it's like VJ Day all over again!!
Posted on 08/26/2007 6:59:58 PM PDT by meandog
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Dalton Carriker couldn't feel his legs as he rounded the bases.
His home run in the bottom of the eighth had just given Warner Robins, Ga., a thrilling 3-2 victory over Tokyo to win the Little League World Series title.
"I felt like I was flying, like Peter Pan," Carriker said. "I didn't know what I was doing."
Adrenaline took over from there, said the 12-year-old slugger with braces.
His dramatic home run over the right-field wall off a 2-1 pitch from Japan's Junsho Kiuchi gave the United States three straight Little League championships.
"USA! USA!" cried the Georgia-partisan crowd as dozens of fans waved American flags. Columbus, Ga., won the crown last year, and Ewa Beach, Hawaii, in 2005.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.espn.go.com ...
Just awesome to watch.
Great news!
Nice bunch of kids all around.
I hope they were good sports, I like the Japanese, they play great ball!
They were very good sports. They (Georgia team), went out and hugged all the Japanese players after winning. Great bunch of kids.
And man, can they play baseball.
Those kids are my favorite baseball players. The Little League World Series game and playoffs are more entertaining to watch than a MLB game.
from Media Blitz by John Molori:
-—Child’s play
If there has ever been a more beautiful moment in sports, I have not seen it. This is how I’d describe the aftermath of Sunday’s Little League World Series title game between Warner Robins, Georgia and Japan.
After Dalton Carriker hit the game winning home run for Georgia in the bottom of the eighth inning, the US team naturally exploded into hoots, hollers and hugs, but as the celebration commenced, the attention of the boys moved to the Japanese team still on the field and drenched in sorrowful tears.
The US team not only went over to their opponents and shook their hands, but also hugged them and consoled them for the loss. Several of the Japanese players reached out to the Americans and embraced them looking for any shoulder on which to cry.
The Georgia players were visibly moved by the sadness of their fellow competitors, some were even moved to tears. It was as if they knew that they themselves were one error or one bad pitch away from the same fate. Imagine the depth of these youngsters, to feel sadness for a foe in the midst of such joy.
The ESPN on ABC cameras captured the moment superbly and announcers Brent Musburger, Orel Hershiser and Dusty Baker were appropriately understated. The 3-2 win for Georgia may one day become an ESPN “Instant Classic.” The pure and uncommon sportsmanship and humanity shown by the youngsters from Georgia is already legendary.
Perfect description. I sat in stunned silence as the victors — a bunch of 12-year-old boys — walked onto the field and consoled their Japanese competitors, who were in tears from the dramatic, immediate loss. The scene left me speechless. It was the ultimate in good sportsmanship.
That kid(Carriker) must been on cloud 9 right now.
it's like VJ Day all over again!!
Yep, they did it right, on their own, from their hearts; it was something to see.
No thugs there!!!
I totally agree- playing for the love of the game and not which team will dish out the multimillion dollar contract
by the way, Carriker’s mother could be seen apparently
praying in the stands just before the game winning HR: hands clasped together and then she looked up to the heavens. Guess who else said a prayer?
ESPN.com:
“He said a little prayer before settling himself in the batter’s box.
“’God, please give me the strength to get a hit and help my team out,’ Carriker said in recounting his prayer.”
ping
What a delightful way to end my Sunday!!
THANK YOU FOR THAT PING!!!
The video is awesome....wonderful, wonderful kids....
Excellent!
That young man,Dalton, will never forget his and his teams moment in the sun.super great news.
Hopefully , someone will upload a video to Youtube .
This looks like just the final home run and its from a camera phone but its a start - related video will likely appear linked from this page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifgtc407KTY
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