California Love
With its 6-3 win over Chinese Taipei, the Park View Little
League from Chula Vista, Calif. brought the Little League Baseball World Series
Championship back to The Golden State for the first time since 1993.
Source: South Williamsport, Pa.
Date/Time: Sunday, August 30, 2009, 3:00pm ET
It’s been a long time coming for San Diego County.
Of the 42 California teams to grace the championship game at the Little League
Baseball World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., just four have hailed from the
San Diego area, the county’s last title coming in 1961.
The 2009 Park View Little Leaguers from Chula Vista, Calif. would change all
that Sunday afternoon at Howard J. Lamade Stadium, as they secured the title of
World Champions with a 6-3 come-from-behind win over Chinese Taipei.
“For me, it’s great,” said West region manager Oscar Castro. “We’re one of the
first teams from San Diego [to get here] in a long time, so it’s huge for us.”
And while San Diego’s history in the Series championship isn’t necessarily long,
it is distinguished. The county first debuted in South Williamsport in 1957,
when La Mesa was shut out by Angel Macias and Monterrey, Mexico, 4-0, in the
only perfect championship game ever pitched in Little League Baseball’s 63-year
history. San Diego’s only previous championship came in 1961 when a team from El
Cajon took a 4-2 victory over El Campo, Texas. The region would appear just once
more before 2009 – in a 7-2 El Cajon loss to Chinese Taipei in 1997 – setting up
a rematch 32 years in the making.
“Thanks for being supportive, we brought it back to Chula Vista for you guys,”
pitcher/outfielder Kiko Garcia said to his San Diego supporters. “Hope you enjoy
it.”
With the win, Park View Little League becomes the first California team to take
the Little League Baseball World Series title since 1993 (Long Beach), despite
hailing from the state with the most Series appearances in the United States
(42) and the second-most all time, behind only Canada (53).
Sunday afternoon against Chinese Taipei, Chula Vista also padded California’s
lead for the state with the most World Series titles (6), two more than
Connecticut and New Jersey (4).
“Being from San Diego, we’re always close with the Chargers and the Padres and
whatnot,” said Castro, “so I’m glad we could bring this back for our community.”
The United States has now won five consecutive Little League Baseball World
Series championships, dating to 2005 when West Oahu, Hawaii of the Northwest
region took a 7-6 extra-inning victory from Curacao. In fact, the last time the
American side fell in the title bout was also the last time a team from The
Golden State advanced to the Sunday game – in 2004 when California (Thousand
Oaks) fell to Curacao, 5-2.
But now, the West champs also have a streak of their own going, securing
back-to-back titles for their region with Sunday’s win after Waipoi, Hawaii
earned the championship trophy in 2008.
“It feels good because last year the West won it and now this year it was a
repeat,” said offensive leader and starting shortstop Andy Rios. “So it felt
good to get the title back.”