By Kim J. Harmon

RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – About 80 miles northwest of the heart of Arkansas – midway between Little Rock and Fort Smith – the town of Russellville (population 23,682 and home to the FREE 72 oz. steak) appears to be little more than another small thread in the fabric of the United States.

But it is a place – right there off Interstate 40 – where the dreams of more than 120 baseball players 10 years of age and under were realized at MJ Hickey Park (Field No. 6) in the 2005 Cal Ripken World Series.

For the Newtown Bombers, winners of the 2004 and 2005 New England Regional championships, the dream began in District play back in June. Their sights were set on a trip to Russellville (which had reportedly lobbied for the World Series three years ago because their seven-year-olds had looked so promising) and it was not an unrealistic hope because just last year another group of Newtown 10 year olds – the Blaze – made the trip to Vincennes, Indiana for the Cal Ripken World Series.

Even though there were a couple of hiccups at the opening of the travel season (a loss to Woodbridge and another to Brookfield), the Bombers found their groove and breezed through the District, State and New England Regional tournaments and with a 5-1 win over Gorham, Maine, earned their trip to The Natural State (home of the Arkansas Razorbacks) where so many stories played out beneath the blazing sun …

FACT: Arkansas is the native home of baseball player Dizzy Dean, singer Johnny Cash, poet Maya Angelou, general Douglas MacArthur, actor Billy Bob Thornton and Wal-Mart mogul Sam Walton.

Kismet

If you simply read it off an attendance sheet at school, Joe Davis has about an ordinary name as there can be.

John Smith.

Jim Williams

Joe Davis.

But 10 years ago his parents named him Joe Morgan Davis – Joe because their Joes on one side of the family and Morgan because there was a Morgan on the other side of the family. Well, at least that was the reason Joe Sr. gave his wife at the hospital when they were trying to decide on a name for their new son.

It was a perfect cover for the real reason Joe Sr. liked the name: Joe Morgan, former second baseman of the Cincinnati Reds, was his favorite baseball player.

But it was his secret.

A secret, as it turned out, that did not last long. A phone call from her brother – who knew that Joe Morgan was Joe Sr.’s favorite player – spilled the beans.

“All I heard was her side of the conversation,” said Joe Sr., “and when she said, ‘Get away with what?’ I knew I was in a little trouble.”

But 10 years later, it couldn’t have worked out better. In the lobby of the Fairfield Inn in Russellville, Joe Morgan Davis had a chance to meet George Foster, former slugging outfielder of the Cincinnati Reds and former teammate of the original Joe Morgan.

Foster was in town to deliver the keynote address at the World Series opening banquet at Russellville High School and during his speech he even brought up his chance meeting with Joe Morgan Davis.

It seems that little bit of trouble Joe Sr. went through 10 years ago was well worth a moment like that.

FACT: Arkansas was first settled in 1686 and became the 25th member of the United States on June 15, 1836. It’s current constitution was adopted in 1874.

Bomber Baseball, Baby!

Throughout the World Series the Newtown Bombers had their own Diamond Girls at the ready to cheer on the team and excite the local fans but their efforts – as wonderful as they may have been – paled in comparison to the dynamic presence of Angelo Sposta.

“I fill an emotional gap,” said Angelo, whose son, Colton, is a pitcher and infielder for the Bombers. “All I do is try to keep the kids loose and the coaches love me for that.”

He has been cheering on the Bombers from the beginning (usually with shouts of, “Bomber Baseball, Baby!”) and even became an ersatz massage therapist when he started providing pre-game massages at the New England Regionals.

“I started doing massages before that 16-0 win (over Nashua, New Hampshire) and now I have to do them all the time,” said Angelo. “The kids were a little timid at first, but now they want two!”

Besides baseball, Angelo has other reasons to cheer. Last year, when the Bombers were in Massachusetts for the 9-year-old New England Regionals, his wife suffered a serious stroke and was in a coma for several days. But a year later, still suffering effects of that stroke, Mrs Sposta was planning the team itinerary for the trip to Arkansas and back enjoying the game of baseball.

That’s more than enough reason to cheer – “Bomber Baseball, Baby!”

FACT: Hot Springs, Arkansas, about 72 miles dead south of Russellville, is home to the Alligator Farm & Merman … with more than 200 alligators from 12 inches to 12 feet and a “Mer-Man’ featured on the television shows ‘That’s Incredible!’ and ‘Ripley’s Believe It or Not!’

Field No. 6

Just two months ago, Field No. 6 at MJ Hickey Park was a softball diamond with crushed gravel infield and browning, dried out grass.

But that’s when the transformation began.

In preparation for the Cal Ripken World Series, Field No. 6 was re-sodded and the infield replaced with a couple loads of Red Dog, a combination of brick dust and rubber top that gave the infield a deep, reddish-brown color.

“The last trailer cost $8,000 or $9,000,” said Greg Standridge, the lead host family for the Newtown Bombers. “It was expensive stuff, but the field looks great.”

The new infield perfectly weathered the hot sun and the short, lumbering thunderstorm that rolled across Arkansas on Saturday afternoon (postponing Newtown’s game with Kenner, Louisiana, about 30 minutes) and made Field No. 6 a beautiful stage for World Series dramatics.

FACT: In Eureka Springs, Arkansas, about 125 miles north of Russellville, you can attend a UFO conference, tour haunted houses and cemeteries, and get married in a glass chapel in the woods – which is why The New York Times called it ‘The place where misfits fit.’

A Hull Of A Time

Assistant coach Josh Hull anticipated having to drag his two older sons, Tyler and Seth, to Arkansas for the Cal Ripken World Series.

Forget that. Sure, Tyler and Seth were there to support their younger brother, Jon, but the World Series was an every day adventure that captured the imagination – which was good because there was virtually nothing to do in and around Russellville, Arkansas.

“My sons are loving this,” said coach Hull. “Right before the last game (between Russellville and Sikeston, Missouri, on Friday night) I asked them if they wanted to stay and they said, ‘Oh yeah, we’re staying!’ This has been great.”

FACT: In 1998, Big Foot was sited along Highway 59/270 between Mena, Arkansas and Heavener, Oklahoma.

 

 

 

Hello, Hilo

The Cal Ripken World Series hosted teams from Arkansas (3), Missouri, Louisiana, Florida, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Washington … and Hilo, Hawaii.

With the Big Island All-Stars from Hilo (pronounced hee-low) competing in the Pacific Southeast Regional championships in California, they had already been on the road for two weeks when they flew to Arkansas for the World Series.

In the skills competition last Thursday, Big Island – with so many diminutive (i.e., small) players – wowed the crowd with their proficiencies. In their tournament opener against Okeheelee, Florida, pitcher Kean Wong displayed a nasty curve ball that would make any high school pitcher proud.

Hilo lost to Okeheelee but defeated Jonesboro, Arkansas, in the Loser’s Bracket to stay alive in the tournament.

FACT: It is unlawful to walk one’s cow down Main Street in Little Rock after 1 pm on a Sunday.