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| ‘Time to go to work’ |
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| Written by Marc Aceves | Patterson Irrigator | |
| Friday, 27 June 2008 | |
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Little League All-Stars get fired up The summer has just arrived, and believe it or not, one season has ended and another is about to begin for the players in the Patterson Little League.  practice makes perfect: Patterson’s Fernando Chavez of the Little League All-Stars slides safely under the tag of third baseman Travis Trethaway, as the 12-and-over All-Stars practice for their upcoming games at the T.W. Patterson Sports Complex on Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator The voices of parents, coaches and kids formed a concert of Little League chatter. “Play’s at first,” one player shouted. “It only takes one,” another cheered. This season, nearly 400 baseball and softball players — making up 29 teams — helped mark the city’s first chartered Little League program. The arrival of Little League baseball and softball meant the city’s young athletes would no longer be divided into two groups. Before this year, Patterson had both a county-run traveling league and a city league. “There is a big advantage to keeping these kids in town, as opposed to traveling throughout the season,” coach Jeff Gonzales said. “There is a lot of camaraderie that grew from these kids being able to play with one another and to seeing each other every week.” Dressed in his navy blue-and-white baseball uniform, 12-year-old Gary Troxler wound up, pulled his arm back and threw an imaginary pitch during Wednesday’s practice at the T.W. Patterson Sports Complex Little League ballpark. “I enjoy pitching, because I can control the game,” Troxler said. He cocked his head to his right shoulder and thought a minute. “Nothing happens on the field until the pitcher makes the first move,” he added, crossing his arms. Patterson’s 11- and 12-year-old All-Stars will compete this weekend at the Northgate Little League ballpark in Manteca against nine other teams in District 67, which includes Tracy.  It’s game time today for Patterson’s first Little League All-Star squad, including Mico Rivera, shown during practice Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator Still, Patterson is up for the challenge. “I selected kids to this team that really want to play,” manager Brandon Jack said. “These kids are dedicated. Every one of them has showed up and practiced over the last two weeks.” “I give 150 percent and I want that in return,” Jack added. “And that’s exactly what these players are giving me.” Jack, along with his coaching staff of Gonzales, Gary Troxler and Brett Jack, has worked hard to prepare his players for the tough road that awaits them. “These players know that when they walk out on the field, it’s time to go to work,” Brandon Jack said. “We want to play the best. The only way you get better is by playing against the best.” Still, his players know that the spirit of Little League baseball isn’t just about winning. Jack makes sure that each of them understands what the league’s credo is based on: teamwork, sportsmanship and fair play. “We help each other out whenever one of us is falling,” All-Star player Mico Rivera said. “If there is someone who needs help, we are here for each other.” The players also know the uniforms they don represent not only the Little League program, but also the city. “It feels pretty good to be a part of this team,” All-Star T.J. Jack said. “This experience is something that eventually I’ll be able to share with my grandkids.” “This is an awesome experience,” Troxler added. “Being able to represent Patterson is nice, and it’s a bonus that we’re the first (Little League) All-Star team to do it.” According to Little League Baseball officials, it typically takes three or four years before an upstart program begins to take off. Jack, who served on the city’s league board as a player agent, wants to see more volunteers to accelerate that prediction. “We just don’t have a lot of people that want to come out here and go that extra mile for these kids,” he said. “We need to start fundraising right now and keep it going all the way until the start of the next season.” Plans for a carwash have been set in motion, with larger-scale ideas including a casino night and a Texas Hold ’Em tournament in the works. Despite the few volunteers, Jack said the league was a success in its inaugural season. “Everyone got to play, and the winning teams were able to go off and compete in the Tournament of Champions,” he said. “And now, here we are about to go and play our All-Stars.” To reach Marc Aceves at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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