Living it (UPDATED!)

(UPDATE #1):Congratulations to the Chula Vista Little League team who laid claim to the Little League World Series championship by beating the Taiwanese team this afternoon, 6-3. They rallied from a 3-0 deficit and did it by not hitting a homerun which had become their signature and something of legendary (and record-breaking) status.

Being honored at Padre and Charger games looks to be confirmed and a visit to the White House is a possibility from the buzz surrounding the team after the game.

We’ve watched more baseball these past couple of weeks than we have in years as it’s been an absolute joy to watch these young kids perform at the highest level on the biggest stage and overcoming adversity with poise and confidence as two of their last 3 games were come-from-behind affairs.

After the whirl-wind that these next few weeks will be back home for the boys, we hope that everyone will keep in mind they are only 12 and 13 yr.-olds with homework to do for school and chores to do around the house and that the spectacular success they've worked for and enjoyed to date is by no means any guarantee for future spectacular success on the ballfield or anywhere else for that matter.

(here endeth the update)

“Kids dream of playing at Williamsport. Sometimes I go to bed at night and pinch myself.”

That from Bulla Graft of Park View, Chula Vista before yesterday’s 12-2 victory over San Antonio in the championship game of the U.S. side of the bracket.

The dream lives on today as the blue bombers (they now hold the record for most homeruns in a Little League World Series with 19, besting Tokyo’s 15 set in ’03) take on Taoyuan, Taiwan at noon Pacific today for the LLWS championship.

We are a single degree of separation from several kids on this team from a community just south of us here in San Diego. We jumped on this train two weeks ago at the Regional Finals against Granite Bay, California and indeed it seems all of San Diego has been swept up in the excitement of Park View’s late summer run (We were at Hoffer’s for Thursday night’s thriller against Warner-Robins, Georgia and the place was going absolutely bonkers).

So to Bulla, Andy, Luke (Ramirez, pictured), Kiko, Oscar, Seth and the rest of the guys, good luck! The unbridled enthusiasm you guys have displayed combined with your sportsmanship has been a breath of fresh air.