PHBR AAA Gold 2nd place winners in 2010 Oakland Tournament

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.

Happy AAA Gold players after 2nd place win in 2010 Oakland Tournament

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

June 13^th the Pleasant Hill Major Minor team came in 2^nd 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.

Pleasant Hill vs. Willamette photos

Pleasant Hill vs. Sheldon photos

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

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.

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.

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 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