LAPRAAC’S annual softball season concluded with the traditional Red Davis tournament. This year LAPRAAC split the tournament into two brackets, A bracket, those teams with a .500 record or better, and the B bracket, those teams who got the stuffing kicked out of them by the A bracket teams. The tournament was held over three days, June 2, 3, and 4, utilizing 8 fields in the Valley at Hjelte Park and Balboa Park. This format leveled the playing field for teams that were not as fast, strong, or as young.
A Bracket
June 2, 2009 was the preliminary round of the double elimination tournament. Fifteen teams competed in the upper division. There would have been sixteen, but Harbor Division dropped out at the last minute due to participation issues on the team. The number one seed was the 2008 championship squad, FID/PAB with the second seed being their opponent from last year’s championship game Devonshire Blue team. FID/PAB was the league champion of the Central league and Devonshire Blue was the champion of the Valley league. With 15 teams, FID/PAB was awarded the bye in the first game of the tournament. The other 13 top teams were South East, Rampart, Van Nuys, West L.A., Newton, Mission, OO Crew, Hollenbeck, Topanga, Olympic, Metro, Foothill, and Wilshire. Their were some whiners in this group who wondered why they had to play with the other good teams but the selection for this group was based on their record, number of runs scored and the umpires opinion of which teams were strongest. Metro a perennial power house in this event with several Red Davis championships to their credit was knocked out in two games losing to Olympic and Wilshire.
FID/PAB and Devonshire Blue were the two undefeated teams at the end of the day and advanced to the finals to be played on June 4. Hollenbeck suffering a second round loss to Devonshire Blue won its way out of the loser’s bracket to move to the final day of the tournament. Olympic a Central League team like Hollenbeck earned the right to play in the finals after losing to Devonshire Blue in the winner’s bracket third round game.
B Bracket
Thirteen teams (Northeast, West Valley, DSVD, ASD, GOSD, CTD, Pacific, OVB/VCTF, Southwest, WTD, Juvenile, VTD, and 77th, comprised the have not’s or bottom feeders bracket. Rather than seed teams most of which did not have more than 3 wins the bracket was picked by lottery. West Valley, VTD and 77th drew the bye games. While the fielding was not as crisp, nor was the pitching as good, nor was the hitting as timely, the competition was fierce and good sportsmanship abounded. Air Support Division led by Lieutenant Phil Smith and Sergeant Gary and 77th Division were the undefeated teams at the end of Wednesday June 3. West Valley won its way through the loser’s bracket after suffering a second round defeat (West Valley’s first game) at the hands of DSVD a team with a single win in the South league. Amazingly the Geritol bunch or the over the hill gang, GOSD won its way through the loser’s bracket after sustaining a first round loss to Air Support Division.
Finals June 4, 2009
B bracket began play at 8:00 am with the winners Air Support and 77th street facing off to see who would remain undefeated. ASD’s bats broke loose and they defeated 77th Division 23-11 to remain in the tournament driver’s seat. To take the championship from ASD the remaining teams would have to beat them twice or in tournament parlance double dip them. West Valley played GOSD in the loser’s bracket game. West Valley jumped out to an 8 to nothing lead in the first inning and followed up with a 7 run second inning. Unbelievably the old guys fought back and surged ahead 17 to 15 in the fifth inning the two teams battled tooth and nail the final two innings, and West Valley came back to win the game 24-20. West Valley went on to play 77th for the right to face off with ASD. West Valley was the victim of a missed call on a bang-bang play in the first inning. Some of the West Valley players were unable to move forward from this bad call and 77th won the game 18-5.
Air Support was the home team against 77th. In a game where it seemed everyone forgot how to hit 77th moved one step closer to winning the championship defeating ASD 7-5. This set up a one game match-up for the championship. After a five minute break the two teams were back on the field. In the first inning 77th broke out for 10 big runs. 77th was still in the lead after 3 innings, and then ASD broke through for 5 runs and cut the deficit by half. 77th scored a couple more, but then ASD struck with several big innings coming back to win the championship of the B Bracket 22-15. Congratulations to ASD on their hard earned win.
Hollenbeck and Olympic, Central League rivals squared off in the first game of the A league championship bracket to determine who would come all the way out of the loser’s bracket. Olympic delivered a 23-12 beat down to earn the right to play the loser of the undefeated’s game. FID/PAB faced off against Devonshire blue. FID/PAB jumped out to a 9-1 lead. Undaunted Devonshire Blue clawed their way back into the game. Dev Blue scored 8 and trailed by just 1. FID/PAB scratched out a couple more runs giving them a little breathing room. Dev Blue chipped back at the lead closing in again, but fell short losing 18-15, sending them to play Olympic for the opportunity to unseat FID/PAB.
Dev Blue and Olympic played a very low scoring game with several great defensive plays made by each team. In the end Dev Blue squeaked past Olympic 7-6, setting up a rematch for the championship with FID/PAB. Dev Blue faced the daunting task of defeating FID/PAB twice to win the championship since FID/PAB entered the game undefeated (double elimination). FID/PAB jumped out to an early lead again. Dev Blue had trouble breaking through and did not score until the third inning. FID/PAB continued to add runs incrementally. Dev Blue bats came alive and started scoring in bunches, unfortunately it turned out to be too little too late. FID/PAB repeated as Red Davis tournament champion for a second year in a row defeating Dev Blue 15-10. Congratulations to FID/PAB for another great season and championship.
This tournament was a great event. It was great to get out and see so many of our members out there playing ball. There was a lot of cross over from basketball, Eric Moore, Alfonso Villaneda, Rick Arteaga, Fernando Prieto, Javier Montenegro and many others played in both leagues. Just a word to the wise Eric Moore, buy some cleats and don’t try to play softball in your Air Jordans, or as your team mates identified them, Frankenstein boots.
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