Russell Haupt

Rossman and Haupt are legendary in Bellefonte Little League circles. – Gary Kellogg 

Everyone on the team knew their role, and there’s really no one who got credit. And we were so well coached. If anyone should get any credit for that championship, it should be them and their leadership. – Denny Leathers

They taught us a lot. We didn’t want to fool around . We were unhappy when practice was over. – Rodney Mitchell 

The photo and the quotes  are from the clipped June 9, 2013 CDT article that Linda (Haupt Nau) added to Coach Haupt’s folder. In the article, team members credit their coaches for leading them to the state championship. 

Coach Haupt's Folder

The following is a transcription of one of the documents in Coach Haupt’s folder; it appears to be unsourced newspaper coverage and personal recollections of the ’58 championship run.

Transcription:

Area Little League fans got a real treat last night when, Bellefonte’s all star team moved into District 10’s tournament semi-finals with a heart stopping 1-0 win over Nittany Valley.

The Bellefonte team scored its run in the top half of the sixth inning after both teams had gone scoreless for five frames. Bellefonte must now play Philipsburg to gain the tourney finals.

Bellefonte out hit the valley stars 4-2, while the losers thrilled the crowd with a pair of double plays to quell Bellefonte rallies.

The semi-final title is scheduled for Monday at the Little League in Bellefonte at 6 p.m. Winner of the Bellefonte -Philipsburg game will play in the finals of the district 10 tournament, later this month.

The Philipsburg team advanced to the semi-final round by winning a 8-7 slugfest over Clearfield last night.

Bellefonte 000 001 – 1 4 N. Valley 000 000 – 0 2 W. Leathers L. Temple

The Bellefonte Little League All Star team, by virtue of its 1-0 victory over Punxsutawney last night became the 1958 District 10 champs and opened the road to the Section 2 tourney in Latrobe next week.

Though each team had only one hit in last night’s game, Bellefonte scored its run in the second inning and it proved the margin of victory.

Punxsutawney threatened to score once in the game. In the sixth inning. The losers had two men on base but the rally fizzeled.

Last night marked the second 1-0 game for the Bellefonte stars. They beat Nittany Valley 1-0 in the tournament quarter finals at State College. They have won the rest by wider margins, beating Bi County 13-1 in the opener and drubbing Philipsburg, 9-1 in the semi-finals.

Our team played one of its better games of the year, said manager Harold Rossman after the game, but they almost had to. The Punxsutawney team was a sharp outfit, especially on defense.

A lot of our drives, which would be hits in most games of the year, Rossman said, found their way to their gloves and were turned into outs. Rossman said the team will practice all next week in preparation for the tournament in Latrobe.

We’re going to hold pretty well the same kind of drills as we’ve had all season because I don’t believe in over practicing. That team from Philipsburg practiced all morning before the semi-final game and by game time had gone stale.

The champs will leave Bellefonte Thursday by automobile. They will arrive in Latrobe about 2 p.m. Registration and pairing for the state tourney begin at 3:15 p.m. that day.

Then they play in the first round on Friday. Should they win they move into Saturday’s finals. If they lose they play in the consolation game Saturday.

If Bellefonte walks off with the Section title, they will move on to Williamsport the following week for the State Tournament.

The team is very pleased about being District 10 champs, Rossman added, but they know their work ahead is getting ready for the Latrobe tournament. They’re anxious to win again but they realize that the competition will be very keen as they move further along the line.

Punxsutawney 000 000 – 0 1 Bellefonte 010 00x – 1 1 W. Leathers L. Maruca

Bellefonte can be identified these days by their proud grins. They are boasting and justifiable – about their District 10 Little League Champs and talking hopefully of bigger things to come.

Regardless, however, of whether they win or lose that tough Sectional Tournament coming up in Latrobe, the youngsters spirited ability and friendly good sportsmanship already have proved them a credit to their town and their sport.

There is a lot of controversy over the merits, or lack of them, of Little League, but by and large, we still say its the grandest thing thats happened to kids since the discovery of the fishing hole. Sure, some adults who should know better put too much pressure into the game, and maybe it would be a good thing if all traces of commercializing could be done away with in one full swoop. But shucks, if a guy is going to get ulcers, we’d a lot rather he got them worrying about whether his kid can get a hit in a little league title game than by pacing the floor at home and fretting because the same kid, with nothing to do, is out running around with the “wrong crowd.”

We don’t know where to find a better argument against juvenile delinquency bug a boo than in the way these clean-cut youngsters “eat and sleep baseball.” High-priced psychologist not withstanding, its a sort of concentration for a boy to have.

Bellefonte’s particular team has done well, “very well indeed” in coming this far. We hope they win more games and more titles. But if they don’t that is OK too. Because they already won the important things…a lot of responsibility, a host of friends, and mighty firm foundation in how to get along with the other guy and themselves.

Congratulations again gang…and good luck, good playing in the games ahead.

The Bellefonte Little League all star team, closer to Williamsport’s state tournament than any other team in Centre County’s 10 year history, faces Huntingdon in the semi-finals of the Section 2 tournament Friday a the James E. Bowman Memoria Field in Latrobe at 3:45 p.m.

The all stars drew a bye for the first round of the tournament and are just two steps away from the coveted Williamsport championship. Those could be mighty big steps. Huntingdon, which got into the semi-finals with a 3-2 victory over Montoursville last night, is a strong team defensively.

Those kids made brilliant plays in the field, said Bellefonte manager, Harold Rossman after seeing the game at Tyrone. Huntingdon is from District 11 – 7 and 8 will play off to determine who meets the winner of the Bellefonte-Huntingdon tilt.

The semi-final game between districts 7-8 is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Friday. Saturday the finals swing into action. Finalist will meet at 6:15 p.m. A consolation game will be held between the losers at 3:45 p.m.

The Nittany Valley all stars advanced as far as the finals of the district last year, then lost to Punxsutawney 2-0 and were eliminated.

Until this year’s Bellefonte team got into the sectional tournament the valley stars held the distinction of having moved deepest into post season playoffs.

Other section tournaments are being held at Sharon, Hazelton and Chester this weekend for the right to play in Williamsport. The state tournament is scheduled for Aug. 8 and 9. The winner at Williamsport goes to New York City for the Little League world series Aug. 19-22.

Bellefonte march to the playoffs started with a 13-1 victory over Bi-County all-stars. The district champions then edged close rival Nittany Valley, 1-0 and trounced Philipsburg 9-1, at Clearfield. The stars won the district crown with a 1-0 win at Clearfield over Punxsutawney.

St. Vincent College in Latrobe will serve as headquarters for the section tournament. Registration is at the campus tomorrow at 3:15 p.m. The team will then move to Memorial Field for a warm up session and later settle down for the night.

The tournament is expected to draw a good many local followers said Frank Webster, president of the league. It promises to be an exciting two days of baseball and it looks as though Bellefonte has got as good a chance as any team. Followers of the teams have told me that the Bellefonte squad is highly-regarded.

After the Bellefonte Little League all star team ripped out a 7-1 victory over Huntingdon, to gain the finals of the Section 2 tournament at Midland yesterday, managers of both teams were labeling the Bellefonte stars strong contenders for the title. Bellefonte takes on Brownsville, a team that moved into the finals with a 3-0 victory over Bell-Avon yesterday at the James Bowman field in Latrobe today at 6:15 p.m.

We still have a big step ahead of us, said Bellefonte’s manager Harold Rossman after yesterdays game, and while we played well today we can’t let over confidence ruin us tomorrow.

He had just watched his stars bang out a 10 hit attack and all but coast tot eh semi-final victory. Huntingdon only threatened in the fifth and sixth innings, when it got four of its hits. The loser scored in the final frame. It was Bellefonte’s game from the opening frame when the midgets got three runs.

We didn’t hit our normal stride, said Chet Snare, manager of the Huntingdon team, and our poor fielding kept us from playing as well as we have in the past. I think Bellefonte has the hardest hitting team we’ve played against this year, and the good pitching to go with it.

In my opinion Bellefonte should beat Brownsville without much trouble tomorrow. The Brownsville team is from the Pittsburg District 9. It got into the sectional tournament by whipping Natrona Heights, 5-1, to win the district title.

The team played a fine game, Rossman added, you can’t ask for more. The Huntingdon club has a lost to be proud of too. I was especially pleased with the showing of the Bellefonte team defense. It should be a help tomorrow.

The winner of todays game earns a shot at the State Title. The tournament for the state title will be at Williamsport Aug., 19-22. The winner of the state tournament goes to New York City for the national champ later in Aug. There will be a consolation game between Huntingdon and Bell Avon today at 3:45 p.m.

Bellefonte 301 201 – 7 10 Huntingdon 000 001 – 1 4 W. Kellogg L. Henry.

Run Billy, Run, You’re an All-Star

Small, tired and happy boys climbed out of cars on the diamond in Bellefonte at midnight Saturday and looked about sleepily. The Bellefonte High School band struck up a march, jubilant parents wept a little and the large crowd cheered.

The Little League All-Stars were back from Latrobe, winners of two great games that gave them the right to enter the state championship playoffs at Williamsport this weekend.

It was an enthusiastic homecoming for the first Little League team to reach state playoff. The boys brought home the District 2 title, the respect of other teams and of everyone they met on the trip.

The program on the Diamond was brief Jack Berger, Bellefonte Council President, told the boys the town is proud of their athletic abilities and sportsmanship, and the High School Band which earlier spent a busy evening playing at the festival played several selections, the boys were whisked across the street to the Brockerhoff Hotel where Mr. and Mrs. Sam Foresman served ice cream and cake.

The talk around the table at the hotel was just about everything but baseball. Harold Rossman the team’s manager and Budd Haupt talked about how well the boys conducted themselves on the field and at St. Vincent’s College where they stayed for two days.

Father Lewis, head of the college, kept coming up to me and telling what a fine bunch of boys we had, and we sure had the crowd and the other teams with us when we beat Brownsville.

Frank Webster, president of the Bellefonte Little League since its founding, said he’s now realized an ambition he has had since the first year the league was formed. He said realizing his dream of getting into state playoffs was important but the sportsmanship and behavior of the boys meant even more to him.

“That’s what won the games for you,” the league president said. Mr. Rossman said the boys had had nothing but baseball for a couple of weeks and that they would have a chance to rest and forget baseball until practice starts tomorrow evening.

Everything on the trip went fine. The worst thing that happened was that three boys fell out of bed last night, the manager said. Asked if the boys were up for the games and if they were thinking about baseball all the time. He said, were they in there working? They even talked in their sleep. He said he heard one of the boys call out in his sleep Friday night, “Run Billy Run, you’re an all-star.”

You couldn’t ask for any more than that. The boys and their manager gave all they had.

They are calling him Dennis the menace. Little Dennis Leathers, braking records, and the opposition’s heart with equally happy abandon, he pitched Bellefonte Little Leaguers to a 3-0 victory over Brownsville Saturday evening in the section 2 championship at Latrobe. When it was over, the whole team had deliriously happy grins all over their faces and — figuratively, anyway. . . tickets to the State Championship Tournament at Williamsport in their pockets. It was a pitcher’s duel all the way, and Brownsville’s Bobby Buttermore hurled some superlative innings, But, Leathers bested him with 11 strike outs to seven in allowing one hit and facing only 19 batters in 6 innings. Buttermore gave up 7 hits. . . one of them a two-run homer in the fifth to All Star catcher Larry Conaway that gave the Bellefonters some badly needed padding on their slim 1—0 lead.

En route to the finals, the local youngsters had an easier time of it in Fridays semi—final contest, whipping Huntingdon 7—1. Manager Harold Rossman, full of praise for his boys’ performance, gave them today off. They’ll be practicing again tomorrow, for the state tournament starts Friday in Williamsport. Two games there and… if they keep winning… two more in New York for the Eastern Regional title. The winner of that one earns a berth in the Little League World Series at Williamsport Aug. 19—22.

This team gets along better than any I’ve ever seen and they work together just beautifully.  Rossman commented. He went on to praise the boys on the team who, so far, have done more coaching than playing in tournaments competition.

In tournaments, you can’t substitute freely as your allowed to do in regular season he explained. So, you don’t take chances with juggling the line up too much. You might need you subs and need them badly in a hurry and you have to keep them eligible. The boys understand this, and their coaching has been a bigger factor than anyone realizes. On the bases, particularly, they’ve been very alert and have been calling the right thing at the right time all along. They’re all doing their part in this and believe me they’re doing it remarkably well.

There’s not much room to doubt that last statement. No other Centre County Little League team ever has advanced so far  in the tournament competition. Here’s how they handled Brownsville Saturday.

Brownsville led off, and left fielder Art Guty socked a  solid single for what was to be the only hit off of Leathers. The side was retired on two strikeouts and a pop up, and the pattern had been set. But it was set for Bellefonte too, for a while Tom Greib, leading off for the locals, grounded out to first. Larry Conaway rapped a single to right field and Rod Mitchell backed him up with another single. Garry Kellogg popped out to the shortstop, and Denny Leathers drew a walk. A wild pitch in the meantime had advanced Conaway to third and Mitchell to second; the bases were loaded, but the threat died right there when Billy Foresman struck out to retire the side.

In the second Leathers struck out Buttermore and Tony Paul then gave a walk to catcher Larry Vince. But right fielder George Staples swung wildly at third strike, that was that. And Buttermore in his half of the second faced Mike Ranio, Danny Kahle, Tom Crater and struck out three of them in just that order. The third was a repetition for Bellefonte. Brownsville Terry Bell led off, struck out, and Art Vojtkofsky grounded out, pitcher to first. Dick Martello followed with a second strikeout and Bellefonte was back at the plate. 

They broke the ice, Greib, grounded out to first, and Conaway walked. Mitchell was out on a fly to right field, but Kellogg belted a sharp single into center. Brownsville catcher Vince erred on the play, and Conaway hit the dirt heading for home. He scored and Kellogg went over to third on the play, but Leather’s struck out and it ended just 1—0. Thats the way it stayed for another inning and a half. Leathers faced only three men in Brownsville’s fourth, striking out one, getting the others on infield grounders. Billy Foresman got a single on the home side of the fourth, then stole second and third. but a Ranio fly to center, Kahles strikeout and Ton Craters groundout ended Billys travels.

Brownsville in the fifth, went up and down in order again. Then Greib led off with a Texas League single to left and Conaway, next at the plate, slammed a home run over the center field wall. For Butterworth ‘it, was a heartbreaker, for a one—run deficit can be overcome in a hurry, but 3—0.

Rod Mitchell got an infield single to keep the rally going, but Leathers popped up and Foresman struck out. That retired the side. as it turned out, it didn’t matter. Brownsville second baseman Terry Bell and Art Vojkofsky at third struck out. Martello, their one last chance to get back in the ballgame, popped up to Mitchell, and the game was over, the championship Bellefonte’s.

Friday’s semi-final against Huntingdon was an easier matter. Bellefonte got off to a faster start with three runs in the first inning and followed through with a solid 10 hit attack to back up Garry Kellogg on the mound. Kellogg, whose own pitching performance have been consistently excellent, never allowed a hit until the fifth inning and was not scored on until. the final frame. By that time Bellefonte’s margin was 7-0  and they coasted in on good fielding, hard hitting and Kellogg’s unshakable coolness.

Harold Rossman was talking about his boys, talking with the quiet, justified pride of a man who had just led a Little League team to a Sectional championship and with the modesty of one who finds the spotlight just a bit embarrassing himself.

Tell it to the kids,… they won it, they deserve all the credit, he said over and over again the happy whirl of an impromptu welcome home late Saturday night. He was still saying it to dozens of well-wishers the next morning.

I’m very happy about it all, of course. he admitted. The boys won it. The boys faced a good team. . . that Brownsville outfit played a hard game . It was pretty tough at times but we just seemed to get the hits and the runs at the right time.

Bellefonters welcomed the champs back in fine style and managed to keep the whole thing a surprise from everybody but manager Rossman and League President Frank Weebster. The astonishment on the boys faces when they stepped out of cars on the diamond about midnight to the blare of Stars and Stripes Forever and the applause of about 100 fans was something to behold.  They recovered their poise in a hurry, though they weren’t too tired to do ample justice to heaped plates of ice cream and cake at the Brockerhoff Hotel.

Hotel manager Sam Foreman arranged the party. His son Bill, is a standout at third base, a fast and daring runner on the base paths. Father Sam, anticipating a win, had “Welcome Little League Champs” printed on two big, bright yellow signs several days ahead of time They were already to hang on the hotel balcony as soon as that score came through.

Larry Conaway whose performance as catcher for the Bellefonters won him rave notices in dozens of papers and from Latrobe broadcasters was treated here last week for a wrenched back. If it wasn’t fit Saturday, you’d have a hard time convincing Brownsville his performance could have been improved on. He was brilliant behind the plate, capped it with a home run in the fifth inning that gave Bellefonte a chance to breathe a little easier. They had been leading by a scant 1-0 before the two run blast over center field that was still climbing when it left the field.

Manager Rossman, earnestly thanking everyone in town for their support, was particularly proud of a telegram from Burgess George Boughter, it read, heartiest congratulations for the splendid victory today. Bellefonte is proud of their Little Leaguers convey to them the congratulations and felicitations of the citizens of Bellefonte. It was delivered just as the jubilant champs were leaving the dressing rooms after  the victory in the finals.

Things that kept Little League managers in a daze; Barry Burger and Dennis Lose both managed to fall out of bed Fridaynight. Rossman got them squared away, then heard someone shouting. It was Tommy Crater still asleep yelling ( apparently to Bill Foresman ) ” Run, Run, Run you’ re an all star”. A minute later he called out “slide Bill slide.”

Compliments are always the lot of champions of course. But seldom has a team been praised so highly as the Bellefonte All Stars. For ability? Sure. They have an awful lot of that. But the kids earned for themselves. and their town, tributes will be remembered for longer than the scores. Seems Latrobe just fell in love with their fruitless conduct. They made friends by the score on and off the field. Father Lewis, headmaster of St Vincent college where the team was stationed paid them particular tribute. This is the best-behaved bunch of youngsters it’s ever been my pleasure to meet, he told Mr. Rossman. They were gentlemen every bit of the time here. It’s an honor to know them.

In turn, Manager Rossman told Centre Newspaper reporters that the facilities at St Vincent’s were absolutely tops and we were treated like royalty. It was a good stay in every way. A lot of credit goes to the Latrobe Jay Cees, who performed something of a miracle in caring for the field. The field is one of the finest the state, but it was underwater when we arrived Thursday… the storms had struck Latrobe. Everyone groaned a   little at the sight of it but the Jaycees just grinned and told them not to worry, they’d fix it. They were as good as their word and the field was in excel lant shape the next day.

John Lindermuth National Commissioner of Little League was on hand, had glowing praise for the Bellefonters This team  has to be described as very, very good, he said. They’re well balanced, well discipled, they have astounding ability. I surely expect to watch them a distance in the remaining tournaments. They have it all.

Small wonder they are Champs.

Where did the Bellefonte Little League All Stars get the spunk to carry them into the State tournament in Williamsport today? The answer probably lies in the 10 year history of how the community got a Little League field in the first place. Though the boys of this year’s team were too young to understand at the time, maybe a little of the aggressiveness of three men interested in starting Little League in Bellefonte was rubbing off back in 1958.

Frank Webster and Dan Grove the league’s top two officials these days, and Ollie Kolbecker, who died a few years ago, got the ball rolling in the fall of 1949. We held a meeting at the American Legion Hall, Mr. Grove recalls, just to see how many people would be interested in having a league. You know people came from all over the County and it was evident they wanted a league. Grove was elected president, and he and Kolbecker negotiated for the Fifth Ave field which the league now uses. A big hurdle was cleared.

Webster was elected president when the league was officially organized and has been president ever since. The field, which has been leased from the Warner Co. was in turn turned over to the Bellefonte Clubman’s Assn, with the hope of paying a little every year until the $3.000 price was paid. Maybe this year’s all-stars got their drive and initiative from their elders who had the spunk to bounce back from a setback in 1950. The Assn was unable to continue payments and from that time through  1953 when the Bellefonte Borough agreed to take the title to the field and paid the remaining debt.

The Borough still holds the title to the field because Little League prohibits its members to own property. A good bit of the stars willingness to work at practice sessions, attested to by Manager Harold Rossman, must come from an example set by the Woman’s Auxiliary which came to the scene in 1953. Enthusiasm was stirred up by Mrs. Russell Haupt. The auxiliary paid to have the concession house built, ran a tag day to pay for the trip to Williamsport for the Little League series and a banquet at the end of the season from 1953 till now.

They put running water into the field and had electricity installed recently, which will work as soon as connected. So now the league plays on a beautiful field which is at last free of debt . However, the expansion and expense incurred from the Latrobe trip and the Williamsport tournament threw the league back into debt. It will depend largely on donations from the community to pay for the trips.

We hope the league can raise the money, Mrs. Haupt said, but if it can’t the auxiliary will pay for them, the two trips. That’s the heritage these 1958 all stars have. Small wonder they are spunky enough to reach the State Tournament.

Little League Stars to meet Mill Creek at Williamsport.

 It will be Bellefonte vs Mill Creek in tomorrow’s semifinal game of the state championship Little League Baseball tournament at Williamsport. Mill Creek whose Pony Leaguers defeated Bellefonte in the District 2 playoffs here a week ago, topped Brookline 2—1 Tuesday night for the Section 1 title and their ticket to Williamsport. Bellefonte earned their passage in Latrobe last week where they defeated Huntingdon 7—1 in the semifinals and then carried off the title with a defeat of Brownsville Saturday evening. Complete details of the two sectional games appeared in the Democrats companion paper the Keystone Gazette published Monday

Frank Webster, President of Bellefonte Little League told Center newspaper reporters yesterday that the team will leave for Williamsport at 7 a.m. Friday, then spend most of the morning in registration procedures. Game time had been set for 2.15 p.m. Phoenixville and Jessup, winners of the other two Pa. Sectional Tournaments will hold their semifinal game at 6 p.m. Friday, consolation round for the losers will get underway at 11 a.m. Saturday, and the champion tilt between the Bellefonte-Mill Creek and Phoenixville Jessup survivors start at 3 p.m. Saturday.

The boys have been playing some tremendous ball, and you have to give us at least an even chance to come out on top this weekend, Mr. Webster said cautiously. But the competition will be tough, awfully tough. It will take all the ability we have to go on from here.

Going on from here could involve quite a schedule. The winner of the state championship will go to New York City next Tuesday for the Eastern Regional tournament to be held at Staten Island Wednesday and Thursday. There will be two games there, involving the Pa, New York, and New Jersey State champions, plus the winners of a tournament comprising Conn, Mass and Rhode Island..

Winners of Eastern Regionals then will go to Williamsport for the World Series of Little League, Aug. 19—22 inclusive. Actually, two championships will be decided in a three-game series there. With four U.S. Regionals, there will be two games between those teams to decide the U, S. Champ. The winner will then play the survivor of the Canada-Latin America game for the coveted World Series.

It’s quite a challenge, Webster said. And I’m not looking one step beyond this weekend. Pa. is the home of Little League you know, and the competition is keener here than It is anywhere. More teams, more boys involved, more opportunity for any given town to come up with a real top-notch outfit. In fact, all the competition from here on is of real rugged caliber. There are seven games to be played by someone till they win the World Series. The percentages are stacked against you.

He confessed, though, that he is as excited about this team as any since 1949. That year, Lock Haven was defending its world series title won in 1948. Bellefonte and Lock Haven played for the sectional championship with the latter winning 1—0. They went on to finish runner up in the Series.

Understand there wasn’t the competition then as there is now. Mr. Webster explained. I certainly don’t want to take a thing from Lock Haven’s fine team, but Little League was then only a few years old, There were more teams in Pa. than the rest of the U.S. all put together. It’s one reason why were the only state so far with two champs. Lock Haven got that 1948 title and Williamsport won the very first Series. Since then, we haven’t done as well. I always thought that 1949 Bellefonte team lost to Lock Haven by such a close score was the best we ever had. In a way I still do. But I ‘m open to change of mind if we win this weekend.

He said a team in the state playoffs is the realization of a ten year old dream. He has been Little League president here all that time.

Its hard and its worth every minute of it was the way he summed up those years, I’ve been nursing this ambition to see at least one Bellefonte team make the states, and we’re doing it this year. That was the immediate goal. We can dream of course but that is what it is so far. . . We’ll just have to wait and see.

BELLEFONTE AGAIN HOLDS CELEBRATION FOR MIDGETS.

There’s a celebration in Bellefonte every Saturday night. A group of ball players en route to some championship playoff drop into town, a lot of people turn out to welcome them, they stay a couple of days and are off again’. It’s great fun and everyone hopes it’ll be a Saturday night must for a while. It happened again Saturday.

Fourteen boys  who became Little League Champs simply by refusing to give up were met by a flash crowd that filled about every square foot of the diamond.

It was a near riot. The Bellefonte Little League All Stars who got to the top of Little League playoffs by scoring 39 runs to the opponents 5 were stormed by admirers of all ages.

The boys learned something besides how it feels to come from behind and polish off a strong team that led them into a do or die half of the last inning. They found out how it was to have girls try to storm the Brockerhoff Hotel’s front door

to get to see them.

The boys arrived on the Diamond just after 8.30 p.m. in the backs of convertibles. They gathered at the Junior High School, still in uniform and some of them still taking batting practice. 

Their eyes opened like big holes in left field when they  saw the convertibles lined up along Linn St. Maybe they were about to break over a little but the big little guys remembered they had reputations for things other than winning ball games.

They remembered they were cited for being the only team that made their own beds at Lycoming College, and all through the parade to the Diamond remained as cool as a pitcher with an 0—2 count on a batter.

The Bellefonte High School Band knocked off from playing a concert at the JayCees carnival on the school commons and led the boys and fire apparatus in a parade to the Diamond.

It has been a long time since so many people turned out for anything in Bellefonte.

Jack Berger, council president, managed to get the boys out of the cars and in a huddle in front of the monument for a few words they never heard, but it was a struggle.

There was some mighty nice things said at the Brockerhoff Hotel by Frank Webster, league president, Manager Harold Rossman, Mngr. Harrold Rossman, and Dan Grove an originator of the Little League.

We liked most what Budd Haupt the assistant manager said; We’ve picked so much on the boys they are beginning to call us dad. It’s a wonderful thrill and I don’t know if we’ll ever give them back to their dads.

Bellefonte is the 1958 Little League State champion of Pa. The youngsters of Centre County won the title Saturday afternoon at Original Field before an estimated crowd of 3000  persons when they scored their runs in the last inning for a thrilling victory over Jessup.

Now in Regionals

Bellefonte now moves into the Eastern Regionals at Staten Island N.Y. Thursday.  The Pennsylvanians play todays Englewood N.J.-Darian Conn. winner.  In the other Thursday game South Utica N.Y. plays either Lynn. Mass. or Manchester N.H. Thursdays survivor meets Saturday for the regional championship and the right to play in the six team Little League Championship Series here next week. Jessop lost a heartbreaker and Bellefonte won a thriller in the final of the Keystone State championship.

Hank Zelno, Jessop pitcher, had a perfect game in progress when Bellefonte came to bat in the bottom of the sixth and final inning. Bill Foresman lead off batter, drew a walk. Then Bellefonte put in Charley Fletemake, the smallest player on the squad, as a pinch hitter, he too walked. John Sodergren, another pinch batter socked a double down the right field line to score Foresman with the tying run. Tom Greib walked before the next hitter forced a man at the plate. The game was won when Rod Mitchell hoisted a sacrifice fly to right field. Jessop’s run came on Bob Cinci’s home run in the second.

The net results found Denny Leathers of Bellefonte pitching a two-hitter, and Zelno tossing a one-hitter. Zelno tossing a one-hitter struck out 11, including the first seven batters of the game.

To reach the finals Bellefonte defeated Millcreek—Seneca of Erie County, 5—2. Meanwhile Jessup was beating Phoenixville 7—2. Millcreek won the consolation game on a triumph over Phoenixville.

Team Thrills Hugh Crowd At The L.L. Tournament

Bellefonte, represented by a hustling, never say die team, of youngsters won the right to represent Pennsylvania in the Eastern Regional Little League Tournament with a come from behind 2—1 win over Jessup yesterday at Original Field. 

Bellefonte scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to thrill more than 6000 spectators to capture the Grit Publishing Company—sponsored 12th annual Pennsylvania Little League Tournament.

The winning team will go to Staten Island N.Y. this week where they will compete in the Regionals. The winners will come to Williamsport on Aug. 19 to compete with five other regions. The Little League World Series will be held at Original Field Aug. 19-22.

This year, for the first time, there will be teams from Latin America and Canada, besides the four winners from the four regions in the United States. In previous state tournaments teams from the west won the tournament six times. with Lock Haven taking two, and Punxsutawney, Potter-McKean, Masontown each capturing one championship.

Last year Media won with a thrilling 2—0 win over Potter—McKean. Other eastern winners have been Williamsport Maynards, in the first tournament; Camp Hill, Morrisville and Upper Darby.

More than 400 leagues are franchised to play Little League ball in Pennsylvania. Altogether there are more than 4,750    leagues in the United States and 21 foreign countries in which 750.000 boys play baseball – 356,000 in the regular league and 400,000 on farm teams.

Williamsport, the birthplace of Little League and the headquarters of Little League Inc. already is making plans to entertain for the world series & additional decorations will be placed downtown, and committees for hospitality will be reactivated.

Bellefonte and Jessup gained the distinction of playing the final game on the Original Field. After this year, the tournament and the world series will be played at a permanent site north of Route 15 in South Williamsport.

A 29-acre plot of ground was recently donated to Little League by the Williamsport Foundation, which purchased the land with funds placed in the foundation by Grit Publishing Company. The gift was authorized by Grit as a memorial to the late Howard J. Lamade, a member of the board of directors of Little League Inc., for many years. Mr. Lamade was vice president and secretary of Grit Publishing Company.

Construction is expected to start in the near future on the new stadium at the southern end of the field as well as on a Little League office building.

The field and offices will be completed before the observance of the 20th anniversary of Little League next, summer. Parking space will be available for 2000 cars.

With the completion of the permanent for Little League, which is endorsed by President, Eisenhower and many other great Americans, Williamsport will truly become a shrine of Little League.

Homerun belts put Bellefonte and Jessup in the finals. Home runs and extra-inning games were the order in the opening round of the 12th Pennsylvania Little League Tournament. The net results placed Bellefonte against Jessup this afternoon for the State Title.  These two teams were victorious yesterday in the first games of the four-team tournament at Original Field in Memorial Park. Bellefonte riding on the wings of a three run seventh inning homer off the bat of Rod Mitchell, downed Mill— Creek of Erie County, 5-2. Four home runs accounted for six Jessup runs as the Lackawanna County youngsters dropped Phoenixville in eight innings.

Attendance was estimated at 1500 for the afternoon Bellefonte-Millcreek number and about 2000 for the early evening Jessup—Pheonixville game

Mitchell, a first baseman batted in all of Bellefonte’s runs. He socked a two-run homer in the fifth to put his team out in front 2—0. Mill creek knotted the score with solo homers in the sixth inning by Jim Kilpatrick, the pitcher and Chris Moore

One was out in the seventh when Kilpatrick walked Tom Greib and Larry Conaway.  Then Mitchell plunked the ball over  the 250-foot, right field fence.

Garry Kellogg pitched the route for the Bellefonte boys as did Kilpatrick for the lads from northwestern Pennsylvania.  Mill—Creek out hit the winners by 6 to 4.  Kellogg struck out 13 and Kilpatrick struck out 12.

Mill-Creek threatened In the fifth when it loaded the bases. but a force out ended the inning. Jessup, which had the strongest voiced cheering section, scored five runs in the eighth inning to brake a 2—2 tie and win the game by five runs. The tie breaker was Bob Cinci’s blast over the left field fence that opened the second extra inning. That itself proved to be the winning run.  But later in the inning Paul Spitnka, a substitute shortstop, hit one out of the park with two mates on base, another run scored on a wild pitch.

Phoenixville sent eight batters to the plate in the fifth inning and scored twice to tie the count. Al Sutyak singled home one marker, and scored on a base on balls with the bases loaded. Jessup nearly doubled the base hits, it had 11 to 6. The tournament is sponsored by The Grit Publishing Co. Pennsylvania champs go into the Eastern Regionals at Staten Island N.Y. next weekend.

Jessup 001 100 05 – 7 11 Phoenixville 000 020 00 – 2 6 L. Yashura W. Egnotovich

Bellefonte 000 020 3 – 5 4 Mill Creek 000 002 0 – 2 6 W. Kellogg L. Kilpatrick

Great State Tournament

During 11 previous Little League tournaments there were plenty of thrills and the spectacular. But for pure tension none rates with this year’s championship game which saw Bellefonte nip Jessup .

The tension started to mount as early as the third inning when Jessup pitcher Hank Zelno, a hard-working right hander , racked up his seventh straight strikeout. Fans around the press coop started muttering that Zelno would be hard to hit.

For two more innings Zelno proved them right. He sat down the first 15 Bellefonte batters, 11 by the strikeout route, to face him and had a perfect no-hitter going thanks to a brilliant piece of fielding by second baseman Gary Ceccarelli.

The fan’s realized Zelno was working on a perfect no-hitter was proved by the ovation the bespeckled second sacker received when he came off the field after making the brilliant save on

Mike Ranio in the fifth. Ceccraelli went to his left, smothered Ranio’s grounder with his body and threw to first in a prone position for the putout.

After Jessup failed to score in the top half of the sixth Bob Cinci’s second inning home run loomed large for the Lackawanna Countians. Jessup fans, unaware that the lead was only a slim one, so intent were they that Zelno was within three outs of becoming the first Pennsylvanian in tournament play to toss a no-hitter, possibly a perfect game.

Walk Opens Gate For Bellefonte

Then it happened as suddenly as a thunderstorm blows up on a summer day. Leadoff hitter Bill Foresman, the seventh man in the Bellefonte lineup, worked Zelno who had only one previously 3-2 count for a walk.

With the walk, Bellefonte Managers Harold Rossman and R Russell Haupt went to their bench and their moves paid off. the first pinch hitter, Chuck Fletemaker, one of the smallest players in the tournament, worked Zelno for another walk. He wasn’t up there to walk for he took two visicous swings, at a 1-0 pitch and sent a foul screaming back to the club house. But the little guy wasn’t overanxious either.

Then John Sodergren up to swing for the ninth man in the batting order, broke up the no—hitter with a double just inside the first base bag. The pinch hit delivered the first run tying the game and the Centre County fans went wild with joy.

And the jubilation turned to near hysteria when Rod Mitchell’s sacrifice fly pulled the game out of the fire in Frank Meriwell fashion. Thus, Bellefonte becomes the first Williamsport area team, so to speak, to win the Pennsylvania championship since 1951 when Potter-McKean turned the trick.

LOCAL FANS ADOPT CENTRE COUNTIANS.

Local fans, who now have adopted the Bellefonte team, will be rooting, for the Centre Countians to win the eastern regionals at Staten Island this coming weekend and return to Williamsport as the Eastern representative in the biggest tourney of them all for the small fry, the World Series, 

 This year’s State Tournament was the most evenly balanced of them all. Both games on Friday went extra innings before Bellefonte and Jessup emerged victorious. Then Saturday morning’s consolation battle, won by Mill creek—Seneca, was decided by one run. And the championship game could not have  been more evenly matched.

Jessup had only two hits and four base runners, including Cicci who clouted the second inning homer off Denny Leathers. And oddly enough, both Cicci ‘s drive and Sodergren’s double were within inches of being foul.

So close did Zelno come to a no-hitter that a lot of fans went away from Original Field unaware that Bellefonte ‘s Leathers pitched a masterpiece. In addition to allowing two hits, he struck out nine and only walked one. Aside from Cicci, only one runner got as far as second base.

The tournament, probably the last one to be played at the Original Field, was a big success. Tournament director John Lindemuth and his staff deserve a lot of credit for the way it was run.

Governor Congratulates Team

A telegram from Gov, George M. Leader congratulating Bellefonte Little Leaguers on their State Championship and wishing them luck in the coming tournaments is on its way to the team at Staten Island N.Y. today.

The message arrived after the team left Bellefonte yesterday and is being taken to Little League President , Frank Webster, to whom it was addressed, by local fans driving to New York for today’s game. The telegram read:

My heartiest congratulations to your Bellefonte team upon winning the Little League State Championship. I sincerely regret that a previous commitment in the state prevents me from  attending the Eastern Regional Tournament game on Aug. 16. All Pennsylvanians are truly proud of our state champions and are counting on our team to win. Best of luck. (signed) George M. Leader, Governor.

Hayes Cables, Next? Stop Williamsport

State Senator Jo Hayes yesterday cabled this message to Bellefonte Little Leaguers at their dormitories at Wagner College, Staten Island, N.Y. Baseball fans of Central Pennsylvania are behind you. Next stop Williamsport. Good luck. Signed Jo Hayes, Pennsylvania State Senator.

Hey Fellas Lets Think About Tomorrow

The Bellefonte Little League all stars, a team with a reputation as good winners, were put to a sterner test yesterday.

They came through in fine fashion, proving they could lose as graciously as they had won eight games along the road to the regional tournament in Staten Island, N.Y., this weekend.

After losing to Darien Connecticut’s champion, the stars stifled their disappointment and rushed into the winning team’s dugout to shake hands with the boys who had snuffed out Bellefonte’s hopes for a berth in the Little League World Series in Williamsport next weekend.  

The team, …was no cream puff in the highly competitive Staten Island tournament in which each team represented a state.

Pennsylvania’s champs forced the crack Connecticut team to play one of its finest games.  Bellefonte took a one-run lead in the bottom of the second inning, lost it when Darien scored two in the third, fell further behind in the fifth when the winners scored another tally, then clawed back in the same way they won the state tournament to tie the score 3-3, going into the sixth inning.  

With one swoop of a Darien bat the tie was broken and, unable to score in the last of the sixth, the stars  bowed out of the tournament.

“Both teams played excellently,” manager Harold Rossman said.

“After it was over the boys felt badly about losing but there were no tears.”

Even more heart-warming than the jubilation after the stars won the state title last week was a mother’s words as she leaned over the rail behind the stars dugout and shouted: “Win or lose we love you all.”

“This is absolutely the finest team ever to come out of Bellefonte,” Rossman said after the game.

“There has never been any bickering among the boys, they’ve pulled together for the team and used their natural ability to good advantage.”

The all stars were far from being newcomers to tournament play after scoring 41 runs and allowing only six in an eight game winning streak.  And it showed up on the field as the game began.

One fan particularly impressed with the smooth outfit from Centre County was Mayor Robert Wagner of New York City.

“It surprises me to see such young boys with a lot of the grace and polish often lacking in older boys,” he said, referring to the Bellefonte team as it played against Darien.

Jack Farrell, personnel manager of the New York Yankees, said he thought the Bellefonte team was one of the best he’s ever seen in Little League circles.

“The boys weren’t nervous before the game,” Rossman said.  “Pressure didn’t lose it for them.  It was just one of those ball games.  It had to come sooner or later.  They played well and were a smooth-working unit on the field.

Disappointment stayed with the stars for as long as it took one of them to remember tomorrow’s consolation game against New Hampshire at 10 a.m.

“Hey fellas,” he shouted.  “Let’s forget about today.  We have another game to think about tomorrow.”

Darien Conn. 002 011 – 4 6 Bellefonte 010 020 – 3 5 W. Siemering L. Kellogg

The Bellefonte Little League all star team, the winningest in Centre County’s 10 year history of Little League, always manages to come up with honors in tournament play.

For the past three tournaments the stars whipped eight rivals to grab 3 titles, ending with a victory in the state tournament.  Though they lost both games in the Eastern Regionals in Staten Island, N.Y., this weekend, they won another honor – the trophy as the tournament’s best-behaved team.

“It was a trophy presented by Wagner College”, Rossman said, “and it was the first year they gave out a trophy like that”.

That’s been the pattern for the all stars since they started tournament play three weeks ago.  Winning eight straight games and title after title, they built up wide followings and a long line of friends in the communities where they played.

The title winning was ended  in the Regionals, where Bellefonte lost both games.  They were eliminated from a possible berth in the Little League World Series in Williamsport this week when they lost the first game Thursday to eventual champion Darien, Conn.  The stars lost the consolation round to New Hampshire’s state champs Saturday after rain threatened to wipe out the game.

The game was originally scheduled for 10 a.m., before the finals between Darien and South Utica, N.Y., but the field was so wet early in the morning it was even doubtful the finals would be played.

I must admit we considered postponing the whole tournament for one day,” said Eastern Regional director Dr. Creighton Hale.

I’ve never seen such fine work getting the grounds ready,” he added.  “When we thought we could play the finals it was decided to flip a coin for the two places and cancel the consolation game.”

Rossman said both teams were so disappointed at the news that tournament  officials decided to schedule the consolation after the finals.

“Neither team wanted to see them flip a coin for the No. 3 spot,” Rossman said, “they wanted to play ball.”

The stars lost to a tough New Hampshire team in the consolation.

“Even though our team wasn’t up to its usual standard of play,” Rossman said, “you can’t take  anything away from New Hampshire.

“They play a fine game all the way and deserved the win,” he added.  “We just met a better team and lost.”

The trophy was awarded the stars during the ceremonies Saturday night when the Regional champs from Connecticut were crowned and the runner up honors were given out.

After playing  Thursday’s game, the stars went on a tour by bus through the city of New York.

“I think the boys were almost as excited with the trip as they were with the tournament,” Rossman said, but when they played they weren’t nervous one bit.  This is a team that’s used to the pressure of tournaments and there wasn’t any butterflies.”

He said he and assistant manager Bud Haupt were satisfied with the play of the stars in the tournament.  It was an aggregation of state champions and the competition was tough, they agreed.

“Folks in Staten Island said this was one of the best tournaments they’ve seen for Little Leaguers,” said Frank Webster, president of the Bellefonte Little League.

“They also seemed to think our game with Darien was the closest and best played,” he added.

We didn’t commit one error in the Regional tournament,” Rossman said proudly, “and that’s one of the biggest feathers in any Little League team’s cap.

State Champs Thrilled By Spirited Welcome Home

It was an awed and impressed group of young Little Leaguers who stepped from their bus at the Junior High School yesterday too the blare of band music and a welcoming parade cavalcade. They’d been given this treatment before of course after winning various championship titles. But this was different…they dropped a pair of games in the Eastern Regionals in New York, and yet here was all these people, carrying on as if the scoreboard made no difference at all.

That was the point. It didn’t; Bellefonters were simply tremendously proud of their state champs, and they welcomed one more chance to prove it. One youngster clambering into a convertible wearing a loud sport shirt and a shy grin, kept shaking his head, what are they doing this for, he asked. Didn’t anyone tell them we lost the game.

Assured that it made no difference, he grinned broadly. Boy everyone’s sure grand back here. I’m glad this is home…bet a lot of the teams that lost don’t have this many friends. Could be; Bellefonters apparently wouldn’t know, they just put out a heart—warming welcome for their champs. 

Much of the credit for the whole shindig belongs to capable Carl Moerschbacher. He spent Saturday afternoon pasting Welcome Home banners in every store window, then was in charge of organizing the parade itself…even to identifying stickers for the parade convertibles, naming the boys riding, in the seats of honor.

He didn’t overlook a detail in making the entire affair just right

There was honor enough for everyone, but little Tommy Greib astounded New Yorkers with a rare brand of honesty. In the fifth inning of the game against Darian he apparently was hit by a pitched ball and the umpire waved him to first base. Tommy declined, insisting the ball hit the handle of the bat not his hand. Evidently he grounded out.  Then Larry Conaway walked, and Ron Mitchell poked a score tying home-run over the outfield fence. Tommy’s walk could have been a big, big factor, but his candid honesty won him more friends.

It was the sort of thing that resulted in the team getting that very special extra trophy from the Daily News. Like so many others, they were greatly impressed by the Bellefonte kid’s spirit… took a very nice way to show it.

There was no more disappointed youngster than Denny Leathers. He became ill… nothing serious, but enough to keep him from the tour around Manhattan Friday and from the pitching mound on Saturday. He played but not as pitcher. Rod Mitchell whose talents seem just about endless, took over on, the mound, did a very, very capable job of it.   

Penn State wrestling coach Charlie Spidel, in town to conduct his annual mat clinic, tells another sidelight. Third baseman, Billy Foresman had signed up for the clinic, held all last week, then couldn’t go because of the trip to New York. He called Doc explained I’d sure like to wrestle, I even paid my entry fee, but, well gosh…we sort of keep winning.

Doc lost no time assuring him the absence was certainly excusable. You go right ahead and do some more winning fella. I’ll even get your money back to you.

Little League President Frank Webster summed it all up. This is the greatest Little League team we ever had. I can hardly believe they are real. And I’m particularly gratified at the wonderful support everyone’s given them. They deserve it, and it’s just fine.

League officials, as impressed as the kids with the  Welcome Home,  gave special thanks to Kofman’s for the use of the speakers stand truck; Everett Munday for the sound system; . . Stines for the printing of the window signs; W B L F and Hal Green and John Knarr for M C role on the diamond; the Legion and High School Bands, convertible drivers, and in fact everyone who participated in the parade or came as spectators.

Little Leaguers Welcome, Given Behavior Trophy

There were no sad songs for the Bellefonte Little League All Stars who were given a big welcome on their return from regional playoffs at Staten Island last evening.

The team that showed its class  all through the tournament competition has “something special” and brought home an unusual trophy to prove it.

Each of the 14 boys clutched trophies from the playoffs.  Frank Webster, Little League President, held aloft a special award which he said was given for the first time in Little League history.

It was an award given by Wagner College where the boys were quartered for the commendable way members of the team conducted themselves.  The citation said that “Bellefonte seems to have something special” and named the team outstanding among the four that stayed at the college.

A large crowd met the fourth place winners on the Diamond with at least as much enthusiasm as was displayed at the previous homecomings from district and state championships.

Its too bad for a number of reasons, of course, that the homecomings for this year’s All Stars are over.  But one reason is the welcomings were just beginning to get organized.

Last evening the boys rode from the Junior High School in cars with their names printed on big letters, they were placed on a raised platform and there was a program that could be heard by the crowd that gathered.  The boys appeared anything but sad as they were presented to the crowd on the diamond.  They looked and acted like champions and were wildly cheered as they paraded past the Diamond and their return for the program.

“It just wasn’t our day,” Harold Rossman, team manager said in one of the shorter speeches.  Carl Kellogg and Budd Haupt, assistant managers, said the boys did a great job and Nathan Krauss, Dan Grove, Sam Foresman, Jack Berger, acting burgess, and Mr. Webster expressed their pride in their performance.

The Bellefonte High School Band and the American Legion Junior Band, fire apparatus and the boys in convertibles made up the parade.  Miss Jean Bixby, State College, Miss Centre County, was in the first car.

Hal Green of Radio Station WBLF was master of ceremonies for the well-organized program.

Carl Moerschbacher, who was the moving spirit behind the arrangements, said he wanted to express appreciation  to Kofman’s for the trailer used as a platform, to Stine Brothers for the signs for store windows, to Everett Mundy for the sound system, to Mr. Green and to Olin F. Butt and Bruce I.Gardner and their bands.

State Champion All Stars.

Dennis Leathers.

Dan Kahle .

Gary Kellogg.

Larry Conaway.

Mike Ranio.

Ron Howard.

Tom Greib.

Charles Fletemake .

John Sodergren.

Dennis Lose.

Tom Crater.

Rod Mitchell.

Barry Burger.

         Harold Rossman, Mgr . 

Bud Haupt. Assn’t Mgr ..

WELCOME HOME CHAMPS

Bellefonte Little Leaguers finally lost a couple of ball games over the weekend, but you’d never have guessed it by the town scene Sunday about six o clock. Two bands, a couple of fire engines, escort convertibles and hundreds of townsfolk turned to give the All Stars a welcome home that had no basis in the figures on the scoreboard.

These are, after all, Pennsylvania State Champs, and  that’s an honor many, many teams never will be able to achieve. Further, the boys have been winning hearts even more than they have been winning ball games, and the whole celebration was partly pride, partly sheer affection for a group of kids who have done more than anything we can remember to give Bellefonte a very good reputation indeed.

For the boys came back from Staten Island far from empty handed: League President Frank Webster carried a gleaming large statue, impressive in its size and simple beauty of design. It bore no plaque, and one impressed but puzzled spectator ask before the parade. Is that what they give for fourth place.

Replied Webster mysteriously, no, it’s a whole lot better than that, then left the remark unexplained until the ceremonies on the Diamond a little later.

The trophy, it turned out, is a first ever award from the New York Daily News, sponsor of the Eastern Regional L.L. Baseball Championship. There was no plaque simply because the award was sort of a spur-of-the-moment thing, and there had been no time to engrave its legend. So the News told Mr. Webster and the team that it could be considered a best managed team, award, a good conduct award, or perhaps a good sportsmanship prize…The plaque will arrive later. What it all means is this; The Bellefonte boys’ conduct and spirit and character were so outstanding that the News felt some concrete recognition should be made.

The statement about the trophy, the News said: This in no way understates the performance and character of the other teams. All four groups of boys are all fine gentlemen and top-notch athletes; its been a distinct pleasure to be associated with them. But quality and character of the lads from Bellefonte is something outstandingly special, so much that we are proud to present this award in tribute to them, their managers, their families and their town. They are representatives of the finest of young Americans.

What numbers on the scoreboard could compare with that? Everywhere these kids have gone. . . the sectional tournament in Latrobe, the states in Williamsport, now New York… they’ve brought back glowing tributes from the men and women associated with them their stays away from home. They did more than play ball, more than make friends, they were the best ambassadors a town ever had. We salute them and thank them for it.

No Individual Stars – They’re All Important

A phone call the other night started me thinking.

“What’s the story on the Bellefonte Little League all star team?” the sports writer from another newspaper was asking.

“What information would you like?” we asked.  “We’ll try to be of some help.”

“Well, who’s their best pitcher?  Do they have a particularly classy fielder?  Who’s their home-run hitter?  Who’s got the highest batting average?”

We tried to think of the answers but it was tough.  The team has a number of good pitchers.  The fielding is good and especially good in the clutch when a miscue might cost a game.  As for hitting it seems every game a different boy rises to the occasion  when a clutch hit is needed.  Sometimes it’s a home run, more often it’s a base hit off the bat of a young boy who won’t quit because his team needs a run.

We thought of the words of manager Harold Rossman when trying to answer the question of the fellow sports writer.

“This isn’t a team of individual stars,” he has always said, “they’re all good ball players but to get this far in tournament play it takes a lot more than a bunch of individuals.”

Rossman always hesitates to say who his starting pitcher will be.  He always gives a probable starting line up and he never dotes on the performance of one player.

That falls in line with the Times policy of never mentioning  names in the account of a Little League game.

A veteran baseball fan from another community recalled when the Little League team from his town won national recognition 10 years ago.

“All the fuss over the kids hurt them later on,” he said.  “They were just small boys when they won the national championship, but you’d never know it at the ball park.

“Fans tried to rattle the opposing pitcher.  The booed soundly when a boy renowned for hitting homers struck out and the pressure was so great on those kids that the game wasn’t fun for them anymore.  It got to be more like a job and I honestly think they were glad when the season was over.”

It’s unlikely anything that drastic has a chance of taking hold on the Bellefonte team.  The fans realize they’re not dealing with professional ball players.  The boys have already won the respect of fans in other communities for their manners and sportsmanship.

Also, the danger of too much glory spoiling the all stars in future years doesn’t seem to be much with which to be concerned.

Being the only County Little League outfit to have won a sectional, much less a state crown, it should receive all the credit due champions.  And yet here is another instance in which adults have to use good judgment where youngsters are concerned.  The right amount of celebration and fanfare is a hard thing to reach.  It can unknowingly be carried too far.

Here again Bellefonte fans are using sound judgment.  The welcome parties are planned in advance of the outcome of the games and are on a win or lose basis.

They’re for the entire team and no one boy is lavished with glory more than others.

As the Little Leaguers move further into tournament playoffs it’s going to become more and more important to keep our heads and recall the words of state tournament director John Lindemuth who said, “Remember these are small boys.  Treat them as such and you’ll always have a warm feeling about what you’ve seen after a Little League game.”

So the sports writer for the other paper never did get what he was looking for.  No individual stars, no singularly outstanding performers – just a group of young boys for whom baseball is still a game and one which they’ve apparently learned well.

Bellefonte Midgets Honored at Banquet; 200 Persons Attend

There was a busy time giving out awards and gifts at the Bellefonte Little League’s annual dinner at the Milesburg—Boggs Township Community Center last night.

The accomplishment of the all-star’s going on to win in state championship and playing in regional competition was an added recognition at this years affair attended by nearly 200 players their families and guests:

Neil Wiggin had a busy evening handling the program; The program began with the invocation by Rev. Robert J. Keeler, pastor of St. Johns Lutheran Church. Bellefonte.

Special guests including John M. Lindemuth, Williamsport, National Little League Commissioner, Joe Pisoni, Brockway, District 10 Director, John Palmer, Curwensville assistant; Phil Gill, State College Little League President, James Spare, Brookville Little League President, Paul Snyder, Punxsutawney President; George Boughter, Bellefonte Burgess.

Frank Webster, Bellefonte President, presented a photograph of the state championship team to Bob Gingrich, host at the Williamsport playoffs.

Dr. Wm J. Schwartz, Vice President of finance, presented certificates to these players who reached the age of 12 and are no longer eligible to play in the league:

Paul Hockenberry, Charles Fletemake, Robert Cathcart, Rodney Mitchell, William Foresman, Troy Switcher, Dennis Leathers, Danny Riser, Thomas Crater, Raymond Dubbs, Larry Conaway, Gary Kellogg, Michel Ranio, Danny Kahle, John Sodergren, Charles Dolan, Barry Ishler , Robert Uncaoher, Daniel Eckenrode, David Howard, Kenneth Richenbaugh, Fredrick Frank.

Wians Sports Center, will present the boys with Little League Knives, George Brown, President of Bellefonte Pony League welcomed and encouraged the boys to take part in the Pony League next year.

With money left over from trips to Williamsport and Staten Island jackets were purchased for the all-stars.

The state champion jackets were presented by Mr. Webster.

Mr. Pisoni presented the banner for winning district 10 playoffs and Mr. Lindermuth gave the state championship banner

Members of Kecklers, team winners of this year’s league championship, and Harold Rossman manager received the trophy for the year.

A ball used at Williamsport and signed by the players was given to Mr. Webster. Mrs. Lester Dolan of the league auxiliary gave pens to all managers and assistants.

The program ended by an act by Dick Christian, State College ventriloquist.