Appreciate you bro, remember you from when I was 11 with my shot at the World Series the next year, you and your team were an incredible inspiration, as a fellow early bloomer🤣, SALUD 🥂
Great video man! Its always nice to go back down memory lane and relive this stuff. This was the best analysis I've seen on the team since we won. You hit the nail on the head with everyone! Thanks for this!
For some reason watching this I was expecting toward the end "if he's not the best player and not the most athletic, then why is Luke Ramirez the best of all time? Because He's me". And when that didn't happen I was genuinely confused
Shoot from 6-8th grade I was better than this kid that eventually became the starting PG for his high school. He couldn’t beat me 1 on 1, knock out, horse, around the world. But 9th grade came and I was still 5’8 and dude became 6’4. My parents never told me those guys on TV are literally giants among men.
No doubt... The greatest team in little league history in my book! And, not many people know that Parkview's biggest challenge... their biggest hurdle that year was facing Torrance Little League in a best of 3 with the winner moving on to the West Regional Tournament in San Bernardino. Parkview actually faced a tough Lefty from Torrance in Game 1 and they struggled big time. Torrance was up HUGE in game 1 like 14 - 0 in like the 4th inning and they could have pulled that Lefty so he could come back in game 3 if needed him. But, they decided to burn him for the series by keeping him on the hill even though the game was won. That decision would come back to haunt Torrance. But, at the time, the Torrance coach considered that Lefty their #3 pitcher. So Parkview lost Game 1 vs Torrance 18 - 0. Torrance came back with their Ace in Game 2... He was throwing 73 mph fastballs and Parkview hit him good. But, Torrance could hit too. Parkview ended up wining Game 2 vs Torrance 7 - 6. So, it all came down to Game 3. Parkview was pitching by committe having burnt their top 3 pitchers. Torrance was going with their #2 starter. Game 3 was epic... back and forth. Both teams crushing the ball and tons of runs being scored. Torrance had to pull their starter in like the 4th inning and instead of being able to bring in that Lefty who pitched game 1... they had to pitch some poor kid who was in way over his head facing Luke Ramirez, Andy Rios, Bula Graft, etc... that line up could hit 1 through 9. Seth Godfrey, their #9 hitter was a hitting machine. He would've been the #3 hitter on every other All Star team at San Bernardino... Anyway... Parkview got a Grand Slam late by Andy Rios (or was it Seth?) and they pulled away from Torrance winning 17 - 12. Parkview went on to dominate at San Bernardino and in Williamsport and beat Chinese Taipai to bring home all the marbles. But, if you ask any kid on the Parkview team that year, they'll tell you the 2nd best team in the nation was Torrance. Oh... and by the way... I know what I'm talking about. I was the Manager of Sweetwater Valley LL All Stars in 2009. We faced Parkview in the District tournament and ended up playing them 3 times. They beat us early in the tournament and sent us down to the loser's bracket. We won our way back to the winner's bracket where we faced Parkview again. We we're gonna need to beat them twice to move on. Parkview was way over confident... wearing their bathing suits underneath their uniforms in preparation for the pool party after the won the championship. But, we made them wait. With the entire city of Chula Vista watching and expecting Park View to win District, we shook up the world and beat them. They came back and beat us the next day to send us home. But, beating them the day before was our "Williamsport". After being sent home... we jumped on the Parkview ban wagon and enjoyed the greatest ride of any summer in my adult lifetime. Parkview
@@jamesfields2916 Yeah... I think so. It's baseball. Even the 1927 Yankees lost 44 games that year and were blown out several times. Like I said... it's baseball.
I umpired for Parkview and a few other leagues in the area. First time I umpired for Lukes regular season team, they just straight up walked him when no one was on base. He did get two hits that game. The first one hit the left field fence on a rope drive that got to the fence so fast Luke only got a single. The next was a towering home run. The ball went past a 40’+ eucalyptus tree (about half way up) that was just outside the fence (200’+ away from home plate). Definitely found memories. Glad to hear he is doing what he loves.
Ah yes, I remember this player. Fun fact (according to the broadcasters): his mom actually brought his birth certificate with her to the tournament in case anyone questioned whether or not he was actually thirteen. I'm sure it wasn't the first time she's had to plan ahead as such.
That's wholesome. Considering Little League used to be 11 and under. Which helps separate kids from prepubescent boys and high schoolers. He should have been playing with kids his own age. Not elementary children
In 1992 and 1993, a kid from Long beach CA, Sean Burroughs won the Little League Works Series back to back. Was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the first round with the ninth overall pick. I think he's the best player I ever saw in the LLWS. He was a pitcher in LLWS and a third baseman in the Majors.
I remember that West squad! Any team that comes out the West Region is an automatic contender. I'm a little bias being from SoCal myself. I'm 42 years old and have watched the LLWS every year since like 12 years old. My Grandpa used to take me to Western Regional games. The atmosphere is awesome there. Great Video bro!
Unfortunately, the West teams' parents are the worst. I'm from Williamsport, grew up in the 90s, and worked over there every summer. (When I was 12, we went to regionals and lost against Tom's River, NJ who won it all that year.) Anyway, about the West coast teams that come through. Assholes! Straight up, assholes! The year I was 15 selling sodas over there (yes, I could clear $700 in a week in the late 90s/early 2000s just being a soda vendor), there was one father who.had to be removed from the stadium and have his family pass taken from him, all because I stopped to sell a bunch of sodas to a group of kids sitting two rows down and in front of the father who's kid apparently was at bat at the time. Rather than move himself so he could see his kid swing away, instead, he had to come down and get in my face, screaming and yelling. I'm 15, small for my age, and getting screamed at by a grown ass man! Yeah, security didn't take too well to that. He was perma-banned from the family section for the rest of the series. That's just one incident. The parents....the PARENTS! Would come downtown and barhop. They'd get drunk and rowdy. I was a bouncer at both a nightclub and a bar a few blocks over in my early 20s. At the bar I worked at on Wednesday and Thursday nights, (I worked the nightclub Fridays and Saturdays). One Thursday night, a group of 40-something parents come over acting like they're a bunch of 20 year old kids. Acting stupid. I go to kick em out, and they act all like: "Dont you know who we are!?" And flash their family passes for the stadium across the river in South Side, as if that's some sort of excuse and as if I cared! I ended up having to grip up the one dude, and shoved him out of the door onto the sidewalk. The other parents tried assaulting me, and one wan flung her drink at me. A few ended up in cuffs, then released after being warned not to come back or else they'll face trespassing charges. I pressed charges against the bitch who threw her drink at me. She paid her fine, and was barred from the stadium the next day when LLWS security got wind or it. Another time, security witnessed a California coach screaming obscenities at one of his players in one of the practice fields below the stadium. Which was disallowed conduct by Little League International. They threatened to suspend him, but in the end, decided it was bad for publicity and both coach agreed to not act like that in front of any cameras. Which are all over the damn place. They're also incredibly rude in general, and have no qualms about bullying other teams. The things you can hear them shout sometimes during a game. Wondering if a camera pick it up or not. Lol California was the reason that noisemakers were banned, so the nostalgic sounds of cowbells no longer ring out over there. They got those obnoxious Swedish bullhorn things that were so popular at the Olympics and the Fifa World Cup, and used those RELENTLESSLY non-fucking stop! So Little League turned around and banned all noisemakers. Destroyed the cowbell tradition that dates back half a century before then! So yeah. I kinda don't like the teams from California.
A 13 yr old that went to school with my son was 6'4 200 & when he graduated he was 6'8 270! I was only 5'2 125 when I was 13 but shot up to 6'2 180 by 15 & never grew again but gained weight to 210 when I graduated
I lived in the same cul-de-sac as Bula growing up, I was in 5th grade & all the kids in the cul-de-sac would play cops and robbers (a version of hide-n-seek) almost every single day. Bula might've been in Kindergarten and he would come out with his older brother Hau'oli and they would literally break everyone's ankles. Most the "robbers" would go find a good place to hide on our street while the cops were counting down, but those two would literally stand in the middle of the street and the cops couldn't ever get a solo tag on them no matter how hard they tried. You mentioning him in this video brought me right back to my childhood days playing with Bula's older brother at Parkview little league and getting my ankles broken playing as a kid in the streets of Chula Vista.
Lloyd ' The Legend ' McClendon in 1971. In three games he went 5 for 5 with 5 homeruns. He was intentionally walked every other at bat. Played in the majors and managed the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Great informative analysis video yankeesam11. "Intimidating"; That's the word I was looking for... I have played in the older version of The Little League World Series (16-18) in Florida back in '76 and was blessed to be a 2nd round pick (hit .454 in college) but did not make it to "The Show". "Size" doesn't always matter fellas!
A good friend of mine was 6’ and 230lbs when we were 13 and he was an absolute beast. He was hitting a home run 98% of the time he was at bat, but if he didn’t hit a home run he was out because he was so slow. Right now he is 6’1 420lbs so he went a little down hill.
The 92 and 93 Long Beach team was the best ive ever watched. Sean Burroughs was a beast on the mound and at the plate. Back to back no hitters and hit bombs
I was the brute of my team when I was 12 back in 1985. I was 5'11" and 195 lbs. I was an ace and I was expected to hit atleast 1 dinger per game. In my team photos in the newspaper when we won Regionals people thought I was a coach. I had my main growth spurt abnormally early. I was a 5'5" 10 year old. It was hard for me in High School. I stopped growing at 14 at 6'3" and 245lbs. Everybody around me was catching up. By my Junior year I was still had decent numbers and by the time I was a senior I was average. I wouldn't trade my childhood for the world. I had a blast but I will say this. The disappointment and crushed self-esteem I had fucked me up for a few years after high school. To go from the talk of the town to forgotten in the span of a few years is soul crushing but also taught me a lesson in being humble.
Great life observation I graduated in 85 and I love the fact that the sociological ramifications of those experiences can be positive and negative if not dealt with in a positive way .when I had children I tried to teach them about those things ... always gave positive reinforcement along with a touch of reality..lollol 🤨🤨....⚓⚓⚓⚓🇺🇲🇺🇲go navy marines.
Great video bro. So cool to hear what these guys did after little league and even better Luke responded. When I was a teenager there was a kid that was 6'5-6'7 and played 2 years in a row. He was so scary that they wouldn't even pitch to him much. He even had a big little bro that played later. Just thought you could check him out on your free time. Be safe and thanks for the video.
His leadership skills I'm sure has helped him be successful in his career. A lot of the best athletes are actually pretty smart and often go onto being successful in other things. For example, studies have shown that gifted athletes are very good with spatial aptitude.
Fantastic documentary! I remember him. Greatest team ever! I live within walking distance of Lamade and Volunteer stadiums. The teams coming out of California are always top notch contenders, but that team was unbelievable! Great video, thank you very much!
Other kid was hitting with a Combat B2 Da Bomb too. I was a very small 11 year old but was considered a power hitter going into All Stars just because of that bat.
The Combat B2 was the best bat in Little League history. I remember having to pitch a game against a team that had both Luke and Kiko (this was after their championship). I vividly remember giving up a 2 run shot to Luke, he sent that to the moon.
@@Joetrout The Combat B2 was banned, the Mako was not. The B2 was one of the first composite bats produced under the 1.15bpf standard, however they tested all bats right out of the wrapper, not realizing that composite bats get hotter as they are worked in. There is no question that the B2 was hotter than the Mako - not even close. I have two of them for fun and they are like softball bats.
I was a bat boy at 9 years of age and there was another freak of nature. Bob Reed was his name and at 14 years old he would ride his bike to the store and buy beer 🍺. Long towering dingers was his specialty. I my late 20’s I would play 16 inch softball with him where we once won the state championship. He passed away a few years ago and your video brought me back to my playing days with the “gentle giant “.
This was the best team of all time. This team was stacked. Alex Rios could have arguably been the best player on the team also. But all these dudes were sick. I was in high school when I saw them dominate. Kiko was dope.
Excellent video. I like the way you showed the best hitter, the best athlete then came to Luke. Thank you for the information. I watched him that year in the LLWS. As you said I remember that year because Luke was soooo big. Good to get an update from you.
I played every sport growing up and there was always that one player that we thought would go pro but no unfortunately they are just good for the moment
That was me unfortunately lmaoooo. Was 5'8 and 160 in fifth grade but i could move for my size. Always picked first in all the recreational league drafts they held for each season for baseball football and basketball. I peaked in middle school sporting wise. Played varsity 3 years in highschool for football and baseball but was never really the best on my team.
Great post with my birthplace, Williamsport. I am really am privileged to see Williamsport on national TV every year. When I was young, it was only aired on ABC's Wide World of Sports; amazing how it's progressed since then. Williamsport, itself, only has around 30,000 people so it's definitely special. Btw, Mike Mussina is 2 yrs younger than me and I am lucky enough to truthfully claim I went to grade school with him in nearby Montoursville. He moved back and coaches Little League of course.
Looking back 50 or so years at the guys I played with that I thought had 'what it takes' to get to the majors, I realize that the stars in Little League and HS rarely went any further. Perhaps they 'peaked' too early or were burnt out by coaches/Parents/pressure.
100%. All the guys who made it to the majors that I played with or went to my highschool were very low-key players who were skilled in very specific things in both batting and defense. They also looked like normal people, not crazy large athletes
I went to high school with Evan Longoria at St John Basco and he was a regular dude living a regular life with friends and all and he made it to major league I feel these kids here are over pressured and by the time they hit high school all the parents dreams will be shattered because it won’t be fun anymore to the kids when they get older
@@ManCity-5Peat-Loading It's a little like Steve Prefontaine, the Olympic distance runner who grew up about an hour from where I now live. Apparently his first year in high school, he was _decent_ but nothing more; in the mile, he was just outside the top 50 at the Oregon state championships (not typically as competitive as, say, the California or New York championships since our whole state population is a fraction of Los Angeles or NYC alone). He was just beginning to stand out in his sophomore and junior years, but not before.
I am 6'4 230 but growing up I was always around the same height or a little taller than the average kid. I was always the best even when the freaky guys would grow 6 inches i was still more skilled. I went on to be a college hall of fame baseball player and then signed with the brewers I was 20. Point being the guys who grow early are just better because they are bigger you look for the kids or kid who is still just as good as the bigger guys but he is of normal size
It's a lot of different things, and it's different for each player with high expectations that never "Made it." Too much pressure from parents and coaches at too young an age. Too much ego. Related to too much ego, is the "know-it-alls." Overly confident arrogance to the point of never learning or progressing with their mechanics that always "worked so well" for them all along. Generally not caring. Just something they never really had an interest in to begin with, even if they did have natural talent. The ones who "make it," are the ones who go along every day. Doing all the little everyday mundane things, and in a seemingly casual manner. Just doing what they love doing. Lifint weights. Maybe running. Taking a few extra drills everyday. Remaining humble and listening to coaches and doing as they ask. Being observant. Slowly building up newer, better, more precise techniques. Such as their batting stance: everything from hand and foot placement, to movent of the hips and arms. How they squat in a ready position on the field. 12 year olds are naturally "sloppy" in comparison to the pros. Obviously. The best players at the age of 12, are also sloppy. But they're so used to be being so dominant. They are too comfortable and become too attached and set in their ways. And it isnt necessarily that they Don't WANT to improve. It's more along the lines that they are not ABLE to improve. Brains begin to lose their childlike neuro-plasticity by the time they're in high school. It literally becomes extremely difficult to get rid of the incorrect muscle memory they've so thoroughly developed that worked so damn well at a too young of an age.
@@sbc4434 every player in the mlb was definitely the best players on their high school teams. Tony kemp was probably way better than anyone on his high school team. I dominated up through high school and got drafted at 18, then was very mediocre once I got into the minors lol. It’s actually not too hard to get get looked at by scouts and get to the minors, getting to the bigs is a whole different monster.
Very cool, thanks for making this video. I remember rooting for Chula Vista every game at that LLWS. Luke and Keiko were amazing Little League stars and I figured they both would have long and successful baseball careers
I pitched against a guy who was as tall as this kid when I was 12 the tallest kid in the league almost took my head off with a line drive back up the middle I felt the wind of the baseball go past my face I'll never forget it I almost died
I did all the time. It was my cousin Travis. He was probably 6'0 and 250 by 13. He would hit tons of homeruns but he couldn't hit me. I was too fast. I was probably pitching around 65 or 70 by 12 years old.
@@ebogar42 that’s cool and all but have you ever played with a kid who’s projected to go 15th overall in this years draft. I’m Canadian so obviously I’m talking about the nhl. I Won some big ass tournament we where the second hometown team to win it ever and it’s been going on since the 70s my dads team was the first. I won with this kid when I was 12 there was 2 kids on the team who had dads who played in the nhl only one made it anywhere after minor hockey. Yes I’m 18😂
@@noland5345 I've played sports with pro athletes and even played semi-pro myself. I've seen a lot of good talent and my cousin was one of them. He could have been pro if he would have stayed in college and not started partying. There was a guy who was around our age who he was better at and the other guy played in the NFL for years. I've played with talent like this. I did play all-stars every year for Little League. We had a decent team that could have stomped these teams, but never had the right coaches and lacked on hitting heat. There were only a few pitchers that even could pitch fast in our area, and two was in Covington little league which included me and my teammate, and the others were in Clifton Forge which we never played with besides all-stars. Most of us never saw a lot of heat or used to it, but if we would have been we could have went far in all-stars which leads up to the world series.
San Diego California Baby thats my City 🌃 Born and Raised I went to Mt. Miguel and Valhalla High School. Was raised in Spring Valley/ SkyLine. I was Drafted in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft.Retired from baseball now. That Kid Reminds me of a Teammate of mine named Henry Sanchez he went to Mission Bay and played with Matt Bush R.I.P Big Hank
They still are! You got got 12yr olds swinging drop 10-12 bats! By the time you are 12 and playing select travel ball you have to use a drop 8. Not only that a larger field also 70’ bags larger outfield not little league 60’ bases. Huge difference
@@Joetrout I meant to say composite! You’re right I been out the game so long, but I’m the same age as Luke I played for a rival little league. They banned composite bats the very next year. You’re right bbcore was weak
Not gonna lie, I thought this was gonna be a story that ended in controversy after it would’ve come to light that he lied about his age, and now I feel bad for jumping to conclusions
Thank You Thank You Thank You In Jan 2009 I was headed into combat Iraq and totally missed this season. I was Medevac out in October 09 and missed 2010 and 2011 too! Thanks for catching me up for 2009 Respectfully LTCOLONEL
I appreciate your video but one could make the argument that the best team in Little League World Series history was the 1959 team from Hamtramck, MI and the best little league player in history was Art “Pinky” Deras. As a 12 year old pitcher, he never lost a game. In that World Series year from local to the championship game, Deras had 18 starts, 18 wins, 16 shutouts, 10 No-hitters with 5 of them consecutive. He pitched in 108 innings, had 298 strikeouts and only 10 walks. As a batter, he had a .641 batting average, 33 home runs and 112 RBI’s. Due to the changes in little league rules regarding appearances and pitch counts, Deras’ record will remain forever. Sadly, “Pinky” Deras passed away this past June. RIP “Pinky”, you were the best!
I remember watching this team when I was younger. The whole reason I know what Chula Vista is was because this team. Every time I hear it today I think of this team. I remember Kiko especially. He was a ball player. I also remember thr crowd used to go "LUUUUUUKKKKKEEEEEE" when he'd come up bat lol
I actually hit 6ft when I was 13, I just didn't weigh as much, I was a little more lean at 180 pounds, I'm 14 now and 6'2 190 lbs. Its sad that he didn't grow too much after 13. Still was a beast at 6'3 220 though.
I love LLWS and watch it every year since I was a kid. That Chula Vista team was by far and away the best I've ever seen. I've always wondered what happened to these kids. Thanks for the video update.
I kind of know about bulla, he lived in my house right before me and crazy enough my uncle is my neighbor and was bullas, my cousin was friends with him and my cousin is also my barber and him living in my house got brought up and he mentioned how he was gonna hang out with him That night, from what I remember he learned a trade and makes good money and has a good life
I was waiting for you to talk about Bula, he was a monster at Bishops. every game you would see him flying like a rocket smashing someone hard. Although he was uncover-able, I still went to watch Him smash people. My son was the track coach there at the time, so we never missed a game. I still wear my Bishop gear and believe it or not I get mocked for doing it, there our so many Bishop haters out there. I guess that what drew me to the school, if people are hating, you must be doing something right. Thanks for the video, great job
6 foot kids at 13 isn't unusual at all. See them all the time. Once the other kids catch up they aren't dominant anymore. Glad he has a good head on his shoulders and achieved his dream job. Way to go, kid.
@@reyleon67 I am aware of what the average height is. I simply stated it's not unusual to see a 6 foot 13 year old. I have probably seen at least 10 just this weekend at my sons little league tournament.
@@mynameisnotbob941 a kid on my sons team is 6ft and he’s 12, absolutely crushes the ball, as well as his hitting coach has a few kids 6ft or better at 13u level. Let alone tournaments. Totally agree it’s not unusual imo anymore.
He's just a kid that hit puberty at probably 9-10 years old so by 12-13 he was almost full grown. As his final height proves. Those are the kids you see dominating in little league unless of course your name is Joe Domenico. Joe didn't hit puberty until he was 13 but was hitting homeruns at the extremely rare age of only 9 YEARS OLD!!!! He was 85lbs literally hitting the ball over 200ft.(THAT IS RARE/UNIQUE) that is special. A 200lb kid or even a 140lb kid hitting little league homeruns doesn't mean much TBH. Its all about weight and distance. My son should have played in Williamsport his last year of little league but the manager wasn't to sharp. Joe Domenico was 5'8 his last year of little league. He now stands 6'4 200lbs with about 4-5% body fat. Only 16 he can hit balls about 400ft right now. So when he's in his 20's with full manpower he should be hitting 450-500ft tape measure shots.
Sean Burroughs was by far one of the best little leaguers to come out of California. That Long Beach squad ruled the early 90s out in Williamsport. Too bad his MLB career didn't really pan out.
My dad's friend coached against them in the first tournament and told him how good they were so we got to follow them all the way to the Regionals in San Bernadino. We knew how good they were and it was a lot of fun watching that team. But Sean B. and a family friend who won the Bronco WS were the best 12 year olds I've ever seen play.
I have to disagree. The most feared and greatest little league player was Lloyd McClendon...PERIOD! Nicknamed "Legendary Lloyd", at the 1971 LLWS he homered in five consecutive at bats. They were his only official at bats, as in every other plate appearance the opposing team had him intentionally walked. By the way, he also had a pretty good MLB career.
I haven't watched the LLWS in recent years don't really care to anymore, but I would say this team was the best one I seen. Him being the best, most intimidating player too.
I don't have much to say, but great video! I never even knew there was a Little League World Series; of course, I am not a big baseball fan either (only really watch Jomboy Media lololol). Anyway, I am always really interested in knowing what happened to people after the "story" ends (in this case after the Championship game). Also it was really cool that you have a personal connection to the team. Once again, great video! Later
I remember being 9 years old, or had just turned nine because these games were always around my birthday, and I remember was watching these games with my family and my grandpa was just astonished at how big all these 13 year olds were and I didn’t understand until literally years later where you look at these kids in the LLWS now and they are just so small.
Was this the team from Chula Vista that played together on a club team in Mexico? I remember a lot of travel teams back then that would bounce across the border routinely throughout the year.
Wow. I think about this team all the time and was wondering when someone would do a video on them. It was amazing to watch them when I was 12 years old and cheering them on. Blue bombers
We had TONY GARFOLLA..6’2”…230lbs…catcher. He would block home plate like you parked a semi there. He would hit home runs so far over the fence that he almost injured girls on the softball field which was way over dead centerfield. That was 48 yrs ago but I still remember his name and the sound of the big bell rigging out his homers😀
I played softball with a guy like this. A lot of us at 11-12 were like 5'6-'5'8 weighed maybe 100-120lbs at best, this kid shows up in my second year playing he's 6'0 and probably weighed if I had to guess 185 or so. quiet and kept to himself but holy christ he could crush a fast pitched softball a country mile. He was the guy that if I was standing on first I knew if he cranked it I could basically jog the bases for a run. Greatest memory was him,myself and a friend of ours named Ryan all hitting home runs back to back in one of the last games of our 12 year old year. None of bothered playing pee-wee division which was 13-16 but funnily enough in our early 20's we all ended up on the same men's softball team. Just crazy how big some kids can be.
Great video, man. My 12 year old is 6 feet tall and weighs in at a whopping 130 pounds. He loves baseball. He’s good at it. Really good. BUT, that doesn’t mean he’ll play pro ball. He might realize a love for building or engineering or comedy (he’s a clown). The things we’re known for in our youth aren’t necessarily the things we’ll be known for when we’re older.
My nephew played on that team, he didn't get to go to the little league world series tho. They wanted to take all the kids that was 12 and 13 years old. My nephew was 11 at the time. But he had stories about that team. I don't know how true it is, but my nephew told me he struck out Kiko and Luke. That team was stacked. To leave talented players behind (my nephew wasn't the best player out there, but he wasn't no slouch) and still had the best team that year. Amazing!
Your video Title is incorrect! Art "Pinky" Deras is the greatest player and holds numerous unbreakable records. In the annals of Little League Baseball, Deras is arguably the greatest player of all-time. The Hamtramck, MI "a polish city in the middle of Detroit" team reached the World Series finals in 1959 having won nine of ten tournament games by shutout. In the finals Deras tossed a one-hit, 5-0 shutout against Puerto Rico, hit a grand slam in a 7-1 victory over Hawaii, and threw a three-hit 12-0 victory over West Auburn, CA in the championship game. Deras’s single season pitching statistics were staggering: 18 starts, 18 complete game victories, 16 shutouts, 10 no-hitters, 298 strikeouts (only 26 outs in the field), and just 10 walks in 108 innings. At the plate he hit 13 home runs in 13 tournament games, giving him 33 for the season, along with 112 RBI and a .641 average. Only two years after winning the Little League World Series, Hamtramck again led by pitcher-hitter Art “Pinky” Deras captured the World Pony League baseball title for 13- and 14-year-olds. The Hamtramck youth baseball program became the first to win both championships. Since then only Marietta, Georgia has duplicated the fete. Artie ruled the PSL at Hamtramck High, then signed with the St. Louis Cardinals when he graduated. He played at Memorial Park which is a historic negro league stadium in Hamtramck. I grew in Hamtramck/Detroit and is why I know of the legend of Art Pinky Deras. Heres a clip of his feats from the documentary ua-cam.com/video/k1s2v3DMH0I/v-deo.html&ab_channel=NPASHF
I was kind of like that growing up. I was 5’11 200 in 7th-8th grade and was hitting a couple doubles and a home run just about every game. I was also the hardest throwing pitcher in the league but as soon as everyone else hit puberty I was just average and quit playing after my sophomore year in HS
Venmo has a huge security issue: ua-cam.com/video/ggXaSYrHVEw/v-deo.html
Dude this video blew upppp
there is a 13 year old who I played against who played up and was 6 foot 5
Appreciate you bro, remember you from when I was 11 with my shot at the World Series the next year, you and your team were an incredible inspiration, as a fellow early bloomer🤣, SALUD 🥂
How can you be a lot older than Luke and go to highschool with the other
Great video man! Its always nice to go back down memory lane and relive this stuff. This was the best analysis I've seen on the team since we won. You hit the nail on the head with everyone! Thanks for this!
THE GOAT HIMSELF XD
@@yankeesam11 great video
m.ua-cam.com/video/uZdv-TtiMkg/v-deo.html
How many people checked your birth certificate that season? And how many requested steroid tests?
I’m 16 6’4 🤟🏾
That team had the city of Chula Vista, the South Bay and San Diego County following their every game, it was crazy!! Loved every minute of it!!
SD STAND UP! Hope you subscribe and stay part of this UA-cam community, Lisa!
Imperial County too!
Was loving those kids in Encinitas!
I live in Chula Vista. Bro that team was incredible
TRUTH. Hope you stay part of this community!
Of course. I was little when the team happened but I look back at highlight reels. Huge padre fan here! LET'S GO BRO WE'RE GONNA BE INSANE!!!!!
San Diego!
619 woot woot!
For reals. I was so hyped when they won.
Imagine hitting 12 out of 14 hits for dingers as a 12-13 year old and then becoming a PO in high school😂
whats po
@@pwx13 pitcher only
@@ryanburdeaux pitcher only
@@pwx13 pitcher only
@@pwx13 pitcher only
For some reason watching this I was expecting toward the end "if he's not the best player and not the most athletic, then why is Luke Ramirez the best of all time? Because He's me". And when that didn't happen I was genuinely confused
This is a feel good story that anyone who peaked before 17 can relate to.
6’1 340 pound 7th grade nose guard. Absolute animal. Quit my sophomore year at 6’2 450. I peaked just got fatter and now I’m 6’2 205 🤣
@@icantsnagup1461 damn dude, you shed a whole you..
Shoot from 6-8th grade I was better than this kid that eventually became the starting PG for his high school. He couldn’t beat me 1 on 1, knock out, horse, around the world. But 9th grade came and I was still 5’8 and dude became 6’4. My parents never told me those guys on TV are literally giants among men.
@@icantsnagup1461 mans gained 25% of his weight then lost 50%
I peaked at 5'3 at age 13 but can't relate
No doubt... The greatest team in little league history in my book! And, not many people know that Parkview's biggest challenge... their biggest hurdle that year was facing Torrance Little League in a best of 3 with the winner moving on to the West Regional Tournament in San Bernardino. Parkview actually faced a tough Lefty from Torrance in Game 1 and they struggled big time. Torrance was up HUGE in game 1 like 14 - 0 in like the 4th inning and they could have pulled that Lefty so he could come back in game 3 if needed him. But, they decided to burn him for the series by keeping him on the hill even though the game was won. That decision would come back to haunt Torrance. But, at the time, the Torrance coach considered that Lefty their #3 pitcher. So Parkview lost Game 1 vs Torrance 18 - 0.
Torrance came back with their Ace in Game 2... He was throwing 73 mph fastballs and Parkview hit him good. But, Torrance could hit too. Parkview ended up wining Game 2 vs Torrance 7 - 6. So, it all came down to Game 3. Parkview was pitching by committe having burnt their top 3 pitchers. Torrance was going with their #2 starter.
Game 3 was epic... back and forth. Both teams crushing the ball and tons of runs being scored. Torrance had to pull their starter in like the 4th inning and instead of being able to bring in that Lefty who pitched game 1... they had to pitch some poor kid who was in way over his head facing Luke Ramirez, Andy Rios, Bula Graft, etc... that line up could hit 1 through 9. Seth Godfrey, their #9 hitter was a hitting machine. He would've been the #3 hitter on every other All Star team at San Bernardino... Anyway... Parkview got a Grand Slam late by Andy Rios (or was it Seth?) and they pulled away from Torrance winning 17 - 12.
Parkview went on to dominate at San Bernardino and in Williamsport and beat Chinese Taipai to bring home all the marbles.
But, if you ask any kid on the Parkview team that year, they'll tell you the 2nd best team in the nation was Torrance. Oh... and by the way... I know what I'm talking about. I was the Manager of Sweetwater Valley LL All Stars in 2009. We faced Parkview in the District tournament and ended up playing them 3 times. They beat us early in the tournament and sent us down to the loser's bracket. We won our way back to the winner's bracket where we faced Parkview again. We we're gonna need to beat them twice to move on. Parkview was way over confident... wearing their bathing suits underneath their uniforms in preparation for the pool party after the won the championship. But, we made them wait. With the entire city of Chula Vista watching and expecting Park View to win District, we shook up the world and beat them. They came back and beat us the next day to send us home. But, beating them the day before was our "Williamsport". After being sent home... we jumped on the Parkview ban wagon and enjoyed the greatest ride of any summer in my adult lifetime.
Parkview
Is there any video of those games?
Bulla Graft was a great HS running back and went on to play Div 3 college ball - I think it was D3. He was too small to get D1 offers.
So the best little league all star team ever lost 18-0?
@@jamesfields2916 Yeah... I think so. It's baseball. Even the 1927 Yankees lost 44 games that year and were blown out several times. Like I said... it's baseball.
No doubt they were a great team, but that was the “Hot Bat” era.
I umpired for Parkview and a few other leagues in the area. First time I umpired for Lukes regular season team, they just straight up walked him when no one was on base. He did get two hits that game. The first one hit the left field fence on a rope drive that got to the fence so fast Luke only got a single. The next was a towering home run. The ball went past a 40’+ eucalyptus tree (about half way up) that was just outside the fence (200’+ away from home plate). Definitely found memories. Glad to hear he is doing what he loves.
Did you umpire from 2013-2019 if so you probably umped a few of my games
Luke's one of my friends HS. He had passion journalism and committed to it. He even recruited me into the school newspaper team our senior year.
Respect. Hope you stay part of the community!
Ah yes, I remember this player. Fun fact (according to the broadcasters): his mom actually brought his birth certificate with her to the tournament in case anyone questioned whether or not he was actually thirteen. I'm sure it wasn't the first time she's had to plan ahead as such.
She was my third grade teacher 😂
That's wholesome. Considering Little League used to be 11 and under. Which helps separate kids from prepubescent boys and high schoolers. He should have been playing with kids his own age. Not elementary children
Ya I got a forged one of those also👍
It doesn’t mean the birth certificate was real…..
My mom had to do that for me, at every tournament until I was in high school. And I'm not even that big. Lol.
I'm so stoned when you showed the picture of the 4 kids comparing their height I legit thought the one was their coach 😂
This team was so fun to watch. Every year when I see ads for the tournament I get reminded of this team.
In 1992 and 1993, a kid from Long beach CA, Sean Burroughs won the Little League Works Series back to back. Was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the first round with the ninth overall pick. I think he's the best player I ever saw in the LLWS. He was a pitcher in LLWS and a third baseman in the Majors.
Number 22 was hitting a .500. Blonde Head Kid #1 team in the nation
In my 65 years I've never seen a team like Chula Vista,What a joy watching this team in the summer of 2009. They'll always be ''The boys of summer''
I remember that West squad! Any team that comes out the West Region is an automatic contender. I'm a little bias being from SoCal myself. I'm 42 years old and have watched the LLWS every year since like 12 years old. My Grandpa used to take me to Western Regional games. The atmosphere is awesome there. Great Video bro!
Unfortunately, the West teams' parents are the worst.
I'm from Williamsport, grew up in the 90s, and worked over there every summer. (When I was 12, we went to regionals and lost against Tom's River, NJ who won it all that year.)
Anyway, about the West coast teams that come through. Assholes! Straight up, assholes!
The year I was 15 selling sodas over there (yes, I could clear $700 in a week in the late 90s/early 2000s just being a soda vendor), there was one father who.had to be removed from the stadium and have his family pass taken from him, all because I stopped to sell a bunch of sodas to a group of kids sitting two rows down and in front of the father who's kid apparently was at bat at the time.
Rather than move himself so he could see his kid swing away, instead, he had to come down and get in my face, screaming and yelling. I'm 15, small for my age, and getting screamed at by a grown ass man! Yeah, security didn't take too well to that. He was perma-banned from the family section for the rest of the series.
That's just one incident. The parents....the PARENTS! Would come downtown and barhop. They'd get drunk and rowdy. I was a bouncer at both a nightclub and a bar a few blocks over in my early 20s. At the bar I worked at on Wednesday and Thursday nights, (I worked the nightclub Fridays and Saturdays). One Thursday night, a group of 40-something parents come over acting like they're a bunch of 20 year old kids. Acting stupid. I go to kick em out, and they act all like:
"Dont you know who we are!?" And flash their family passes for the stadium across the river in South Side, as if that's some sort of excuse and as if I cared! I ended up having to grip up the one dude, and shoved him out of the door onto the sidewalk. The other parents tried assaulting me, and one wan flung her drink at me. A few ended up in cuffs, then released after being warned not to come back or else they'll face trespassing charges. I pressed charges against the bitch who threw her drink at me. She paid her fine, and was barred from the stadium the next day when LLWS security got wind or it.
Another time, security witnessed a California coach screaming obscenities at one of his players in one of the practice fields below the stadium. Which was disallowed conduct by Little League International. They threatened to suspend him, but in the end, decided it was bad for publicity and both coach agreed to not act like that in front of any cameras. Which are all over the damn place.
They're also incredibly rude in general, and have no qualms about bullying other teams. The things you can hear them shout sometimes during a game. Wondering if a camera pick it up or not. Lol
California was the reason that noisemakers were banned, so the nostalgic sounds of cowbells no longer ring out over there. They got those obnoxious Swedish bullhorn things that were so popular at the Olympics and the Fifa World Cup, and used those RELENTLESSLY non-fucking stop! So Little League turned around and banned all noisemakers. Destroyed the cowbell tradition that dates back half a century before then!
So yeah. I kinda don't like the teams from California.
Damn bro I’m a 6’1 180 college pitcher this dude weighed more than me as a 13 year old wtf
Except he wasn't actually 13
REPENT JESUS CHRIST IS COMING BACK SO SOON💗
At 13 I hit 6ft 220. I didn't grow another inch lol
A 13 yr old that went to school with my son was 6'4 200 & when he graduated he was 6'8 270! I was only 5'2 125 when I was 13 but shot up to 6'2 180 by 15 & never grew again but gained weight to 210 when I graduated
@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman damn 125 at 5'2😳
Chula Vista had some absolutely insane teams over the years. This 2009 team may not have even been the best of theirs all time
I watched every game they played in LLWS. They were good!!
I lived in the same cul-de-sac as Bula growing up, I was in 5th grade & all the kids in the cul-de-sac would play cops and robbers (a version of hide-n-seek) almost every single day. Bula might've been in Kindergarten and he would come out with his older brother Hau'oli and they would literally break everyone's ankles. Most the "robbers" would go find a good place to hide on our street while the cops were counting down, but those two would literally stand in the middle of the street and the cops couldn't ever get a solo tag on them no matter how hard they tried. You mentioning him in this video brought me right back to my childhood days playing with Bula's older brother at Parkview little league and getting my ankles broken playing as a kid in the streets of Chula Vista.
Lloyd ' The Legend ' McClendon in 1971. In three games he went 5 for 5 with 5 homeruns. He was intentionally walked every other at bat. Played in the majors and managed the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He's famous for taking the base with him to the clubhouse lmao
This is what i was coming to say. cant get much better than Legendary Lloyd
1989 Cubs alum
Great informative analysis video yankeesam11. "Intimidating"; That's the word I was looking for... I have played in the older version of The Little League World Series (16-18) in Florida back in '76 and was blessed to be a 2nd round pick (hit .454 in college) but did not make it to "The Show". "Size" doesn't always matter fellas!
Great video! This goes to show you how hard it is to get to the Big Leagues!
Thank you for the kind words! Hope you subscribe and stay part of this UA-cam community, Doug!
Thats some impressive numbers by all three players and the team. Dude wanted to broadcast and did. Was fun to watch. Great video
Great content, from a former San Diegan. Thanks for the 90s San Diego
Thank you kind sir!
A good friend of mine was 6’ and 230lbs when we were 13 and he was an absolute beast. He was hitting a home run 98% of the time he was at bat, but if he didn’t hit a home run he was out because he was so slow. Right now he is 6’1 420lbs so he went a little down hill.
The only reason was cause he was so much bigger
@@Dan-md3hr ya think?
98 HR % - trust me bro
He became a land whale lol
Imagine performing like that in LLWS even though your ex is hassling you over alimony.
And your UPS supervisor wants you back on your route Tuesday at the latest, no excuses.
And you’re also having to coach your sons little league team after practice
This was the best team I’ve ever seen. They wouldn’t be eligible today, since you can’t be 13 anymore.
2011 ocean beach team might have an edge, so much athleticism and success on that team after the llws
The 92 and 93 Long Beach team was the best ive ever watched. Sean Burroughs was a beast on the mound and at the plate. Back to back no hitters and hit bombs
Great Lakes team from a couple years ago?
I was the brute of my team when I was 12 back in 1985. I was 5'11" and 195 lbs. I was an ace and I was expected to hit atleast 1 dinger per game. In my team photos in the newspaper when we won Regionals people thought I was a coach. I had my main growth spurt abnormally early. I was a 5'5" 10 year old. It was hard for me in High School. I stopped growing at 14 at 6'3" and 245lbs. Everybody around me was catching up. By my Junior year I was still had decent numbers and by the time I was a senior I was average. I wouldn't trade my childhood for the world. I had a blast but I will say this. The disappointment and crushed self-esteem I had fucked me up for a few years after high school. To go from the talk of the town to forgotten in the span of a few years is soul crushing but also taught me a lesson in being humble.
Great life observation I graduated in 85 and I love the fact that the sociological ramifications of those experiences can be positive and negative if not dealt with in a positive way .when I had children I tried to teach them about those things ... always gave positive reinforcement along with a touch of reality..lollol 🤨🤨....⚓⚓⚓⚓🇺🇲🇺🇲go navy marines.
Great video bro. So cool to hear what these guys did after little league and even better Luke responded. When I was a teenager there was a kid that was 6'5-6'7 and played 2 years in a row. He was so scary that they wouldn't even pitch to him much. He even had a big little bro that played later. Just thought you could check him out on your free time. Be safe and thanks for the video.
His leadership skills I'm sure has helped him be successful in his career. A lot of the best athletes are actually pretty smart and often go onto being successful in other things. For example, studies have shown that gifted athletes are very good with spatial aptitude.
Fantastic documentary! I remember him. Greatest team ever! I live within walking distance of Lamade and Volunteer stadiums. The teams coming out of California are always top notch contenders, but that team was unbelievable! Great video, thank you very much!
Yeah it also helps when you’re swinging the Easton stealth XL, thing is the most OP bat ever made.
Other kid was hitting with a Combat B2 Da Bomb too. I was a very small 11 year old but was considered a power hitter going into All Stars just because of that bat.
that bat is op. but i was a fan of the demarini bats
Great video!! Enjoyed it very much. Best of luck to all of them.
The Combat B2 was the best bat in Little League history. I remember having to pitch a game against a team that had both Luke and Kiko (this was after their championship). I vividly remember giving up a 2 run shot to Luke, he sent that to the moon.
The B1 was better IMO
Orange mako had the biggest sweet spot bombs no matter where you hit it! Most used bat, so hot they made a story about it.
I remember hitting with that bat. Basically any contact, even jammed or off the end of the bat, felt squared up
I also pitched against Parkview… wasn’t fun
@@Joetrout The Combat B2 was banned, the Mako was not. The B2 was one of the first composite bats produced under the 1.15bpf standard, however they tested all bats right out of the wrapper, not realizing that composite bats get hotter as they are worked in. There is no question that the B2 was hotter than the Mako - not even close. I have two of them for fun and they are like softball bats.
I was a bat boy at 9 years of age and there was another freak of nature. Bob Reed was his name and at 14 years old he would ride his bike to the store and buy beer 🍺. Long towering dingers was his specialty. I my late 20’s I would play 16 inch softball with him where we once won the state championship. He passed away a few years ago and your video brought me back to my playing days with the “gentle giant “.
This was the best team of all time. This team was stacked. Alex Rios could have arguably been the best player on the team also. But all these dudes were sick. I was in high school when I saw them dominate. Kiko was dope.
They were all GOATs. Hope you subscribe and stay part of this UA-cam community, JT!
And Al Rios is like 6'7" so its shocking he wasnt even the biggest kid on the team lol.
Excellent video. I like the way you showed the best hitter, the best athlete then came to Luke. Thank you for the information. I watched him that year in the LLWS. As you said I remember that year because Luke was soooo big. Good to get an update from you.
I played every sport growing up and there was always that one player that we thought would go pro but no unfortunately they are just good for the moment
That was me unfortunately lmaoooo. Was 5'8 and 160 in fifth grade but i could move for my size. Always picked first in all the recreational league drafts they held for each season for baseball football and basketball. I peaked in middle school sporting wise. Played varsity 3 years in highschool for football and baseball but was never really the best on my team.
Great post with my birthplace, Williamsport. I am really am privileged to see Williamsport on national TV every year. When I was young, it was only aired on ABC's Wide World of Sports; amazing how it's progressed since then. Williamsport, itself, only has around 30,000 people so it's definitely special. Btw, Mike Mussina is 2 yrs younger than me and I am lucky enough to truthfully claim I went to grade school with him in nearby Montoursville. He moved back and coaches Little League of course.
Glad they did something after school, I know too many people that hold on to those years and struggle after it's all gone.
Looking back 50 or so years at the guys I played with that I thought had 'what it takes' to get to the majors, I realize that the stars in Little League and HS rarely went any further. Perhaps they 'peaked' too early or were burnt out by coaches/Parents/pressure.
100%. All the guys who made it to the majors that I played with or went to my highschool were very low-key players who were skilled in very specific things in both batting and defense. They also looked like normal people, not crazy large athletes
I went to high school with Evan Longoria at St John Basco and he was a regular dude living a regular life with friends and all and he made it to major league I feel these kids here are over pressured and by the time they hit high school all the parents dreams will be shattered because it won’t be fun anymore to the kids when they get older
@@ManCity-5Peat-Loading It's a little like Steve Prefontaine, the Olympic distance runner who grew up about an hour from where I now live. Apparently his first year in high school, he was _decent_ but nothing more; in the mile, he was just outside the top 50 at the Oregon state championships (not typically as competitive as, say, the California or New York championships since our whole state population is a fraction of Los Angeles or NYC alone). He was just beginning to stand out in his sophomore and junior years, but not before.
I am 6'4 230 but growing up I was always around the same height or a little taller than the average kid. I was always the best even when the freaky guys would grow 6 inches i was still more skilled. I went on to be a college hall of fame baseball player and then signed with the brewers I was 20. Point being the guys who grow early are just better because they are bigger you look for the kids or kid who is still just as good as the bigger guys but he is of normal size
It's a lot of different things, and it's different for each player with high expectations that never "Made it."
Too much pressure from parents and coaches at too young an age.
Too much ego.
Related to too much ego, is the "know-it-alls." Overly confident arrogance to the point of never learning or progressing with their mechanics that always "worked so well" for them all along.
Generally not caring. Just something they never really had an interest in to begin with, even if they did have natural talent.
The ones who "make it," are the ones who go along every day. Doing all the little everyday mundane things, and in a seemingly casual manner. Just doing what they love doing. Lifint weights. Maybe running. Taking a few extra drills everyday. Remaining humble and listening to coaches and doing as they ask. Being observant. Slowly building up newer, better, more precise techniques. Such as their batting stance: everything from hand and foot placement, to movent of the hips and arms. How they squat in a ready position on the field.
12 year olds are naturally "sloppy" in comparison to the pros. Obviously. The best players at the age of 12, are also sloppy. But they're so used to be being so dominant. They are too comfortable and become too attached and set in their ways. And it isnt necessarily that they Don't WANT to improve. It's more along the lines that they are not ABLE to improve. Brains begin to lose their childlike neuro-plasticity by the time they're in high school. It literally becomes extremely difficult to get rid of the incorrect muscle memory they've so thoroughly developed that worked so damn well at a too young of an age.
Moral of the story: chances of making it to MLB is slim to none.
Facts along with every other sport
@@sbc4434 every player in the mlb was definitely the best players on their high school teams. Tony kemp was probably way better than anyone on his high school team. I dominated up through high school and got drafted at 18, then was very mediocre once I got into the minors lol. It’s actually not too hard to get get looked at by scouts and get to the minors, getting to the bigs is a whole different monster.
Not necessarily true, Paul Goldschmidt didn’t even make the high school roster
@@brandon-vl2mi I’m going to call bs on that. His Wikipedia page says he was his high schools starting 3rd baseman.
@@drossi101 yes, you are correct. I guess I meant he wasn’t anything special until his junior/ senior year.
Very cool, thanks for making this video. I remember rooting for Chula Vista every game at that LLWS. Luke and Keiko were amazing Little League stars and I figured they both would have long and successful baseball careers
I pitched against a guy who was as tall as this kid when I was 12 the tallest kid in the league almost took my head off with a line drive back up the middle I felt the wind of the baseball go past my face I'll never forget it I almost died
Glad you're still alive. Hope you subscribe and stay part of this UA-cam community, Steve!
I did all the time. It was my cousin Travis. He was probably 6'0 and 250 by 13. He would hit tons of homeruns but he couldn't hit me. I was too fast. I was probably pitching around 65 or 70 by 12 years old.
@@ebogar42 that’s cool and all but have you ever played with a kid who’s projected to go 15th overall in this years draft. I’m Canadian so obviously I’m talking about the nhl. I Won some big ass tournament we where the second hometown team to win it ever and it’s been going on since the 70s my dads team was the first. I won with this kid when I was 12 there was 2 kids on the team who had dads who played in the nhl only one made it anywhere after minor hockey. Yes I’m 18😂
@@noland5345 I've played sports with pro athletes and even played semi-pro myself. I've seen a lot of good talent and my cousin was one of them. He could have been pro if he would have stayed in college and not started partying. There was a guy who was around our age who he was better at and the other guy played in the NFL for years. I've played with talent like this. I did play all-stars every year for Little League. We had a decent team that could have stomped these teams, but never had the right coaches and lacked on hitting heat. There were only a few pitchers that even could pitch fast in our area, and two was in Covington little league which included me and my teammate, and the others were in Clifton Forge which we never played with besides all-stars. Most of us never saw a lot of heat or used to it, but if we would have been we could have went far in all-stars which leads up to the world series.
San Diego California Baby thats my City 🌃 Born and Raised I went to Mt. Miguel and Valhalla High School. Was raised in Spring Valley/ SkyLine. I was Drafted in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft.Retired from baseball now. That Kid Reminds me of a Teammate of mine named Henry Sanchez he went to Mission Bay and played with Matt Bush R.I.P Big Hank
Crazy I randomly found this, I went to school with Bula graft and Luke. Small ass world
Same man, just popped up in my recommended right now. Pretty dope that you went to school with them!
Is it crazy though? They’re always watching us
The league I play at has a picture of this team in our scorebooth, of them playing on one of our fields.
This was a really good video. It would be cool if you did more on LL teams.
Those bats were ridiculously hot in those days
They changed the rule after that year they banned BBCORE in bats 😂😂
COMBAT OP FOR SURE. Hope you subscribe and stay part of this UA-cam community, Charlie!
They still are! You got got 12yr olds swinging drop 10-12 bats! By the time you are 12 and playing select travel ball you have to use a drop 8. Not only that a larger field also 70’ bags larger outfield not little league 60’ bases. Huge difference
@@christianamon2946 bbcor is a high school, college bat does not have any pop! Closest you can get to a wooden bat
@@Joetrout I meant to say composite! You’re right I been out the game so long, but I’m the same age as Luke I played for a rival little league. They banned composite bats the very next year. You’re right bbcore was weak
Good vid, man! Well researched!
Not gonna lie, I thought this was gonna be a story that ended in controversy after it would’ve come to light that he lied about his age, and now I feel bad for jumping to conclusions
Great video and storytelling! Well done!
He followed and attained his real dream. Dude won 1000%!
Thank You
Thank You
Thank You
In Jan 2009 I was headed into combat Iraq and totally missed this season. I was Medevac out in October 09 and missed 2010 and 2011 too!
Thanks for catching me up for 2009
Respectfully
LTCOLONEL
That's pretty funny I'm actually committed to wrestle at William Jewell next year 😂😂
Hey, maybe you'll be just as big of a legend as Bulla. Hope you subscribe and stay part of this UA-cam community, Joshua!
I’m sorry to hear that 😅
Liberty Missouri! Wendys just burned down there lol
Ironically my homie is wrestling their too, small world
"Imagine coming from overseas and your parents say youre 3 years younger than you actually are. Just imagine"
I appreciate your video but one could make the argument that the best team in Little League World Series history was the 1959 team from Hamtramck, MI and the best little league player in history was Art “Pinky” Deras.
As a 12 year old pitcher, he never lost a game. In that World Series year from local to the championship game, Deras had 18 starts, 18 wins, 16 shutouts, 10 No-hitters with 5 of them consecutive. He pitched in 108 innings, had 298 strikeouts and only 10 walks.
As a batter, he had a .641 batting average, 33 home runs and 112 RBI’s. Due to the changes in little league rules regarding appearances and pitch counts, Deras’ record will remain forever.
Sadly, “Pinky” Deras passed away this past June.
RIP “Pinky”, you were the best!
I remember watching this team when I was younger. The whole reason I know what Chula Vista is was because this team. Every time I hear it today I think of this team. I remember Kiko especially. He was a ball player. I also remember thr crowd used to go "LUUUUUUKKKKKEEEEEE" when he'd come up bat lol
“These Dominican birth certificates say otherwise” jack Donaghy
This is my favorite team, great video!
You got a lot of potential. Underrated channelm
APPRECIATE YOU!
Well narrated. I remember seeing the little league World Series on tv that year. That was a really good team.
I actually hit 6ft when I was 13, I just didn't weigh as much, I was a little more lean at 180 pounds, I'm 14 now and 6'2 190 lbs. Its sad that he didn't grow too much after 13. Still was a beast at 6'3 220 though.
I wish I was that tall 😜 Hope you subscribe and stay part of this UA-cam community!
Lucky bastard I’m 14 and still 5ft
I am 13 but 6ft and 190 and mostly musical I am a wrestler and i do bjj and boxing
@@yankeesam11 subscribed
@@dylanwanders5983 stop your whining I’m a month from 16 and I’m 5’5”
I love LLWS and watch it every year since I was a kid. That Chula Vista team was by far and away the best I've ever seen. I've always wondered what happened to these kids. Thanks for the video update.
I kind of know about bulla, he lived in my house right before me and crazy enough my uncle is my neighbor and was bullas, my cousin was friends with him and my cousin is also my barber and him living in my house got brought up and he mentioned how he was gonna hang out with him That night, from what I remember he learned a trade and makes good money and has a good life
Just remember ... Hard work always beats talent ... Always
Not always, but once the level of play becomes even like in professional level, the hard work needs to be there.
I was waiting for you to talk about Bula, he was a monster at Bishops. every game you would see him flying like a rocket smashing someone hard. Although he was uncover-able, I still went to watch Him smash people. My son was the track coach there at the time, so we never missed a game. I still wear my Bishop gear and believe it or not I get mocked for doing it, there our so many Bishop haters out there. I guess that what drew me to the school, if people are hating, you must be doing something right. Thanks for the video, great job
Love Bishop's! Hope you stay part of this UA-cam community, Philip!
6 foot kids at 13 isn't unusual at all. See them all the time. Once the other kids catch up they aren't dominant anymore. Glad he has a good head on his shoulders and achieved his dream job. Way to go, kid.
The average height for an adult male in the US is under 5’10”. So 6’ at 13 years is unusual.
@@reyleon67 I am aware of what the average height is. I simply stated it's not unusual to see a 6 foot 13 year old. I have probably seen at least 10 just this weekend at my sons little league tournament.
@@mynameisnotbob941 a kid on my sons team is 6ft and he’s 12, absolutely crushes the ball, as well as his hitting coach has a few kids 6ft or better at 13u level. Let alone tournaments. Totally agree it’s not unusual imo anymore.
He's just a kid that hit puberty at probably 9-10 years old so by 12-13 he was almost full grown. As his final height proves. Those are the kids you see dominating in little league unless of course your name is Joe Domenico. Joe didn't hit puberty until he was 13 but was hitting homeruns at the extremely rare age of only 9 YEARS OLD!!!! He was 85lbs literally hitting the ball over 200ft.(THAT IS RARE/UNIQUE) that is special. A 200lb kid or even a 140lb kid hitting little league homeruns doesn't mean much TBH. Its all about weight and distance. My son should have played in Williamsport his last year of little league but the manager wasn't to sharp. Joe Domenico was 5'8 his last year of little league. He now stands 6'4 200lbs with about 4-5% body fat. Only 16 he can hit balls about 400ft right now. So when he's in his 20's with full manpower he should be hitting 450-500ft tape measure shots.
Sean Burroughs was by far one of the best little leaguers to come out of California. That Long Beach squad ruled the early 90s out in Williamsport. Too bad his MLB career didn't really pan out.
Man haven't heard his name in a long time! Sean won back 2 back little league championships!
Too many GOATs to name, Luke is just my personal favorite. Hope you subscribe and stay part of this UA-cam community, Curtis!
My dad's friend coached against them in the first tournament and told him how good they were so we got to follow them all the way to the Regionals in San Bernadino. We knew how good they were and it was a lot of fun watching that team. But Sean B. and a family friend who won the Bronco WS were the best 12 year olds I've ever seen play.
@@yankeesam11 Burroughs was much more talented than Luke. 1st Rd draft pick out of HS too!
This was a fun vid to watch! San Diego represent!
I have to disagree. The most feared and greatest little league player was Lloyd McClendon...PERIOD! Nicknamed "Legendary Lloyd", at the 1971 LLWS he homered in five consecutive at bats. They were his only official at bats, as in every other plate appearance the opposing team had him intentionally walked. By the way, he also had a pretty good MLB career.
He was a great coach with the Tigers too! If I remember correctly Tigers hitters won 3 or 4 batting titles with his as our hitting coach
I haven't watched the LLWS in recent years don't really care to anymore, but I would say this team was the best one I seen. Him being the best, most intimidating player too.
You forgot the most important contributor of the team, the B2 bomber composite bat. I mean c'mon that bat was ridiculous
Found this by complete accident. Really great stuff!
Dam I remember looking up this team and watching every game. Put the city on the map
Team was hype fosho!
I don't have much to say, but great video! I never even knew there was a Little League World Series; of course, I am not a big baseball fan either (only really watch Jomboy Media lololol). Anyway, I am always really interested in knowing what happened to people after the "story" ends (in this case after the Championship game). Also it was really cool that you have a personal connection to the team. Once again, great video! Later
I’d say the 6’8” kid from the Saudi Arabian team would be a scarier sight in the on deck circle
Both him and his brother
Great vid, keep ‘em coming
I went to school with bula and kiko and still remember the huge celebration we had for them at our middle school
Awesome video. I stay in south bay. That team was the best and they gave us a lot of pride!!
His swing is a splitting image of Troy Glaus
I remember being 9 years old, or had just turned nine because these games were always around my birthday, and I remember was watching these games with my family and my grandpa was just astonished at how big all these 13 year olds were and I didn’t understand until literally years later where you look at these kids in the LLWS now and they are just so small.
I live in Chula Vista too!!!
Hope you stay part of the community!
Was this the team from Chula Vista that played together on a club team in Mexico? I remember a lot of travel teams back then that would bounce across the border routinely throughout the year.
Dude im from Chula Vista and they were really good I mean really good, they were basically a club team playing little league.
All fax no printer. Hope you stay part of the community!
Nicely done sir. Good Luck to You
That was one of the biggest cheap shots I’ve ever seen.
Wow. I think about this team all the time and was wondering when someone would do a video on them. It was amazing to watch them when I was 12 years old and cheering them on. Blue bombers
Chula vista blue bombers 🥲🥲🥲
YERR, HOPE YOU STAY PART OF THIS COMMUNITY!
When I was 14 I was 6'0 210 lbs. I am now 17 6'1 260 lbs. I was a beast in Little league. Now I am an above average high school hitter.
He had me by a couple inches and a few pounds at 13, but I had a full beard. I bet his mother had to carry around his birth certificate also.
We had TONY GARFOLLA..6’2”…230lbs…catcher. He would block home plate like you parked a semi there. He would hit home runs so far over the fence that he almost injured girls on the softball field which was way over dead centerfield. That was 48 yrs ago but I still remember his name and the sound of the big bell rigging out his homers😀
I played softball with a guy like this. A lot of us at 11-12 were like 5'6-'5'8 weighed maybe 100-120lbs at best, this kid shows up in my second year playing he's 6'0 and probably weighed if I had to guess 185 or so. quiet and kept to himself but holy christ he could crush a fast pitched softball a country mile. He was the guy that if I was standing on first I knew if he cranked it I could basically jog the bases for a run. Greatest memory was him,myself and a friend of ours named Ryan all hitting home runs back to back in one of the last games of our 12 year old year. None of bothered playing pee-wee division which was 13-16 but funnily enough in our early 20's we all ended up on the same men's softball team.
Just crazy how big some kids can be.
Tell me about it. I wasnt allowed to play football until I was 14 cuz I was so big lol.
Well done, my man.
Great video, man. My 12 year old is 6 feet tall and weighs in at a whopping 130 pounds. He loves baseball. He’s good at it. Really good. BUT, that doesn’t mean he’ll play pro ball. He might realize a love for building or engineering or comedy (he’s a clown). The things we’re known for in our youth aren’t necessarily the things we’ll be known for when we’re older.
My nephew played on that team, he didn't get to go to the little league world series tho. They wanted to take all the kids that was 12 and 13 years old. My nephew was 11 at the time. But he had stories about that team. I don't know how true it is, but my nephew told me he struck out Kiko and Luke. That team was stacked. To leave talented players behind (my nephew wasn't the best player out there, but he wasn't no slouch) and still had the best team that year. Amazing!
Real recognize real. Hope you subscribe and stay part of this community, Jason!
What a Great follow up story.
Your video Title is incorrect! Art "Pinky" Deras is the greatest player and holds numerous unbreakable records. In the annals of Little League Baseball, Deras is arguably the greatest player of all-time. The Hamtramck, MI "a polish city in the middle of Detroit" team reached the World Series finals in 1959 having won nine of ten tournament games by shutout. In the finals Deras tossed a one-hit, 5-0 shutout against Puerto Rico, hit a grand slam in a 7-1 victory over Hawaii, and threw a three-hit 12-0 victory over West Auburn, CA in the championship game. Deras’s single season pitching statistics were staggering: 18 starts, 18 complete game victories, 16 shutouts, 10 no-hitters, 298 strikeouts (only 26 outs in the field), and just 10 walks in 108 innings. At the plate he hit 13 home runs in 13 tournament games, giving him 33 for the season, along with 112 RBI and a .641 average. Only two years after winning the Little League World Series, Hamtramck again led by pitcher-hitter Art “Pinky” Deras captured the World Pony League baseball title for 13- and 14-year-olds. The Hamtramck youth baseball program became the first to win both championships. Since then only Marietta, Georgia has duplicated the fete. Artie ruled the PSL at Hamtramck High, then signed with the St. Louis Cardinals when he graduated. He played at Memorial Park which is a historic negro league stadium in Hamtramck. I grew in Hamtramck/Detroit and is why I know of the legend of Art Pinky Deras. Heres a clip of his feats from the documentary ua-cam.com/video/k1s2v3DMH0I/v-deo.html&ab_channel=NPASHF
I was kind of like that growing up. I was 5’11 200 in 7th-8th grade and was hitting a couple doubles and a home run just about every game. I was also the hardest throwing pitcher in the league but as soon as everyone else hit puberty I was just average and quit playing after my sophomore year in HS
I wasn’t nearly as good as that kid but it just shows you the advantage you have in sports growing before everyone else does
Not wrong. Hope you subscribe and stay part of this community!
Dude great video!! I just subbed.