It has been four years since a Massachusetts Little League team made it to the Little League World Series.
The Saugus Americans captivated a region back then in 2003 with a miraculous run to the U.S. championship game, before falling to Boynton Beach, Fla. The Walpole Americans will now be able to find out what lies in store for them after they took care of Shelton, Conn. in a mercy-rule game to secure the New England title, 14-4, last Saturday. Walpole is among the 16 best teams in the world, eight of them from the United States, and they will begin the World Series Friday against Hamilton, Ohio, the Great Lakes champ, at 2 p.m.
But before Walpole runs out onto the Williamsport turf, Saugus manager Rob Rochenski, Joe Kasabuski, his starting second baseman, and Joe's dad, Rick, have some advice for them to make their experience as memorable as it was for them.
"I would tell the Walpole coach to never save a pitcher for the next game," Rochenski said, "and then I would tell him to tell his players to enjoy every moment."
Owner of his own construction business, Rochenski got back into coaching Little League this year, helping out the Major League Red Sox squad.
"Teams will be remembered for winning the districts and states, but the further they go, especially to the World Series, they become known well beyond their community," Rochenski said. "Right now, Walpole doesn't know what they are in for, but it's all good."
Rochenski was referring to the added exposure from the Boston media, not to mention the cultural exchange among the teams in the World Series.
"It's something to see how all the teams from all over the world act together after the games trading pins and playing games like ping pong. It's like summer camp with baseball thrown into the mix," added Rochenski.
"But once we were there, we wanted that one extra win, and Walpole will find that out, as well."
Teams are never satisfied reaching a certain point, because they don't want this enjoyable experience to end, albeit a nerve-wracking one, according to Rochenski.
"You're smiling all the time, even though everything is coming at you full tilt," he said, "and even if you don't win that final game, it's not really a negative, it's just a reality check."
Rochenski jumped on the Walpole bandwagon last week with mixed emotions.
Matt Muldoon (one of his star pitchers on that 2003 team) works for me this summer, and he said to me that it would have been nice to be remembered as the last state team to go down there. But I told him it was only a matter of time before somebody else from Massachusetts would represent New England in Williamsport," Rochenski said. "But together, we couldn't believe it has already been four years."
The World Series experience also remains alive among the players like Joe Kasabuski, who still communicates with some of the Boynton Beach and Richmond, Texas kids via email. Dario Pizzano, who was the centerfielder on that team, has visited Williamsport the last three years with his grandparents. Pizzano has seen and hung around with a number of players who participated in that World Series, including Michael Broad, who was on that Florida team that defeated Saugus in the national championship game.
It's that type of camaraderie that Walpole will be experiencing, according to Kasabuski.
"Once Walpole gets down there, they should just open up and don't be shy, because it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," he said. "It will be incredible for them to see so many different people from so many different cultures. They will never forget this moment."
Kasabuski knows that Walpole should do quite well in the World Series.
"Walpole is a phenomenal team, and I think they would have given us a run for it. They have already accomplished a lot, because it's tough to make it down there."
From the parents' perspective, Joe's dad, Rick, is just happy to see another Massachusetts team make it to Williamsport.
"I'm very proud to see Walpole in it, and they look pretty good. They're not huge, but they all swing the bat well. They should be tough to beat down there," Rick said. "They are a very disciplined team, and they have to remain that way. They can't worry about the opposition; they just have to play their game and they will continue to win.
"They can't think about the next game, and they can't get caught up in all the distractions. They just have to eat good, sleep good and think about the game that they are in and not so much about the opponent. We never looked ahead to the next game or the next series. We just worried about who we're playing that day, and then after we had won we would find out who we're playing next and go back to the practice field. It all seemed to click for us."
By the time Walpole goes up against Hamilton, Ohio in the first game of the World Series Friday, Rick Kasabuski and his wife, Debbie, would have joined the other parents from that squad, plus their kids at Rochenski's summer home in New Hampshire. They will watch the games together, a tradition that has been going on for the past three years.
"It's going to be good to root for a Massachusetts team again," Rick said, "and Walpole should just enjoy this moment for all its worth, and later on they will begin to realize the magnitude of this event to truly appreciate their accomplishments."
