Takes District 7 Little League championship for first time in 30 years
A lot of talented baseball players have come through the ranks of the Jersey City’s Pershing Field Little League over the past three decades, kids who went on to shine on higher levels, through high school, some into college, some even the professional ranks.
There have been countless dedicated coaches who have given their time and energy to insure that these kids get the best baseball background and know-how, and get the basic fundamentals necessary to be successful at the game.
There have been league officials and administrators who have made sure that there were fields to play on, uniforms to wear, and equipment to use for hundreds of eager kids.
None of them have ever experienced the glory that 12 kids and their coaches enjoyed last weekend, when Pershing Field Little League captured its first-ever District 7 Little League 12-year-old All-Star championship, defeating West New York American in the best-of-three championship series, winning two games, 3-2 and 8-5.
The manager of the team, Jimmy Lugo, had a feeling that he had a special group entering the tournament.
"We had some kids who were really developing into solid players," Lugo said. "They are a little bigger than most kids and were coming into their own skill-wise. Plus, I could tell we had a good atmosphere when we started practices. The kids got along really well. They were really a team right away. They epitomized what a team is all about."
However, the good feeling was somewhat muzzled early on, when the kids from Pershing Field lost their first game in the tournament, 3-2, to Hoboken North.
"We had only been together for four days before the first game and I think we came out a little flat," Lugo said.
"I thought we were in trouble," said James Pellot, who, along with twin brother Chris, is one of the best players on the team. "I think we were all a little worried after losing the first game."
"We just wanted to win," said catcher/pitcher Francisco Ramirez, who was clearly Pershing Field’s best hitter in the tournament. "We knew that we had good pitching and good defense. We just had to think of every game from that point on."
Sure enough, the kids from Pershing Field did exactly that, winning their next six games in a row. They used a perfect combination of pitching and defense with timely hitting to make history.
"Before the last game, we only gave up five runs in five games," Lugo said. "The pitching was outstanding."
The Pellot twins, along with Ramirez, handled the pitching duties. Douglas O’Mara was the slick fielding first baseman, with little Juan Cruz, the team’s fiery second baseman and leadoff hitter, acting as the team’s sparkplug. Carlos Engroff is the third baseman, with Ricardo "Junior" Rivas handling the duties at shortstop.
"He’s a defensive wizard," Lugo said of Rivas.
Ramirez is the team’s catcher, where he played in both wins over West New York American over the weekend. In those games, Ramirez had four hits, including a two-run homer, two doubles and drove in five runs.
The Pellot brothers also did their share of damage, with James pitching the game on Friday, striking out 10, and Chris pitching the game on Saturday, getting two hits and two RBI.
The outfield is manned by one of the best names in all of baseball, Stephen Stracquatanio, who luckily does not have his name on the back of his jersey.
"We knew going into the tournament that Pershing Field never won," said the kid with the long last name. "I thought that we could be the ones who made history. We have a good squad, a confident squad."
As long as they’re playing baseball and not in a spelling bee.
Anthony Mirlas also mans an outfield slot, along with key reserves Joseph Murphy, James Lugo, Jr. (the coach’s son), Reinaldo Correa and Dairen Torres. Lugo is joined on the coaching staff by Tom Murphy and Robert Lawrence.
After collecting the first District 7 championship in the league’s history, the kids from Pershing Field now move on to the Section 2 tournament, which will be played this weekend in Secaucus.
"We’re excited and ready for the challenge," said Stracquatanio. "I think we can match up with any team out there."
"It just feels great," said coach Lugo. "It really is something special. You could tell how excited everyone is. They know it’s special. All the guys who have been with the league for 20, 30 years, have been coming up to me and congratulating me. It’s pretty amazing."
Remarkably, a year ago, the Pershing Field All-Stars, coached by Lugo, lost to West New York National, 15-2, as West New York National went on to win the District 7 title, the sixth straight district crown for the kids from West New York.
However, things have changed in a year – and the crown now belongs to the gritty, inspired kids of Pershing Field.