Pleasant Hill and other greater Eugene area youth baseball players and families that were unable to attend missed a great event. I felt really lucky to be at todays game with Forest Tomlinson, his son Torrey and my grandson Seth, two Pleasant Hill players that want to try out for a WVBR All-Star team in 2011. There could not have been a better opportunity for these boys to observe up close what it would be like to play as an All-Star.

Yes, these games were the action packed, completive games that you would expect at such an event! Yes, the umpires had highly emotional fans and coaches to deal with at times. Getting past the emotions these games were real nail biters as you watched some of the best 11 and 12 year old baseball players and teams from the Pacific Northwest compete for the title of Cal Ripken Pacific Northwest Regional Champion.

WVBR 11u All-Stars receiving 1st place metals at NW Regional Championships

After coming from behind in a game against the Langley All-Stars of British Columbia the 11 year old Willamette Valley All-Stars pulled off a win and went on to beat another great team the Black Hills All-Stars of Southern Washington. The Championship title was won by WVBR in an 11-9 game.

WVBR 11u All-Stars 2010 Pacific NW Regional Champions Cal Ripken

In a neighboring field at the complex the 12 year Willamette Valley All-Star team did Southern Oregon proud as they took on the West Linn All-Stars of Northern Oregon. The  Championship was decided by a tight 5-3 game.

Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth – Cal Ripken can be proud to be part of Willamette Valley Babe Ruth. WVBR is one of the finest Babe Ruth Leagues in the nation. For youth of the Lane County area that want to play completive baseball there is not a better opportunity that exist than the Babe Ruth League.

Terry Weinheimer. PHBR webmaster

See Photographs of game

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

Saturday was to be a long day for most of AAA Team Navy for 8 of the players along with players from AAA Gold and Pleasant Hill AA  Babe Ruth teams had formed a team to play in the annual Willamette Tournament in Eugene, Oregon.

Immediately following the Navy – Gold game the team left for Eugene where upon arrival they played  in two more back to back games.

Team meeting following 2nd place win in Willamette Tournament

On Saturday the team composed of Colton Baker, Dylan Miller, Tyler Cook, Kaleb Miller,  Seth Hensley-Weinheimer, Tanner Maryanski, Preston Paparo, Torrey Gage Tomlinson,  Brady Lane, and Braedon Putman took on and won against both Springfield and Cascade. Coaches for the games were Forest Tomlinson, Lee Baker and Kirk Miller.

On Sunday the team won against South Eugene and played Willamette to determine the tournament winner. While Willamette took first place and Pleasant Hill second, the parents and fans could not be prouder of Pleasant Hill. Pleasant Hill had pulled off 5 straight wins in 3 days. Tuesday evening June 8th a well prepared Team Navy will play their first game in the Willamette Valley Babe Ruth Playoffs and it is understood that their first challenge will be Willamette so this should be an exciting game. Congratulations on a Great Season Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth and Babe Ruth Cal Ripken.

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.

Below is a wonderful Tee-Ball poem from Seniors-Site.com that I thought you might enjoy.

T-Ball is a fun type game.
It even has a funny name.
It’s played by pros, of little fame,
By little folks, who love the game.

They’re only five,
To seven years old.
They may seem awkward,
But very bold.

They aren’t afraid,
To catch a fly.
They try real hard,
As it flies by.

It just may take,
Three or four with grace.
To get the baseball,
And throw it anyplace.

And when they bat off—
Of the tee.
It’s the high point of,
The folks so wee.

There’s boys and girls,
All colors and sizes.
They don’t care,
So why should we.

They’re having fun,
With a glove, bat and ball.
That’s an American game,
It’s called T-Ball.

Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken Baseball is not composed of youngsters from a single community. Kids come here to play baseball from the surrounding and distant communities of Jasper, Lowell, Dexter, Drain, Creswell, Cottage Grove and  Oakridge. When you add the populations of all of these little communities together we are but a fraction of the size of  Springfield and Eugene and yet we are a true success story.

So what is it that makes Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken such a youth baseball success story? It certainly is not the state of art training facilities that you will often find in larger cities! It is not the ability to select players from a large pool of players! It is not the number of wins each season though our teams do well! So what is it? What makes Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken Baseball great is the players, families, coaches and other volunteers.

Not having the distraction of movie theaters, skate parks, public swimming pools, malls and the like, many of our children take up sports such as baseball, softball, basketball, football, soccer and wrestling. Many of the children of our communities want to go on to college so education plays a big part in the lives of our families, and yes sports is important to education for strong bodies support strong minds.

I would need to fill a book to tell you about the many great coaches and volunteers Pleasant Hill has. Still, a person that I would like all of you to know that works effortlessly to bring the Pleasant Hill success story together is a man by the name of Forest Tomlinson.

Forest is the president of Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth Baseball. As president he is not paid, in fact he often spends his own money to assist our teams. As president he is called on to make the hard decisions that others are unwilling to make. He puts in countless hours along with other volunteers building and maintaining our fields. He works closely with coaches, players and other volunteers and still makes time to coach a Babe Ruth team.

During any given year you will find Forest coaching or assisting with soccer, basketball, football and a championship chess team.  How one man does so much and still makes time for his family, tutoring children in Spanish and music and playing the fiddle with the Coast Fork Ramblers I sometimes wonder?

Forest is not alone. Working hard beside him are so many other volunteers and parents that I will not mention their names for fear of leaving someone out. Together these many families, coaches and volunteers with the leadership of Forest make Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken Baseball a true SUCCESS STORY!