Coach: 'Now, we got one win, we're riding high'
By Clyde Tanabe
Special to The Advertiser
Hawai'i has a representative at the Little League World Series for the first time since 1988. The tournament, for ages 11 and 12, started yesterday in South Williamsport, Pa.
Waipi'o defeated Worcester, Mass., 3-2, in the first game of the opening round-robin.
Clyde Tanabe, 47, who has been coaching youth baseball for 17 years, is Waipi'o's manager. His son Kurt, 12, is a member of the team.
Tanabe agreed to share his thoughts with Advertiser readers in a daily diary during the World Series.
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| Worcester's Micah Golshirazion, left, was tagged out near home plate by Waipi'o picher Kurt Tanabe as he tried to score, keeping the game scoreless in the third inning at the Little League World Series.
Associated Press photos |
After meeting with umpires, we took batting practice from 10 (a.m.) to 11:30.
We had lunch about noon and got dressed for the opening ceremonies. We were in full uniform but the ceremonies didn't start on time.
I don't know what the humidity was but we waited under the (Volunteer Stadium) stands and it was like a sweat box.
We said, "Let's get it on already." But we had to wait a half hour.
About 2 p.m. (for 4 p.m. game) we took the field. It was fantastic, everybody was cheering.
When we saw their pitcher (6-foot, 206-pound Frank Flynn), it was like, no problem.
Then he started throwing. I said, OK, that's why we practice. This guy was throwing darts, throwing BBs.
We go through the lineup once. I tell the kids, "Don't worry, we'll catch up to the fastball."
After going through the order once, I changed their stances ... opened up their stances so there would be no step (into the pitch), just a turn of the hips and swing.
He (Flynn) was throwing too hard. By the time we stepped, the ball was past. I felt we just had to react to his pitches.
(On son Kurt's homer). I told him to sit on the first fastball he can get.
The stadium erupted when he homered. When it went over, I said, "OK, we got a one-run lead." But I wasn't comfortable with that. We scored another run, but I felt it still wasn't enough.
Before the top of the fifth, I told Kurt you need to set them down without any walks.
But he walked the backside of the order, now the top side came up and we got in trouble. (Worcester tied the game at 2).
In the bottom of the fifth, I told them not to worry. We got two more at-bats and they got one.
I was confident we could shut them down in the sixth because it was the backside of the order.
(In the bottom of the sixth, Tanabe huddled with his players and provided encouragement. ESPN2 caught Tanabe telling his players that they were going to win this game "right here and right now"... in front of the fans in the stands and "millions of people" watching.)
I said all that. I didn't know I was mic'd. I was just trying to hype them up. This is what you want to do; you want to play in front of all these guys.
I told Travis to sit on a fastball. I knew he was going to catch up to him. He has potential to hit a home run every swing.
As soon as he hit it. I'm like, get out of here, get out of here. This one was a line drive, I didn't know if it had enough carry.
The dugout exploded. This was the first walkoff home run we had.
I'm like OK, we come here and lose all three, I'm all right with that. This is the last eight teams out of 2,000-something (nationally). You can't get your hopes up so high about winning.
Now, wow, we won one game. We won a World Series game. It hasn't sunk in yet. It won't sink in until after because we're here to do our best.
Even if we do our best, we might not win. Now, we got one win, we're riding high.
We were sitting here in front of (reporters') microphones with people firing questions.
Afterward, I let them (the players) meet their parents in a tent outside the field.
Tomorrow, we're going to practice, hit in a cage, field a few, swim.
Also, the homework came in today, so we'll have study hall.
Sunday's pitcher is going to be between Travis (Jones) and Cory (Yuh).
(According to the rules, if you've pitched more than an inning in the previous game, you can't pitch the next game.)
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| Worcester's Micah Golshirazion, left, was tagged out near home plate by Waipi'o picher Kurt Tanabe as he tried to score, keeping the game scoreless in the third inning at the Little League World Series. |
At South Williamsport, Pa.
POOL PLAY ROUND
Waipi'o (Northwest Champ) is in Pool A with New England (Worcester, Mass), Midwest (Webb City, Mo.), and Southwest (Fort Worth, Texas)
Yesterday
Waipi'o 3, Worcester, Mass. 2
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 3, North Regina, Saskatchewan, 2, 7 innings
Fort Worth, Texas, 1, Webb City, Mo., 0
Games involving Waipi'o:
Today
Day off
Tomorrow
Northwest (Waipi'o) vs. Southwest (Fort Worth, Texas), 9 a.m., ESPN, Howard J. Lamade Stadium
Monday, Aug. 19
Midwest (Webb City, Mo.) vs. Northwest (Waipi'o), 2 p.m., ESPN, Howard J. Lamade Stadium
Tuesday, Aug. 20
Day off; top two teams in each pool advance to single-elimination
SINGLE ELIMINATION ROUND
Wednesday, Aug. 21
International Semifinal (first-place team in Pool D vs. second-place team in Pool C), 10 a.m. Hawai'i time, ESPN, Howard J. Lamade Stadium
United States Semifinal (first-place team in Pool B vs. second-place team in Pool A), 1 p.m., Hawai'i time, ESPN2, Howard J. Lamade Stadium
Thursday, Aug. 22
International Semifinal (first-place team in Pool C vs. second-place team in Pool D), 9:30 a.m., Hawai'i time, ESPN2, Howard J. Lamade Stadium
United States Semifinal (first-place team in Pool A vs. second-place team in Pool B), 1 p.m., Hawai'i time, ESPN, Howard J. Lamade Stadium
Friday, Aug. 23
Open Date
Saturday, Aug. 24
International Championship, 9 a.m., Hawai'i time, ESPN; United States Championship, 1:30 p.m., Hawai'i time, ABC, both at Howard J. Lamade Stadium
Sunday, Aug. 25
Consolation Game, U.S. Runner-Up vs. International Runner-Up, 6 a.m., Hawai'i time
World Series Championship, 12:30 p.m., Hawai'i time, ABC, Howard J. Lamade Stadium
NOTE: This schedule is subject to change. For the latest updates, visit www.littleleague.org.
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Waipi'o roster
Jonathan Abe, Sanoe Aina, Sean Clark, Tony Fernandez, Alex Goya, Travis Jones, Kyle Kobayashi, Dominic Macanas, Isaac Moises, Daniel Nishimoto, Kelsey Outram, Jansen Rios, Kurt Tanabe, Cory Yuh.
Manager: Clyde Tanabe. Coaches: Delbert Macanas, Gordon Oshiro
Online cheering
Send the team your best wishes and "i mua" to online@honoluluadvertiser.com and we'll post them on our Web site.
