The "Little League Field of Dreams" Story

The Taney Dragons team photo from the ABC News website.

It was an ordinary day.  Watching the team from Phila- delphia, PA, featuring 13 year-old female Mo'Ne Davis, beat the neighboring team from Newark, Delaware in Bristol, CT to advance to the Little League World Series.  The fact that the Philly team had a female was rather interesting, but the fact that the Philly Taney Youth Baseball Association Little League team beat them with exciting baseball was what thrilled me.  For years I coached youth baseball in Lancaster, PA.  Didn't have the national Little League Association in our town, but we still had fantastic youth baseball.  And, I loved coaching and teaching the kids how to play the game in an exciting manner.  Just like the Taney team played.  In the first inning the lead-off batter bunted his way onto first.  Small ball like that is thrilling to watch just as much as the long ball.  Then, after the first pitch, the runner took off for second as the catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher.  "Wow, they're playing just like I coached," I said to my wife.  I used to have my players hustling the entire game.  Hit a single and why stop at first.  If you think the other team is loafing, keep on going to second.  At times the guys would get thrown out, but most times the bold running got us the extra base.  Next pitch you better be running toward third as soon as the ball was delivered to home.  We worked on getting the best lead possible and creating havoc for the opposing pitcher.  Standing on third, you better be ready to steal home on one of the next few pitches.  Take a short lead, keep an eye on the catcher's body movements, and as soon as he made a motion to throw the ball back to the pitcher after a pitch, take off for home.  Just like the Taney team did!  Only thing they didn't do that I loved doing, if I had the right boy at bat, was squeezing the run in with a bunt.  Now that's an exciting play.  We practiced that almost every practice session.  The Taney team was very  well coached and knew how to play baseball to make it thrilling.  One inning a Delaware player on second looked as if he might to try to steal third when the ball was being thrown back to the pitcher.  Instead, the coach for Taney had the catcher throw the ball to the shortstop instead of the pitcher.  Almost caught the guy off the base too far.  A little thing like this is what makes baseball fun to watch and the mind games pitting the coaching strategies against each other is exciting.  Another inning Taney had two batters in a row bunt and get on.  They kept the the team from Delaware on their heels the entire game.  And, they won by an 8-0 score.  I know that the speedy athletes the Philadelphia team upset the defense of the Delaware team, but only because the coach knew how to use the speed.  I can hardly wait for the Little League World Series to begin and get to see the Taney team in action again.  Won't predict anything, since the teams from other countries always seem to have fantastic pitching and in Little League, pitching usually beats hitting, but if the coach can creative havoc on the field with his coaching, anything can happen.  Hey, I'm pulling for the home team here.  Wish I could be in Williamsport, PA to see the games.  TV will have to do!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Philadelphia plays at 3:00 PM today.  Catch the game if you can!