Vern Styles pushed aside his foamy beer for a moment to consider his reply.
From his view on a barstool at The Sports Page, he came away impressed. Auburn’s young boys of summer delivered more than just good baseball to fans in this growing but recession-bitten Green River Valley community – they brought a sense of pride and class.
“This puts Auburn on the map,” Styles said after watching the all-stars’ heart-wrenching loss to Texas at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., last week. “People didn’t know where Auburn was before all this started … but they certainly know all about Auburn now.”
In a city that has produced its share of sports stars – like Greg “The Mutt” Haugen, Blair Rasmussen, Terry Dion and Ariana Kukors – the 11 all-stars made magic in the month of August.
They devoured the competition at the state and regional tournaments. They staved off elimination three times at storied Williamsport and came within three outs of the U.S. final.
They were deep, powerful and gifted. They were products of hard work, sound coaching and solid parenting.
They thrilled and amazed a town that has its share of rich youth baseball lore. They entertained fans, young and old, who were emotionally invested and tuned closely to ESPN-splashed feeds at bars, restaurants, retirement centers, homes and even the historic Ave.
“I enjoyed it all,” said Mark Green, a fan from afar. “They were just awesome. They gave us a lot of inspiration.”
“The community, they went crazy for this,” said Chris Fox, vice president of operations for Auburn Little League. “And we didn’t see this coming.”
Who did?
Just ask manager Kai Nahaku.
“You’ve got to have some breaks. You have to be peaking at the right time. You have to have the strength,” he said of making the LLWS field of 16. “Being on that stage is unbelievable. Being 12-year-olds, it’s a lot to throw at them.”
The boys responded by staying loose and having fun. Despite a heartbreaking exit, the World Series provided everlasting memories for the green-clad Northwest champions.
“I’ll remember sliding down the hillside on cardboard,” said Casey Manning, one of the big bats in the lineup.
“I’ll remember making dirt angels (in the infield after games),” added Chandler Michalek.
Hudson Byorick always will remember the one ball that exploded off his bat – a timely RBI triple that stunned Texas.
“It was a fastball outside, and I went with it,” Byorick said. “It was an awesome experience.”
Most of the boys were unanimous on one point – they enjoyed the hospitality, from the respect shown from competing teams and coaches to the manicured touch of the groundskeepers.
“If I had to pick one thing that was really memorable, it would be playing on a great field in front of thousands of fans,” said Dillon O’Grady.
To reciprocate, Auburn threw a thank-you pitch of its own. The team was paraded down Main Street on Thursday. The boys were treated to a benefit feast at a restaurant.
Subsequent fundraisers are planned to help the travel-weary and hotel-price-gouged families with their enormous expenses. All 11 families made the trips, Fox said, and he estimates their costs, for the regional and LLWS visits, range from $10,000 to $15,000 per family.
“Anything will help,” Nahaku said of the relief effort. “The parents were great. They paid a lot of money, but it was well worth it. This was something special.”
Fox lauded contributions from local businesses, the support of Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis and other donors in helping the organization.
For Auburn Little League, the work continues.
And the bar has been set high for the next group of 12-year-olds waiting on deck.
“This gives them something to shoot for, something to beat. Hopefully it will inspire people,” Manning said. “Getting there is tough. It takes hard work, good play. It takes a lot of heart and class.”
Qualities this group of boys certainly exemplified for all to see in a magic month of August.
