faster than…..
…..A Luke Ramirez curveball!
Sorry, just a long time bubble-sitter here who has been rooting for price drops too long. It’s made me a bitter old man.
the Chula Vista boys did very well.
I’m just amazed at how big some of those boys are these days. They sure don’t make 13 year olds like they use to…
I’m not from the San Diego area at all, and I loved this story! Mahalo nui loa for posting it, JtR. Congrats to these little guys! Yep, heart will help you win it (nearly) every time.
I’m not even from the San Diego area, and I loved this story! Congrats to those guys!
This brings awesome memories for me as my son (now 23) played baseball when he was younger. He wasn’t in Little League but just a local Park & Rec program in Bend, OR. He was a member of two undefeated teams two years in a row (*Chuckle* Only a 10-game season.) For the last game of the season, I bought a Costco cake inscribed with: “Congrats Champions On Your UNDEFEATED season!
In the last inning, the opposing team had the bases loaded, and the biggest kid up to bat. In his previous up-to-bat, he hit a booming home run. My son’s team was only up by one. I’ve never felt such pressure in my life–knowing what the cake said! The suspense was unreal–almost like a World Series game! On the last pitch,the kid struck out!I could finally breathe again…
Oh yeah, my son was nicknamed “Vacuum” by his teammates? Why? He played 2nd base and nothing–and I mean nothing–got passed him.
For his 12 birthday, our family drove up to Seattle and watched a Mariners game. Will never forget it. The Mariners scored 10 runs in the very first inning. The catcher hit an inside-the-park grand slam! The crowd went crazy and cheered the slow-running catcher on as he lumbered around the bases and made it to home plate before the ball got there. Best baseball game I’ve ever been at!