Jodie Valade
Plain Dealer Reporter
South Williamsport, Pa. The kids jiggled and danced in front of the crowd before the game even started, urged by a mascot to wiggle and laugh. They met a famous big-leaguer, earned the honor of reciting the Little League pledge for everyone, and even found some time to trade pins with buddies.
But afterward, the coach still nearly cried.
"These are happy tears," Tallmadge man ager Randy Keen explained, forcing a grin. "Not sad tears."
Keen insisted that Tallmadge's taste of the Little League World Series was filled with happy experiences, despite the 2-1 loss yes terday to the New England representative from Saugus, Mass. The loss was the first this season for Tallmadge, which continues with pool play at 8 p.m. today against the South east team from Boynton Beach, Fla. The top two teams from each of the four pools advance to the semifinal round.
"The kids battled to the very end and I'm very proud of them for that," Keen said, choking his words. "There are a million Little League teams out there who would want a 2-1 loss in Williamsport."
A million other Little Leaguers would love the total experience that Tallmadge had yesterday which included the tournaments opening ceremony and the honor of the opening game. And the opening game turned out to be a thriller, too, as a pitchers duel turned into a sixth-inning grapple for victory.
Ceremony overshadowed the day, though, as colorful flags from around the world filled Volunteer Stadium, and each player from the 16 teams earned a medal for advancing to Little Leagues highest level.
And when the Little League pledge was recited by players in every language represented in this years tournament, Tall madge third baseman Joe Cochran sauntered up to the micro phone on the pitchers mound to speak the English version.
After the hourlong ceremony, Tallmadge headed to the field for warm-ups. Any pregame jitters were pushed aside as second baseman Matt Keen smoothly worked with former major- leaguer Tom Candiotti to film a quick TV segment on the proper way to field a ball. And in the lull just before the first pitch, four Tallmadge players danced and laughed at home plate with the Little League mascot, Dugout.
The slight changes in the pregame ritual werent welcomed by everyone, as Randy Keen joked that wearing long pants instead of his customary shorts when managing was like wearing a suit.
Tallmadge wasnt quite the same hard-hitting team that qualified for the Little League World Series for the first time since Randy Keen played on the 1974 team. New England pitcher Michael Scuzzarella kept Tall madge off-balance with a curveball, while Tallmadge left-hander Jake Mays blanked the Massachusetts team for five innings.
In the sixth, left fielder David Ferreira slapped a single to left that drove home the first run of the game. One batter later, Tyler Grillo knocked in the winning run with another single.
Scuzzarella, a 4-10 12-year-old, kept Tallmadge at bay in the bot tom of the sixth with the curveball he has been working on for five years. Curveballs typically are highly discouraged for chil dren because of the pressure it puts on still-growing arms, but New England manager Rob Rochenski said he knew his offspeed pitcher was the right starter against Tallmadges pow erful offense.
Tallmadges three-hit rally in the sixth yielded one run, and tears from the proud coach. The experience of playing was enough for everyone to be happy about. A lot of kids dont get to experience that, Mays said.