Pennsylvania was invaded by the South this weekend. But instead of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, it was an army of 9 year-old baseball players called the Gainesville Cannons. They made it as far as the Reading area, where they were battled ten Northern armies over a period of three days. Nearly invincible, the Cannons have lost only two battles in over three years of tournament play. But after this holiday weekend, the Cannons are in quiet retreat across the Potomac.
Gainesville ran into a hurricane. To be specific, they ran into the Bethlehem Hurricanes.
A rag tag group of young Bethlehem and Allentown ball players looked less than promising at the start. They had only practiced as a team twice. Half got lost on their way to the Amity Community Park battlefield. And as luck would have it, the very first team they faced was those dreaded Cannons.
Each of this Virginians is equipped with identical UnderArmor ball bags. Each player has a home and away uniform, with last name nicely emblazoned on the back. They came prepared for the searing heat, too, with plenty of canopies to keep the players and parents out of the sun.
But the Cannons are mortal.
In first confrontation of North against South, the Cannons bled. The first run was actually scored by the 'Canes. The game was tied 2-2 by the third inning, and the battle raged back and forth until the bottom of the sixth, when the Cannons scored the winning run and the 'Canes were one loss away from elimination. But the Cannons went through more pitchers than they would have liked.
For reasons known only to the baseball gods, the 'Canes kept fighting. And winning. In increasingly closer games, they topped teams like the Upper Providence Patriots (4-1), Keystone Nationals (9-8) and Triple Threat Bluerocks (3-2). Finally, they earned the right to face the Cannons for the 'ship.
In an unforgiving afternoon sun, the Cannons were finally silenced 5 - 3 in an exciting game that went into extra innings. The 'Canes have won the 10th Anniversary ECTB Memorial Day Invitational. They were awarded a trophy bigger than any of them.
After that trophy was dropped off on the diamond, those clapping loudest were those damn Virginians, who turned out to be friendly foes. But they want revenge in July at the Battle of Bull Run Tournament. They insist the South will rise again. I helped one of their coaches take his bags back to the car, and even gave him directions home. He should be in Arizona today.
In the video above, you can see most of the 'Canes, along with manager Duane Schmoyer, who did an outstanding job keeping 9 year-olds motivated.
9 comments:
Cool post. A good baseball story is like taking a bath from politics. Thanks for sharing another. I always enjoy them.
Thank you. Those are the posts I enjoy writing most, too.
Terrific post Bernie! Should all of our wars be so friendly. In this era of steroids and primadona ballplayers it is comforting to get back to the pure joy of playing and watching baseball. Determined competition followed by respect and sportsmanship. What beautiful lessons the game can teach kids. This was a true "civil" war!
sehr gut
who's grandson was in this game.
Yes, my grandson was one of the players. I'm proud of ALL of them.
Speaking of Civil War reenactments, on Memorial Day I attended the Horners Cemetery Memorial Day ceremony orchestrated by Allen Township Presbyterian Church. After the pastor read a 27 year old anonymous Letter to the Editor from the "Call Chronicle's paper of Allentown" that denounced Jane Fonda for losing the Vietnam War, the Sons of the Union marched away to the band playing "Dixie." I've never seen Union soldiers sprightly marching to Dixie, only in Norco.
On the night that Grant took Richmond, and shortly before his death, Abraham Lincoln asked an Army band to play Dixie to honor the many fine Americans from the South who died.
Stoffa ordered the playing of Dixie.
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