Pleasant Hill AAA Gold Oakland Tournament Winners
Pictured Front Row: Bryson McDonald, Justin Oljace. Middle Row: Chase Olson, Clay Weiss, Davyd Kirkhart, Kyle Bowen, Hayden Kuhnhausen, William Downs. Back Row: Preston White, Lane Hardy, Charlie Updegrave, Zach VanLoon. Coaches Dustin White, Tim Bowen and Brian McDonald
Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth AAA Team Gold has had a busy and rewarding year playing Babe Ruth – Cal Ripken baseball as have the other PHBR teams.
June 19-20, 2010 Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth AAA Team Gold(+/- a few players from other PHBR teams) placed 2nd in the 12U division at the Oakland, Oregon Tournament.
The Oakland Tournament was a Majors Tournament with most of the baseball players age 11-12. The Pleasant Hill players were age 9-11. Great job boys!
Thanks to the dedication of the PHBR players and coaches we have seen the youth baseball program and players getting better and better each year.
There is no doubt that 1st place championships await our PHBR players. Pleasant Hill fans and families will be following our players the remainder of this year and next year.
Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth serves the areas of Oakridge, Creswell, Lowell, Cottage Grove, Dexter, Jasper, Pleasant Hill and surrounding areas. We have some very talented athletes in this area and some great coaches.
Congratulation players and coaches for the great job you have done and continue to do. We look forward to seeing you at the Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth – Cal Ripken Spring Baseball sign-ups in 2011 or before.
Pictured: Coach Dustin White, with Pleasant Hill students Chase Olson, Bryson McDonald, Lane Hardy, Clay Weiss, Justin Oljace
photos by Denise Renee Olson
Martha Hardy, team reporter
Major Minor Team Tournament Winners
To borrow a line from Avis “we try harder.” We try harder led Pleasant Hill, Oregon Babe Ruth Baseball to many victories during the 2010 spring season.
June 13th the Pleasant Hill Major Minor team came in 2nd in the Willamette Valley Babe Ruth League Playoffs, Eugene Sheldon number 1 and Eugene Willamette number 3.
There is some stiff competition in Willamette Valley Babe Ruth. While the Pleasant Hill players were disappointed that they did not take first place they can be extremely proud of themselves as are their families and fans.
The Major Minor team may not have that big trophy in their showcase this year though they do have some wonderful memories to carry forward into next year’s 2011 season. The little community of Pleasant Hill and the surrounding areas that comprise our teams have some talented and dedicated players. The Willamette Valley Babe Ruth teams will once again be playing against teams that not only play harder but also play with strategy, the support of their family and fans and the attitude of winners.
Congratulations Pleasant Hill Major Minor on a fine season. In fact congratulations are in order for all Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken teams.
Have a terrific summer with your summer league teams, tournaments, camps or vacations. We look forward to seeing all of you Pleasant Hill, Oregon Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken players back in 2011.
Home Runs Are a Team Event
In youth baseball home runs do not occur every game and when they do they are a team event. Pictured here is Collin Good being congratulated by several of his Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth AAA Team Navy teammates after a home run. Wouldn’t it be great if we could see these same smiles on the kids faces when they are asked to do their homework or chores? Will, maybe not for if they could be made happy that easily something would have to be wrong with them!
A few games back when my own grandson Seth made a home run the lens cap was on my camera and I was so excited I could not get the cap off in time. It sure was great to have the cap off for Collin. Seth, now whenever you are at bat grandpa has his lens cap off hoping to recapture your moment too! And to all Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth players, I look forward to capturing more exciting baseball moments for all of you for a long, long time.
Terry Weinheimer, PHBR webmaster
Coaching Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth T-Ball
For many of us Pleasant Hill Cal Ripken – Babe Ruth and other youth league parents and grandparents T-ball has to be the most fun game to watch. Now don’t get me wrong the older kids are fun to watch too but where else but t-ball will you find a player getting excited when tagged out, throwing a ball at a player to put them out, dancing on first base, wanting to keep on running even after making it to home, or just rolling in the grass for the fun of rolling.
Oh sure I have enjoyed watching my grandsons baseball skill and knowledge increase during these past 6 years and yet when I look back on his T-ball days I have so many memories that still put a smile on this old face.
What we so often overlook when thinking about T-ball or older youth teams are the coaches. Dedicated coaches such as T-Ball Navy coach Jason Barber seen in the photograph above. These coaches put hours of time and countless patients into teaching baseball and team participation skills to our youth.
The next time you are at a baseball practice or game or at the super market and see one of our Babe Ruth or Cal Ripken coaches take a minute to say thank you. Just think of what baseball would be like if we did not have these dedicated coaches to teach our sons and daughters the game of baseball.
Terry Weinheimer, PHBR webmaser
Photo by Courtney Dills and Tara Kelly, PHBR T-Ball Navy team reporters.
Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth – Mud Boy
Does it really rain in Pleasant Hill, Oregon? The grass is green, the trees are green and our youth baseball players love to play in the mud. Can you think of a more fun game for a kid than sliding in the mud and not getting into trouble?
See more Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth Images in our Photo Albums. Check the list out below the Photo link at the top of the web page.
A Pleasant Hill Youth Baseball Slide
In Pleasant Hill, Oregon youth baseball is a game we love.
The Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth Billies love sliding in that dirt and playing in the mud that comes with the liquid sunshine we frequently see in Western Oregon.
As this player is sliding into home the look on his face reminds us of how great it is to be a kid. The player is probably thinking Hey mom, lets see you get this uniform clean!
To see some more great action photos check out the photography of Sports photographer Deborah Mundorff the official Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth Photographer. Deborah’s work can be seen by CLICKING HERE.
David and Goliath a Pleasant Hill Baseball Story
Goliath is the Junction City AAA. Junction City is a very good, dedicated team of Babe Ruth baseball players. This team was the only Willamete Valley Babe Ruth tripple A team to go unbeaten since the beginning of the regular season.
David is the Pleasant Hill AAA Navy baseball team. These are also a very talented and dedicated team of players though since the beginning of the regular season they had only won a single game.
Coach Forest Tomlinson and his assistants Coach Leigh Baker and Coach Jason White have been dedicated towards teaching the Pleasant Hill AAA Navy team strategy, technique and positive thinking.
Since before the beginning of the Spring season the Pleasant Hill players have worked hard. These boys have been participating in a practice or playing in a game almost every day of the week rain or shine. In addition these players have also had homework assignments to better help them understand the techniques of winning in both baseball and life.
In the pre-season the AAA Navy team was winning on a regular basis. Once the regular season started it seemed as if they could no longer win regardless of the amount of practice they had or the dedication they showed. Then a couple of games back they had their first win when they played the Pleasant Hill Gold AAA team which is another team of excellent players. Unfortunately that win was followed by a very big loss and the spirits were low.
On May 5, 2010 the match between David and Goliath finally came. The Pleasant Hill team arrived early, was in a very positive mood and understood the challenge they were to face. Before the Game Coach Tomlinson once again stressed the importance of strategy and staying in the game. Coach Baker and Coach White stressed the importance of both containing and directing their emotions and thinking positive even when behind.
From one inning to the next the fight was close as bats were swung, balls were pitched, errors and runs were made. Both teams practiced the strategies and techniques that they had learned and both teams maintained positive attitudes from inning to inning.
In the 6th inning the score was 6-7 and suddenly you heard the roar of the crowd as a Junction City player made a short bunt, the ball was thrown over the head of the first baseman and went far out in the field , this severe error on the part of Pleasant Hill resulted in the Junction City player making a home run off of a bunt. But wait! It was not a home run for the Junction City player had also made an error and had not touched 3rd base on his way to home. Though the player was now home the pitcher threw the ball to third base and the runner was out. Two more outs and Goliath lost to David by a single run and a final score of 7-6.
Congratulations AAA Navy on a very good game against a very good team. As you play the game remember the words of Vince Lombardi: “Winning isn’t everything, but the will to win is everything.”
To see photographs of the game Click Here
Pleasant Hill Rookie Minor and Willamette Having Fun
Winning in Cal Ripken Babe Ruth Baseball is great but not necessarily everything. Having fun and learning the game is a major part of Cal Ripken Babe Ruth competitive baseball. In this game the Pleasant Hill Rookie minors are having a great time as they become even better in their sport and prepare for the next game. As far as total points Willamette may have come out the winner but watch out Willamette Valley Babe Ruth Baseball for day by day the PHBR Rookie Minor team is getting better and better.
Enthusiastic Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth AA takes on AAA Navy
An enthusiastic Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth AA team took on Pleasant Hill AAA Navy team in one of the most exciting games of the season. In a sea of Blue and Gold held on one of the Pleasant Hill Middle school fields it was sometimes hard for the fans to tell which team was which. Since both teams are Pleasant Hill teams you found family and friends rooting for players on both teams and the one thing assured was that the Billie’s would win regardless of which team won. For those that may be reading this that are not from Pleasant Hill most of our games are held at the Willamette Valley Babe Ruth complex in Eugene, Oregon and against teams from other school districts. Oh, by the way this April 18, 2010 game ended with a slim 1 point lead by AAA Navy in the bottom of the 6th inning.
But Coach!
While the Pleasant Hill AAA Navy Babe Ruth Coach looks like he is chasing this player they are just in a hurry to get off the field or are they – Move it Boy!
-
PHBR Team & League Posts
- Pleasant Hill in JBO State Championship
- Creswell Takes 1st Place in Kidsports
- Pleasant Hill Winners in 14U at Bobby Doerr Classic
- Pleasant Hill AAA Gold Oakland Tournament Winners
- Pleasant Hill 10U Winners in Bobby Doerr Classic
- Pleasant Hill Plays in Bobby Doerr Classic
- Safe!
- Major Minor Team Tournament Winners
- Be mentally tough in sports and life with Ed Tseng
- Sport Mental – The Real Meaning
