It’s a symbolic and poignant reminder of the late Rick Majerus, who died December 1 due to heart complications. Where the Billikens go, their Coach goes.

In another state and another sport, one of Majerus’s friends, Tucson Padres’ manager Pat Murphy will soon follow suit. He plans to add the Coach’s initials to a tattoo on his back (among other influential people in his life including Pat Tillman, Bruce Springsteen and his parents).

“The first time I ever heard about Rick Majerus, he was the coach at Marquette,” says Murphy. “The story came out about him living at the hotel, there was some crassness to his statements and I said to myself, ‘I gotta meet this guy. I think I’d really like him.’”

They didn’t cross paths until 2006 when Majerus was considered the leading candidate to become Arizona State University’s head basketball coach. Majerus wanted to learn more about ASU and reached Murphy through mutual acquaintance Mike McBride.

“Funny story: the first time I ever met him, he said ‘Hey! Who’s your all time starting 5? You got Russell or Chamberlain?’ Since that phone call, we were friends. After 20 minutes, it was like I’d known him all my life.”

Majerus did not get the ASU job (reportedly ASU did not offer because of his uncertain health condition) but the friendship between two brash and highly successful college coaches blossomed. They met up in Long Beach and later in Majerus’s hometown of Milwaukee. Murphy introduced him to Craig Counsell.

Murphy and Majerus with friends

“There’s few times in your life you can say, ‘My friendship with him was not only special but I feel grateful to have ever met him,’” says Murphy. “He just had a stark influence on you because he was the epitome of a coach, about being passionate about his job. When I think of him I think of passion and I think what a good friend means. In my dictionary of life, Rick Majerus’s picture would be next to it.”

Majerus later served as a Murphy mentor after he was fired from ASU in November 2009.

“When everything went down, he was one of the first people to reach out and say “Hey! Whatever you need,’” says Murphy.

“I was supposed to go there and sit on the bench at the Kansas game. He said, ‘You’re a  coach.’ He made me realize these types of things happen, it doesn’t matter if it’s fair or not, doesn’t matter if you got the raw end of the deal. He said, ‘If that’s the case, so what? Do what you do best. Don’t lose your edge about helping young people. There’s a reason this happened, just pave your way in a new area.’”

Murphy bristles at the notion that he was one of Majerus’s closest friends.

“I’ve probably met 15 people that knew him,” says Murphy. “How could he have that much time for all his friends? He had to have thousands of people in his life. He was just special to all of them. No tolerance for uppity people that were caught up in their title or arrogance. He was just a humble, blue collar, gym rat ball coach.”

After leading them to their first NCAA tournament berth in 12 years in 2012, Saint Louis announced in November Majerus would not return to the bench this season because of ongoing health issues. Just a few weeks later, the Coach who famously had just one losing season in 25 years passed away in a Los Angeles hospital.

“The day he passed I probably walked for three hours,” said Murphy. “The people in my neighborhood probably thought I was losing it. I talked to him for three hours.”

“The last time I talked to him I knew it was serious but I honestly thought he’d come out of it. The more and more it went on, you couldn’t talk to him. That was sad part; I couldn’t say goodbye to him. He was very private. It was just the way he wanted it.”

Today Murphy smiles when he remembers the good times (like the time his daughter Keli held a spot for him in line at Phoenix’s famous Pizzeria Bianco and then insisted she dine with him) and their short but influential relationship.

“You know what was amazing is I hadn’t realized how much I bragged about him about what a tremendous person he was and how much concern he showed me. The day he died I bet you I got 50 text messages saying, ‘So sorry about Rick.’”

“Everybody wants to leave a legacy and you know because you’re in their lives in a leadership position you know you’re going to leave some kind of influence, but Rick was just a great example of friendship, of passion and of being a coach. I will never lose that closeness and memory and that example.”

“He was as real as it gets.”

“He’s a little advanced for being a Bat Boy,” says Murphy, who will have Kai home schooled during April and May in Tucson (father & son are nearly inseparable) “He keeps a chart for me, he watches video. He hits Fungos before the game. It’s a gift to see him out there.”

Murphy was named the Tucson manger on October 23rd after two highly successful seasons with the Short-Season Eugene Emeralds, claiming the Northwest League’s best overall record in 2011 and 2012.

“Those two years were really valuable just to see how pro baseball works,” said Murphy. “There is somebody at 30,000 feet watching this thing with a bigger picture in mind. It’s kind of neat to be in the kitchen cooking everyday but to keep your eye on the person at 30,000 feet looking at the whole thing. I continue to learn about the game. There’s a different level of focus, most importantly, you learn about baseball. This is about people. What’s really exciting is to see somebody make a mental adjustment and grow as a player.”

Many thought Murphy would return to the college game and he nearly ended up at West Virginia before accepting the AAA job.

“I went over to the pro game for some time to pass and for the NCAA (investigation of ASU) to take its course and with the outcome coming out so good I thought it was inevitable I’d be back in the college game,” said Murphy. “After being here a couple years, I enjoy it. It’s a little tougher lifestyle for my son but I think it’s really healthy.”

“I don’t think there’s too many guys that’ve coached at the places where I’ve coached at very long. It’s not common for a college coach to end up in this position because college coaches go down that track and usually don’t flip over. Having said that, what a great challenge. Maybe it opens a door for some other college coaches to enter the pro game and enjoy it the way I do — because I enjoy it.”

The faces won’t be totally unfamiliar to Murphy after being assigned the AAA players in the past two Spring Trainings but this will mark his first real games with players beyond college and the entry-level professional ranks.

“The stakes are higher,” said Murphy. “The guys are more ready for Major League Baseball — some of them will have already been there; getting an opportunity to be a part of that process, helping them to get to be their best self is really exciting.”

If Murphy can win, that will be a dramatic (and welcome!) change for the Padres’ AAA affiliate, who has finished last (or tied for last) in its division every year since 2007. In 2012, Tucson finished 15th out of 16 teams in the Pacific Coast League (54-88). Manager Terry Kennedy was dismissed, opening the door for Murphy.

Murphy and his staff (Batting Coach Tom Tornincasa and Pitching Coach Bronswell Patrick, both new to AAA) want to set up what he calls “a winning environment.”

“Winning baseball is what it’s all about in any level, “ he said. “I don’t care if you’re in D ball — it doesn’t mean you’re compromising your player’s development, but it’s about winning playing baseball, respecting the game and playing it the right way.”

One of the most exciting of the new responsibilities will be telling his best players they’ve been promoted to “The Show.”

“They’ll be some pretty cool days calling guys into the office,” said Murphy.

“A lot different than telling them, ‘You’re going to Fort Wayne.’ That’ll be really fun to tell guys, ‘You’re going to the Big Leagues.’”

“You had a kid like Buster Posey — I think he’s like a young Derek Jeter: plays the game right, handles himself no matter what and is respected by his team.”

On October 23rd, Pat Murphy was named manager of the Pacific Coast League’s Tucson Padres.

Here is some coverage from around the Web:

Tucson Padres: Ex-ASU coach named manager (Arizona Daily Star)

Murphy Well Respected In Padres Organization (padres.com)

Official Press Release (padres.com)

Video: Jason Barr interviewed Coach Murphy about his new job. (KGUN 9)

Pat Murphy managed the Eugene Emeralds in 2011 and 2012

Despite finishing at the top of the league, the Emeralds failed to make the playoffs under the Northwest League’s three-year-old split-season playoff format. This format pits the first half and second half winners from each division against each other, respectively. The winner of this series advances to the championship series.

Though the holders of the best overall record for the second consecutive season, the 2012 Emeralds finished in second place in both the first and second half West Division standings. With two different winners in each half, this left the Northwest League’s best club out of the playoffs.

The Emeralds finished with the best winning percentage in the San Diego Padres organization. Additionally, the Ems had the third-best record at the short-season level, which also includes the New York-Penn League.

“I loved my time in Eugene,” said Coach Murphy. “The organization, fans, people of Oregon, and the area made for a great two summers for my son and me. I feel fortunate to have been with those groups of players and will have lasting relationships and memories.”

Beginning the season with 25 consecutive games without an off day, including 14 of their first 19 contests on the road, the Emeralds started with an 8-7 record through the month of June. They picked up the pace with a 21-10 record in July before rounding out the season 19-12 in August.

The Emeralds ended their season on an astonishing streak of 32 consecutive games without rest. They persevered through the exhaustion to win 5 of their last 7 games, including a thrilling, walk-off 4-2 victory against the Spokane Indians while facing elimination in their penultimate contest. A flare for the dramatic was a common characteristic of Murphy’s Emeralds in 2012: they finished the season 9-1 in extra-inning games.

Murphy’s Emeralds finished with the best record in the Northwest League, despite using a NWL-record 56 players

Unfortunately, Spokane handed the Emeralds a 3-1 loss the next night, eliminating Eugene from playoff contention, and allowing the Vancouver Canadians to clinch the West Division second half title. Vancouver went on to win the Northwest League Championship.

Two players on the 2012 Northwest League All-Star team, relief pitchers Christopher Nunn and Roman Madrid, represented the Eugene Emeralds. Nunn, a 24^th round pick out of Lipscomb University, and Madrid, a 7^th round pick from Central Florida, were both pitching in the first season of their respective professional careers. Additionally, Emeralds pitchers Brandon Alger and Will Scott both received Pitcher of the Week honors.

Overall, Murphy coached 56 different players on the 2012 Emeralds, a Northwest League record for players used in a single season. The 70 games played by outfielder Jeremy Baltz were the most by any Emerald this season, who did not have any player enter the lineup in all 76 contests for the second consecutive season.

It’ll be easy to find him, though. He’s still working and his commute hasn’t changed a bit.

Counsell retired January 17th and immediately joined the Brewers as a special assistant to general manager Doug Melvin.

“It’s just different,” says Counsell. “It’s a little bit in the front office, a little bit of coaching and spending time with Doug. I’ve worked with all these people for last 5 years and so it’s not that big a transition.”

“The last time I wasn’t in a Spring Training was in college. At some point, careers end for everybody. Mine lasted longer than most people. I’m fortunate to sort of fall into this role and still be a part of it.”

Few could have predicted Counsell’s success, who followed in his father’s footsteps to play baseball at Notre Dame, a shy contrast to the boisterous Pat Murphy, who was then in his 2nd year as head coach in South Bend.

“He used to get on to me about being too quiet,” remembers Counsell. “He used to make me yell in practice.”

“I used to call him, ‘the Mute.’ “ says Murphy, who jokes he only had to out-recruit Wisconsin to land Counsell. (Wisconsin did not have a baseball program). “I used to make him yell ‘Mine!’ for ground balls. Most coaches make people yell it for fly balls, I made him do it just to make him speak up.”

Then there’s the story of the time Murphy (unintentionally) broke Counsell’s nose.

“We were taking fungos out on the field,” recalls Murphy. “It was 29 degrees out. The field was really choppy. I kept hitting ‘em and hitting ‘em. A ball hit him right in the nose. There was blood everywhere.”

“The condition of the field was just atrocious. I was feeling so bad, then I looked up and there he was taking more ground balls with a broken nose. I said, ‘Oh my Lord.’ That said it all; in his own quiet way, he was a tremendous competitor.”

In his senior season, Counsell hit .339 with 12 HR, 63 RBI, 45 walks and stole 13 bases. His Irish team came within one game of the College World Series. That June, he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 11th round.

In 1997, the seldom-used Counsell was traded to the Marlins. A few months later he would famously score the winning run in Game 7 of the World Series.

“The truth is (then Marlins-scout) Dick Egan, who signed me to my professional contract, is the guy who got Marlins to go after Craig,” says Murphy.

“I’d been pumping up Counsell to him. I kept telling him “You gotta go get Counsell.” He told me he went and saw him play in Colorado Springs, that he was like a quarterback, the first one on the field. He just loved him.”

“Oh God, I was so pumped up for him, knowing he was winning player without a lot of baseball evaluation tools but a guy who throws accurately, makes contact, tremendous competitor. He proved that for 16 years he belonged.”

The mutual respect remains strong albeit with both men in the professional game, Murphy as a minor league coach in the Padres’ system.

“We had dinner last night, we talked for about 3 hours,” says Counsell. “We talk about baseball and I enjoy picking his brain. He brings a different perspective because he was such a successful college coach for so long and so he looks at it differently than everybody else because everybody else just looks at it from the eyes of professional baseball.”

“It’s not like other sports. Baseball coaches never cross over. I think it offers a great perspective that you don’t get from many people.”

Counsell aspires to be a Major League general manager someday but thinks Murphy will eventually return to the amateur ranks.

“That school will start winning baseball games,” said Counsell.

“I think he’s a unique coach. He had a great impact on me. He’ll have a great impact on the next set of kids that he comes in contact with and the next school gets him is going to be happy and have a great baseball program.”

Counsell retired with 1,624 game played, perhaps the unlikeliest of careers to most but not to his college coach.

“I call baseball America’s game because anybody, any shape or size can make an impact in the big leagues,” says Murphy.

“Counsell just goes to show this is a game that’s more than physical. He’s proof of that. You can sum up his career with 2 world championships, but more than that, any player you talk to that he played with in those 16 years, the best players in the game all admired him. Everywhere I go, people say ‘Oh, you had Counsell, you had Counsell.’ He made me look better than I am.
Everybody respected him in the game and you can’t hope for much more than that.”

Check out:
Craig Counsell definitely a champion (ESPN)

Craig Counsell: Strong of Heart (Notre Dame)

COVER BOY

In July, Murphy favorite Dustin Pedroia had a 25-game hitting streak (a record for a Red Sox second baseman). On August 15th he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, referring to him as the “Heart of the Red Sox.” Murphy and Red Sox manager Terry Francona were interviewed for Tom Verducci’s story.

“Whenever you’re in a piece, you worry you’re a blabbermouth or that you might’ve said something that didn’t come out right because we have a complex relationship,” said Murphy.

“Will humor come across the right way? Will everything make sense? I hope people could tell the affection I have for him and how much respect I have for him.”

Pedroia finished the year with career highs in games (159), home runs (21) RBI (91) and BB (85). Still, his personal successes will be overshadowed by his team’s historic collapse. The team lost 18 of their final 24 games, blowing a nine game Wild Card lead over the Tampa Bay Rays and missing the playoffs.

“I stay in touch with all the guys, some like Dustin more than others,” said Murphy.

“He’s concerned about one thing: getting his team in playoff contention and getting (championship) rings. Every conversation we have is ‘I’m not pulling my weight, I need to do better.’ or ‘How can I do more to get my team in the playoffs?’ He’s incredible.”

The Red Sox swoon cost Francona his job, and as a former Pedroia manager, Murphy knows the new hire will make a major impact on the second baseman’s career.

“Dustin gets very close to people that are in the foxhole with him. It’ll definitely be a process of transition but the new management is gonna love him.”

BREWING THE POSTSEASON

Craig Counsell was a venerable role player for the Milwaukee Brewers. The 41-year-old was the 4th oldest player in the National League. Despite hitting just .178, Counsell was active on the postseason roster as the Brew Crew won their first postseason series since 1982.

“Craig is so well respected in both dugouts every night,” said Murphy.

“He’s obviously not be the type of guy who puts up flashy numbers but he helps you win games in so many ways. He helps you win games even when he doesn’t hit in them.”

Counsell, a career .255 hitter (1,264 games) suffered through an 0-for-45 streak, one short of a Major League record. But his coach from his Notre Dame days thinks that 2011 might not be the last you’ll hear of him.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if he goes back one more year. Enough people really like him.”

“He’s like family to me. Any place, any time, he knows I’d be there for me. Willie’s a special human being. People don’t know the half of it. To see him be a major cog in the Diamondbacks’ turnaround and to see him present himself the way he did, he was a book cover for that team. 

After Diamondbacks’ starting shortstop Stephen Drew went down on July 20th with a broken ankle, Bloomquist stepped in and saw his most regular action of the season.

“The minute Stephen went down I felt awful because he’s a great guy but at the same time I was CERTAIN what was gonna happen. Willie was going to get more of a chance and people were going to say he’s a capable back-up and a guy who can make a difference.”

Murphy’s gut feeling was correct as Bloomquist hit safely in 18 of his next 21 games (and .306 in July). Most importantly, he helped his team reached the postseason and appeared to be the hero after a dramatic 9th inning safety squeeze in Game 5.

“I said it before the pitch — he’s bunting right here,” said Murphy.

“Kai looked at me like, “Really?” I almost could see it in his body language. EVERYBODY that knows Willie he would do that. Counsell would too. Pedroia would say “let me drop a bomb.” They know he’s the type of player he is.”

“When Willie laid down that bunt, I got double digit text messages. Bing! Bing! Bing! I know this is all about Willie.”

AWESOME AUSSIE

When Josh Spence got called up to the San Diego Padres on June 16th, he had never pitched above AA. The promotion caught his college coach off guard.

“I was in Eugene managing a game and our pitching coordinator was there and he came down to me, “ said Murphy.

“He said, ‘You might wanna sit down I got something to tell you.’ I said ‘I’m not interested in sitting down. What do you got?”

“I got weak in the knees so I sat down on the bench. I couldn’t concentrate for 2 or 3 innings.”

Spence’s lack of seasoning in the Minor Leagues didn’t matter. In his first 22 games with the Padres, the Australian left hander pitched 19 innings, struck out 25 and allowed ONE run. His ERA was 0.47.

His manager Bud Black told the San Diego Union Tribune, “He understands how he gets people out. He knows his game. One of the things the minor league people told us the last couple of years is that he’s a clear thinker.”

Murphy was thrilled.

“It was emotional because the kid is a special human being as you’ll ever meet,” said Murphy..

“That was my first Big Leaguer where I was the older brother to a lot of these guys or an Uncle to some of these guys but with Josh I felt like he was one of my own.”

Spence became the 29th Australian born player in Major League Baseball history.

FAST STARTER

Nobody burst on to the scene faster than Jason Kipnis. The second baseman entered the season as Cleveland’s top Minor League prospect. He represented the Indians at Chase Field in the 2011 All-Star Futures Game and homered in the first inning (flashing the Sun Devil pitchfork as he crossed home plate).

Photo by Jordan Megenhardt

Twelve days later, he got his call to the Big Leagues.

“When Kipnis got called up I got an email form his Dad I’ll keep forever,” said Murphy.

“He and I went together through a lot, his going through the Draft, him turning down the Padres. In Typical Kipnis fashion he made himself known very early.”

Kipnis’s first Major League hit was a walk-off single to beat the Angels. On August 3rd, he homered for the 4th consecutive game. On August 10th, he had a five-hit, four run game (the first rookie to accomplish that in 59 years).

“Kip’s a great story — one for the books,” said Murphy.

“Not too many people believed in him as an infielder. Even he said “I don’t wanna be an infielder.” I sent him to the Cape and he played there a few games and he felt like he was terrible. He settled in the outfield. I kept telling scouts,  ‘I think the kid can play in the infield.’

“One scout I’ve known for a long time worked him out in the infield, we were in Oregon when it happened. The rest is history. The Indians drafted him as an infielder and he did well for himself.”

Kipnis battled a late season injury but finished hitting .272 with 7 HR and 19 RBI. His manager Manny Acta told MLB.com “I feel like we found our own Dustin Pedroia, Chase Utley, or a mix in-between.”

• Robert Emrich (mlb.com): The Emeralds broke a 42-year-old NWL record thanks to the 10th pick in last month’s amateur draft.
• Kenny Ocker (The Daily Emerald): Manager Pat Murphy sees similarities between Cory Spanenberg and the 2008 AL MVP.
• Steve Mims (The Register-Guard): A record crowd at PK Park watches the Ems break the Northwest League.
• Kenny Ocker (The Daily Emerald): Murphy enjoys having 10-year-old son Kai around the Ems dugout.
• Taylor Jones (Eugene Emeralds): Two Ems win Player of the Week Honors.
• Bryan Salmond (KEZI): Check out video highlights of the record-breaking win.

The punchline?

The new Fighting Irish baseball clubhouse has been named the Coach Pat Murphy Locker Room.

The set-up?

Now that’s the interesting part.

“They asked me in February, if I could make it out for a baseball game to throw out a first pitch and honor some of the coaches that have made contributions to baseball. I’m like, ‘Sure,’” said Murphy.

“Anytime Notre Dame asks you to do something you should consider it.”

For a guy who loves boxing, Murphy didn’t see this punch coming.

“I showed up in town and nobody was calling me. (Former Murphy player and current Milwaukee Brewer) Craig Counsell called me and was like ‘What’re you doing there?’ He was in on it the whole time.”

“I pull in the day I’m supposed to go to the game, then there’s a tent and inside all these people I know. Harvey Jabara, who gave us the batting cage at ASU. Father Joe was there, he works on campus. I had lunch with him the day before and he didn’t say a thing about it. A bunch of former players and Athletic Directors came back.”

Notre Dame baseball’s new locker room includes 36 brand new, 30-inch wood lockers as well as flat screen HD televisions and state-of-the-art RightView Pro technology was installed. A mudroom and kitchenette were also added. Murphy’s likeness adorns the entrance to the facility.

Photo Courtesy: Notre Dame

“I felt loved. I really felt the love,” said Murphy.

“I thought, ‘Wow, an institution like this, taking the time after knowing what I’ve been through the last 18 months,’ it really filled me up inside and showed me what I’ve known all along. Notre Dame is a family and they take care of their own. Although I was only there seven years, they know I gave that job my all. I was young and brash and it was great they recognized my passion and everything I did was out of love for the University.”

Funding for the project came from gifts from Murphy’s brothers Daniel and David, Bert Bondi, Counsell and his father John (also a Notre Dame alumnus) and other supporters of the program.

“My brothers were there. They’re Notre Dame nuts,” said Murphy.

“This goes back to my Dad and his love of Notre Dame. we grew up loving Notre Dame in Syracuse, NY.”

“I grew up with that place. Father Hesburgh (Notre Dame’s President from 1952-87) was like the Pope to me and that’s how I grew up. In my family, when Notre Dame football lost we were in mourning. That’s how serious it was to us.”

Murphy’s son Kai was on the trip and in on the secret. During the weekend’s festivities, they spent about 30 minutes together in football coach Brian Kelly’s office.

“Brian asked Kai, ‘Do you played football?’ Kai says he does. Brian asked him what his favorite college football team was: Kai blurts out ‘Oregon.’  Later on he asked him again, and Kai said ‘Notre Dame.’ Shows you Coach Kelly is a good recruiter. He turned him.”

In his tenure at Notre Dame, Murphy took the baseball program to new heights. 40-win seasons became the norm and the Irish were fixtures in the NCAA postseason. Murphy’s teams went 318-116-1.

“You look at where the program was before I got there and where it was when I left,” said Murphy.

”We did it without full scholarships. We did it without a lot of money and it wasn’t just me. My first recruit was Craig Counsell, he got a $500 scholarship and his parents had to pay $30,000.”

“I was still part-time when we went to our first NCAA tournament in ‘89.  We almost went my first year but we got beat by Andy Benes.”

Murphy was inducted into Notre Dame’s prestigious Monogram Club and presented its signature letterman’s jacket, which Murphy says is still in his bag.

The Coach has always worn his love of Notre Dame on his sleeve. Now, he’ll get to do that for real.

It’s not uncommon for a youth baseball team to chant “We’re #1”

What is uncommon is for them to be right.

After an impressive 5-0-1 showing at the Arizona Super NIT, the Phoenix-based Sandlot All-Stars are the #1 10U Club baseball team in the United States.

The All-Stars’ signature win of the Tournament came in the semi-finals against the Los Angeles-based Oakley Stingrays, who had held the #1 ranking for the previous 18 months. The Santlot team was smaller in stature but walked tall off the field after their 9-0 victory. Sandlot pitcher Kai Murphy threw a complete game shutout.

“Kai probably pitched as good as I have seen him since we started the program,” said Sandlot Coach Rob Gorrell.

“He worked fast, threw strikes, pitched backwards and basically destroyed the timing and rhythm of some very good hitters. I think the game lasted 50 minutes.”

Kai is unbeaten in his last two years on the mound but the defending National Champion Stingrays provided another level of difficulty.

“They have this giant kid that’s my Dad’s size that’s supposedly 10,” said Kai.

Kai’s father, Eugene Emeralds manager Pat Murphy, is no small man. And his son’s accomplishment was no small feat. Coach Murphy started the Program and has seen it grow from a backyard project into the nation’s elite 10U team.

“While they were playing Oakley, I was coaching with the (San Diego Padres) AAA club and we were playing at Maryvale,” said Pat.

“The players on the bench were following right along with me. I was getting texts every few minutes. I have to say my concentration wasn’t great.”

The texts kept coming. Finally, one jumped out that Murphy couldn’t believe:

“Your son just shut out the #1 team in the nation.”

Kai shrugs off his performance but Coach Gorrell says it was something special.

Kai Murphy Pitching

“His confidence that he brings out there with him is something nobody should ever take from him,” said Gorrell.

“I will tell you they are that good but Kai made them look pretty average on that day. Oakley not only has been the top team in California where in the world of club baseball is the top state they also won the prestigious Elite 32 Championship last year in Orlando, Fla.”

Adds his Dad, “This is just part of his life and it always has been so he feels like it’s normal to be involved in baseball situations day-in and day-out. Everybody tells me he’s better than I give him credit for. Everybody comments on his poise. He’s yet to show much emotion either way.”

After the Finals win against Nomads Elite, the team celebrated at the Native New Yorker, but the party continued when travelball.com moved Sandlot up from #6 to #1 in the country. So far, the success hasn’t gotten into the heads of Gorrell’s pint-sized performers.

“The kids are aware of their success but it is not a huge deal to them,” said Gorrell.

“They always have a little swagger but it is good swagger. They are confident in their abilities and their teammates and basically unconcerned with their opponents’ swagger or size.  The boys never do anything to disrespect their opponents or umpires. I love that about them!”