What did the Smithfield Little Leaguers do the day before the World Series?
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Wet grass and dirt in the aftermath of overnight rain created a calm before the storm that is the Little League Baseball World Series.
Lamade Stadium, Volunteer Stadium, the two full-sized practice fields within the Little League Baseball International Complex and the many more smaller practice fields across the street were quiet throughout the day on Tuesday, in stark contrast to the scene that is about to unfold on Wednesday.
The Smithfield Major All-Stars will take part in the Opening Ceremonies at 11 a.m. and then get ready to be back at Lamade Stadium to play in the first U.S. Bracket game of this year’s tournament at 3 p.m.
The Rhode Island and Metro Region champions will take on the Mountain Region champions from Henderson, Nevada. A coin flip during a Tuesday afternoon managers' meeting determined that Smithfield will be the home team for the first-round game in the 10-team, modified, double-elimination, U.S. bracket.
Plans for a midday practice were canceled on Tuesday, but the team did get in its morning workout in the indoor batting cages and some bullpen work.
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Smithfield manager Eric Gibree said his team will be ready to go after just the right mix of public appearances, recreation and preparation as it tries to emerge from the next 12 days as the best team of 12-year-old baseball players in the world.
“I think in Bristol, it was a little more difficult to keep them on task,” Gibree said of the team’s previous experience with dorm life, staying in Connecticut through the Metro Region Tournament. “Even though there are more things to do here, there was more mess-around time in Bristol. We were playing 7 o’clock games.”
Long days of waiting to play and perhaps even too much downtime together created some aggravations.
“They’d have 10-12 hours to get on each other,” Gibree said. “Here, they can relax at the pool or in the game room, then we get back together.”
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Smithfield's Henry Begnoche, who is sitting out the tournament with his right arm in a cast, said he was pleasantly surprised by the number of arcade game options in addition to the Ping-Pong tables that he had heard about in advance.
The long hours of wondering what to do while waiting for games are not an issue in Williamsport. Here, the whirlwind takes players, for example, from a Monday practice to a local college for a picnic involving all teams and listening to a welcome from Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. From there, the team boarded a flatbed truck to make its way through the streets of Williamsport in a parade where it was shocked by the level of adoration it received.
Autograph requests were plentiful, including from a man who wanted the players to sign his sneaker.
Growing up in Bristol, Rhode Island, the home of the longest-running Fourth of July Parade in the country, Gibree may be hard to impress when it comes to parades, but this one definitely left its mark.
The build-up to the tournament takes on different shapes.
All players who make it to Williamsport as competitors are outfitted head to toe (think limited-edition cleats) and come away with uniforms and equipment valued in the thousands of dollars.
Gibree said players were “wide-eyed” when they first saw the Easton Wall of Bats from which to choose. The Metro jerseys and hats may be most important to him.
“They’re wearing uniforms nobody else ever gets their hands on,” he said.
Representing Rhode Island and the Metro Region, Smithfield will take the field for the first time wearing black and orange.
Watching from the dugout
Begnoche’s injury will keep him confined to the dugout during World Series, but he has already enjoyed the thrill of being on the Lamade Stadium field.
“That they let us practice on the field is pretty cool,” Bengnoche said. “And, I didn’t think there would be these many fields for us.”
The Smithfield team came away impressed from its stadium practice.
“The field is immaculate – Yankee Stadium immaculate,” Gibree said. “Our field at home is nice. The town does a great job.
“This is the greenest grass I’ve ever seen.”
During the practice at Lamade and those in recent weeks at home, Begnoche fields throws at first base and chases down foul balls, keeping them dry and keeping the action moving.
When it’s time to switch from baseball practice to fun games of Wiffleball, his teammates swing from the opposite side of their usual batting to even things up while Begnoche is recovering.
“I’m doing as best I can to be with them, helping out during practice,” said Begnoche, who is usually on vacation at the beach and watching the series on ESPN at this time of the year.
Begnoche is one of six team members who have also won three straight state youth basketball titles together. John Wozniak, Brady McShane, Gavin Gibree, Royce Aglione and Connor Curtis are the others.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Smithfield Little Leaguers take national stage at World Series
