On a misty, rain-soaked Saturday the Boston Red Sox defeated the Chicago Cubs 4-1 to claim the 2018 World Series title.
The Martha’s Vineyard Little League World Series title, that is.
Apologies for the confusion. But if the game the Little Leaguers played on Saturday is anything like the actual World Series, then baseball fans have a lot to look forward to come October. As long as you have no problem with heartfelt family moments and four-hour rain delays.
When the teams woke up Saturday morning, they didn’t even know if they were going to get to play that day. The Island was hit with a torrential downpour and the forecast looked dire. The minor league championship had to be rescheduled for Sunday. But, by noon, the rain had subsided into a mild, yet chilly mist, and volunteers spent the next hour raking dirt and tossing quick-dry to get Penn Field ready for the major league game, which started at 1 p.m.
“It’s a beautiful day for a championship,” said Patricia Bacon, wife of Red Sox coach Dr. Jeffrey Zack, as she emerged from the safety of her vehicle with a rain jacket stretched over her head. “But seriously, if it were sunny we’d all wish we were at the beach.”
While some fans surely wished that anyway, most parents braved the conditions to watch the last Little League game of the season. For a few, it was their last Little League game ever.
Sam (The Sauce) Zack, 12-year-old son of Coach Zack, pitched five and two-thirds innings of one-run baseball for the Red Sox. He’s spent every spring since he was eight playing baseball on the Island and will now age into the Babe Ruth division. When his dad came out to the mound to take him out with a three-run lead and two outs in the top of the sixth after he reached his pitch count limit there was no pat on the back. Instead, the two embraced in a bear hug.
Fellow 12-year-old Wyatt Nicholson only needed three pitches to finish off the Cubs, and Ethan (The Glue) DiBiaso, the team’s 10-year-old shortstop, threw his hat and glove in the air as the Red Sox celebrated their victory along the first-base line. Ethan’s two RBIs were what gave the Sox the lead in the early innings. They never looked back.
Red Sox parents came prepared for the weather. In honor of Coach Zack’s trademark Red Sox floppy hat, parents on the team ordered a whole boxful for fans to wear.
“They’re a nod to how much we love him,” said one hat-wearing mother in the sea of white and red.
“We bought them at the beginning of the season, but have worn them in the playoffs to bring the heat,” joked Nonie Madison.
Coach Zack’s floppy hat wasn’t the only unusual piece of apparel he donned throughout the season. As his team took the field for sixth inning, and the Cubs tightened their rally caps, Coach Zack appeared from the dugout in a Christmas sweater. Earlier in the year, the Red Sox got nervous during the end of a game, and Coach Zack thought he needed to do something to lighten the mood. That’s where the sweater comes in.
“I wear it to remind everyone that this is a game,” he said.
But really, it’s more than that. After the Red Sox won, the team gathered in the outfield and the players went around in a circle, saying what they remembered about the championship season.
“You guys all driving me nuts,” said one.
“Fletcher streaking on the field,” recalled another, referring to Sam Zack’s younger brother.
“Willy the Wall at first and Two-Strike Luke at the plate,” interjected a third.
Finally, the circle got back to Coach Zack.
“I remember not wanting to be a coach again,” he said. “That lasted about half a game.”
Coach Zack doesn’t know if he’ll be back at it next year. “Gotta ask my wife,” he said with a laugh. “It’s up to her.”
On Sunday the Rays beat the Dodgers 3-2 in the minor league championship game.
Comments
Comment policy »