DESPITE COMING UP SHORT AGAINST ANNETTE IN THE TBA WEST PEEWEE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES, OUR MAJOR PEEWEE SELECT TEAM DID US PROUD BY ATTAINING SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS OF GLORY IN THEIR WONDROUS JOURNEY THROUGH THE TBA PLAYOFFS
Our Toronto Playgrounds Major Peewee Selects at the 2013 TBA West Loop Peewee Select Championship Game at Millwood Park.
Game Post composed with files from Rob Ball and Thao Nguyen. Picture courtesy of Thao Nguyen.
And there used to be a ballpark where the field was warm and green
And the people played their crazy game with a joy I’d never seen
And the air was such a wonder from the hot dogs and the beer
With the fireworks exploding all across the summer sky
And the people watched in wonder, how they’d laugh and how they’d cheer
And the summer went so quickly this year
Yes, there used to be an old ballpark here
–Frank Sinatra
Beneath hazy summer skies this evening at Millwood Park, the Annette A’s defeated our TP Major Peewee Selects to win the Toronto Baseball Association (TBA) West Loop Peewee Select Championship.
Toronto Playgrounds reached Sunday’s championship playoff phase by going 3-0 in the round robin portion of the tournament.
In an early Sunday morning semi-final game, our Major Peewees rolled over Weston 11-5 in five innings to earn the right to play in the championship game against the Annette A’s.
Alex (9) and Simon (5) both hit respective home runs (over the 300 foot fence) and triples to power the TP offense.
Under the double knockout rules of the tournament, Toronto Playgrounds (with a 4-0 record) had the upper hand over the A’s in the Championship Round as the Major Peewees would just have to win one game to garner the championship. Annette (with one defeat…a round robin loss to the TP Major Peewees) would have to win two games to earn the championship.
Playing with only nine players in the lineup for the championship game, TP battled Annette tooth and nail over the course of seven taut innings. However, the A’s prevailed on a close call at the plate in the bottom of the seventh to force another game for all the marbles.
With a short bench and a depleted bullpen, TP gave it their all in the second game right to end. Annette eventually prevailed 16-9 over the Major Peewees in seven innings.
In a postgame interview, TP Major Peewee Select Head Coach Rob Ball was effusive in his team’s accomplishments and refused to offer any excuses for the team falling short in the championship game.
“In baseball, sometimes you get the breaks, and sometimes you don’t. The players showed a ton of resolve in taking them all the way with a short bench and accumulating injuries.”
The TP Baseball Committee wishes to commend Major Peewee Select Head Coach Rob Ball, Assistant Coaches Michael Hopper and David Lam for guiding such a talented group of players to great heights of success during the 2013 campaign.
The Committee also wishes to congratulate all the Major Peewee Select players, coaches and parents for representing the core values of the Toronto Playgrounds Baseball program with honour, dignity and professionalism on and off the diamond throughout the lengthy course of the 2013 season.
You did us proud. Way to go, TP!