Good sportsmanship knows no boundaries

I imagine most of your minds are fully geared up for Northern Section football and volleyball, but this week I have been lucky enough to report on one more baseball event. For five days recently, I was in Williamsport, Pa. attending the Little League World Series.

Here in this small town is the stage for the best 11- and 12-year-old baseball in the world. Thousands of all-star teams that began play at the District level were eventually whittled down to a field of eight, and there are also eight international qualifiers.

Two pools of four were formed in a double-elimination format for both the U.S. and International sides. The winner of each pool earns a berth to the final four. The winners of the U.S. and International title games on Saturday will face off Sunday for the world championship.

I have toured the International Grove, where players and coaches are quartered during the tournament, been entertained by the LLWS mascot "Dugout" dancing with fans, coaches, players and even umpires. I have met two of Major League Baseball's recent Hall of Famers, Andre Dawson and Dave Winfield, and seen so many incredible plays that it's easy to forget how young they are.

However, the gestures of sportsmanship during the opening-round match-up between Japan and Mexico deserve the remainder of this column's ink.

Mexico's legion of fans, who traveled nearly 2,000 miles by bus, were decked out in green shirts and giant sombreros. Conversely, the Tokyo contingent wore red kimonos and had oriental-style clappers. They who traversed the Pacific were on their feet when Japan was at-bat, clapping, humming and chanting. Between innings, the Village People brought everyone together with YMCA, as fans on both sides formed the letters with their limbs.

Mexico's 1-0 lead lasted until Japan was down to its final out, when Ginga Maruoka belted a three-run home run. Japan ended up winning 4-2. Fans from both sides cheered the players when they shook hands and the Mexican team bowed to the Japanese as a remarkable sign of respect.

I didn't hear one fan jeer an umpire, not one coach berate a player, not one parent pop off or act like an idiot. This will be my ninth season of sports writing, and I can honestly say that this Japan-Mexico contest was the finest example of perfection I've seen in any sport.

As a sports writer I was impressed by the come-from-behind victory of Japan. As a fan of baseball, I was thrilled by the level of competition presented by Mexico. But as a proud American, I was incredibly humbled by both of these teams and their fans. If you haven't yet, switch on your television to ESPN and watch these young men model how the game was meant to be played.

Contact Paul Gadbois at 824-1036.