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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. Armed with strong baseball fundamentals, a love for the game and a spirited Generals Lead the Way battle cry, a group of eight and nine-year-olds from White Plains stunned the Westchester Baseball Association summer league by going unbeaten in nine-Under league play and then winning the 10-Under tournament postseason title.
Fielding a balanced team, the Generals had a different hero or heroes in every game and a staff of coaches who emphasized basics and team play. General Manager Sander Gjokaj and Coaches Eddie Hanratty, Finbar Regan, Gene Kelly, Tom O'Brien and Daryl Wilson, assisted Halas in growing a solid team of team players. Nunzio DiSavino also assisted the team, providing statistics and photos of the games.
The young Generals fielded at a high level, pitched with a poised confidence and used an intelligent approach to offense.
These young guys play much older than they are, said Generals Manager Wally Halas, who displayed a calm, disciplined approach with his talented group of players throughout the season. We chose these kids because they all play baseball as their first sport. They really love playing, so that makes it easier to coach them.
The Generals won the nine-Under league with a sparkling 15-0-1 record and qualified for the WBA 10-Under tournament, where the team was the low seed. The young squad defeated Scarsdale in a close 4-2 game, endured a 10-inning marathon against Tuckahoe Youth Association in a 6-2 victory, then defeated a strong New Rochelle Braves team 4-3 in the title game.
We had very good infield and outfield play and we built innings with hitting, bunting, taking walks and running the bases, Halas said. I knew from the start we had this potential. All the boys put the effort and the results were amazing. I have to thank all the coaches and parents for their support.
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