The Little Leaguers from Staten Island, N.Y., drew some notable names Friday to their World Series opener.
Retired New York Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina, who is on the Little League board of directors, accompanied New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at Volunteer Stadium after the mayor visited with the Big Apple Little Leaguers.
For Mussina, it was his first visit to the complex during the World Series in five years, the last trip coming during an off day for the Yankees. Since Mussina is retired now, he's no longer tied up with the big leagues in late August.
Mussina grew up in nearby Montoursville, where he has returned to live. He didn't get a chance to meet with the Staten Island squad before their game,
"It's so much fun, that they don't even realize probably what it's all about until somewhere down the road and they say, 'Hey, I got to experience that,'" Mussina said. "Somewhere down the road, they'll look back and understand how unique this experience is."
Friday was also Mussina's first time to see a game at Little League's Volunteer Stadium, which was built in 2001 after the tournament doubled in size from eight to 16 teams. He has been in Volunteer before — as a coach for his son's Little League team.
Managing was a unique experience, he said.
"It's a five- or six-day-a-week job, but I'm not going to Yankee Stadium anymore, I'm going to a Little League field. But it was great," he said.
"It's everything that everybody talks about being — it was frustrating, it was exciting," Mussina added. "It's rewarding. It's baseball, it's fun."
___
MAYORAL VISIT: Bloomberg did meet with the Staten Islanders before their 10-2 victory over Mercer Island, Wash., slapping high-fives and getting pictures taken with the players.
No baseball tips, though.
"I don't know how to break this for you, but they did not ask my advice on whether the shortstop should play a little bit over, or to bring in the right fielder," Bloomberg said, drawing chuckles. "I'm going to let them do it on their own."
Bloomberg said he played pickup baseball growing up, but not Little League. He said his daughter did play Little League.
He also noted that he expected at least another New York team, the AL East-leading Yankees, to make it to their own World Series. The Yankees have the best record in the majors.
He even voiced optimism about the injury-plagued Mets, mired in fourth place in the NL East.
"Someone should have written in baseball literature ... 'hope springs eternal,'" the mayor said. He was also accompanied by Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro.
___
LITTLE BITS: New scoreboards with video screens made their debuts at Lamade and Volunteer stadiums on Friday. Among the new additions is a monitor that keeps pitch count for pitchers — starters are limited to 85 pitches. The boards were paid for by a donation from the Easton Foundations. ... Ed Prince, manager of the team from Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany, planned to give his players off Saturday following a 16-0 loss to Taiwan. The team doesn't play again until Monday, though Prince said the sting from Friday's loss would quickly ease. "Kids are on such a roller coaster emotionally. In five minutes, they'll be up at the dorms having a good time," Prince said. "It's the coaches that fret about it."
Copyright 2009  AP News
