“It’s a great day for baseball…let’s play two!”
Coastal Point • Jesse Pryor
The Lain America representatives, from Manuabo, Puerto Rico, display their championship banner at opening ceremonies Sunday, Aug.3.
OK — softball. Even better.
The Senior League Softball World Series, being held at the Pyle Center in Roxana for the fifth year started off its week of championship games this past Sunday at 3:30 p.m. with its opening ceremonies, amidst blue skies and oppressive August heat — the perfect backdrop for playing ball.
Gov. Ruth Ann Minner; State Sen. George Howard Bunting; State Reps. Gerald Hocker, Greg Hastings and Bif Lee; and Sussex County Councilmen Finley Jones, Dales Dukes and Vance Phillips, as well as Lewes Mayor Jim Ford, were in attendance.
Minner offered her praise for both the athletes that had made it this far and for the gamut of volunteers it takes to put on a show like the World Series.
“Congratulations on an outstanding job,” she said to the players “We look forward to watching you play.” And, to the volunteers: “I have enjoyed working with these volunteers. They not only have a job, but they know what it is and they do it. I could use some of that in Dover,” she added, laughing.
Turning her remarks to the players once again, Minner advised, “Play in the spirit of Little League. It’s very important to teach others through your sportsmanship that you’ve learned — play hard and have fun!”
The 10 international teams were then introduced and came onto the field to the soundtrack of Lynyrd Skynard’s “Sweet Home Alabama.”
The teams competing include:
• USA West, represented by Ken Hubbs Memorial Little League from Colton, Calif.;
• USA Southwest, represented by West Mesa Little League from Albuquerque, N.M.;
• USA South, represented by Great Run Little League from Virginia Beach, Va.;
• USA East, represented by West Cumberland Little League from West Cumberland County, N.J.;
• USA Central, represented by Indiana District 11 from South Bend, Ind;
• Latin America, represented by ASOFEM Little League from Maunabo, Puerto Rico;
• Host team and Delaware District III Champions Laurel Little League, from Laurel, Del.;
• EMEA – Europe, Middle East, Africa – represented by Kaiserslautern Military Community Little League, from Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany;
• Canada , represented by Windsor South Canadians from Windsor, Ontario; and
• Asia-Pacific, represented by Bacalod West Little League from Bacalod City, Phillipines.
After the teams were introduced, the umpires marched in to the sounds of Delaware’s own George Thorogood and the Destroyers’ “Bad to the Bone.” The umpires represent Latin America, California, Texas, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, Connecticut and Salisbury, Md.
Lower Sussex Little League President Bruce Layton welcomed everyone and spoke of the history of the World Series coming to Roxana as “the far-fetched idea came true.” He also spoke of the support the Carl M. and Josh Freeman foundations have provided for the series. He then introduced the Freeman Foundations’ Patti Grimes, who thanked the volunteers and the parents, and offered congratulations to the girls.
Nicholas Freeman, son of Michelle DiFebo Freeman and the late Josh Freeman, threw out one of the first pitches, alongside Gov. Ruth Ann Minner’s granddaughter Emily. Freeman jokingly put his hands up in a “How can I top that?” motion after Emily fired a pitch with heat in to catcher Kaylin Hesler of the EMEA team.
District II Administrator Martin Donovan thanked the “mess of” volunteers, the players, the umpires, the managers and coaches and offered that they are already winners in his eyes.
“You are the best in the world. Enjoy it. Some will win and some will lose, but you are all winners,” he said.
He also offered thanks to the fans, parents and sponsors, and presented plaques of appreciation to the sponsors: Sussex County Council for the “12 years of support”; Stephanie from All Out Sports, for the souvenir booth; At The Beach for the Web site design and hosting; the Dave Horsey Company; the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, and Delaware River and Bay Authority; Redi-Call Communications for walkie-talkies; Delmarva Power; the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, Minner for her continued support, and the Roxana Volunteer Fire Company, which has ambulances and medical support personnel present for the series.
Layton then introduced Hank Fuller, who sang the national anthem to a round of applause before Layton shouted the words everyone was waiting to hear: “Play ball!”
Although not true doubleheaders, in the spirit of baseball Hall-of-Famer and former Chicago Cub Ernie Banks, two games will be played each day in each time slot until Friday, Aug. 8, when fives games will be played. On Saturday, Aug. 9, the top two teams will compete for the championship at 4 p.m. on Ebbets Field.