EL SEGUNDO HERALD January 6, 2022 Page 3
Sports Opened up in the Second Half of 2021
By Gregg McMullin
If the first six months of 2021 taught us
anything about our sports world, the athletes
were resilient and trailblazers. The high school
athletes showed us that our precious sports
world was important. They demonstrated that
we could all adapt and overcome a pandemic
that crippled the sports world.
With stringent protocols still in place, young
athletes returned to the baseball fields to play
America’s favorite pastime, in-line hockey
players got to skate, girl’s softball competed,
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and high school teams prepared for the new
sports calendar by playing in summer leagues.
El Segundo Little League
Completes Successful Season
The El Segundo Little League completed
their modified season with championship games
played at three levels. It was a two-team Majors
race between the Orioles and Giants and ended
with the Orioles running the table to win the
league’s 67th Majors Division championship.
The Triple-A Division was a more balanced
set of teams. Only two games separated the
first-place Angels and the fifth-place Giants. In
the Championship game, the Dodgers defeated
the Angels 13-11 to claim the championship. In
the Double-A championship game, the Timber
Rattlers outlasted the Lake Monsters in extra
innings to win their first title.
The ESLL All-Stars were highlighted by the
8-10s winning the Southern California State
Tournament, marking the league’s 39th banner.
After winning the District 36 tournament,
they advanced to the Section Four tournament
defeating Torrance Little League 10-0 and Del
Rey Little League 13-3 to advance to the championship
game, they faced Del Rey LL again.
This time it was much closer with so much
on the line, including a berth to the Southern
California 8-10 Baseball Championship. Pitching
controlled the game by both squads, but a
late-inning rally gave El Segundo a 4-3 win.
In the State Tournament, El Segundo traveled
to Imperial Beach to play Southern California’s
best in this age group. El Segundo won their
first two games against Sherman Oaks 5-4
and Park View 6-0 and defeated East Hills
Little League from Yorba Linda 4-0 in the
third game. In the first championship final,
El Segundo faced Sherman Oaks and fell 5-2.
In the elimination final costly errors by Sherman
Oaks and great pitching by El Segundo
propelled El Segundo Little League to their
historic 2-1 win.
Babe Ruth League Crowns
Champions and All-Star
Teams Advanced to Pacific
Southwest Regional
The El Segundo Babe Ruth League’s sixtyfourth
season ended with playoffs that crowned
the Oaks the champions. The league was
handicapped this season with the Covid protocols
that limited each team to a ten-game schedule
In a historic first for the league, each of
the all-star teams, including the 13-15s, 14s,
and 13s advanced to their respective Pacific
Southwest Regional Tournaments. The El
Segundo, 13-15s, traveled to Bakersfield to
play in blistering hot 100 plus degree conditions.
The locals overcame an early deficit and
then hung on for a 4-2 victory over Madera,
the Central
California champion in the first game. In
their second game, El Segundo hit four home
runs, but Hanford (Northern California Champion)
hit three home runs, including a walk-off
three-run homerun, to defeat El Segundo 8-6.
El Segundo stayed alive by dominating Utah
State champion North Lone Peak 21-2. In
an elimination double-header, they defeated
Madera (Central California) and came away
with a 9-7 win. El Segundo’s pitching staff
was no match in a devastating loss to eventual
World Series champion Tri-Valley.
The 14s traveled to Price, Utah, and came
away with an opening round win over Hawaii.
A five-run sixth inning cemented their 10-4
win. A 5-3 win over Taylorsville, Utah, sent
El Segundo into the winner’s bracket final
against Tri-Valley. Facing Tri-Valley would
prove to be an obstacle El Segundo couldn’t
overcome in their 12-7 loss. El Segundo took
the lead in the fifth inning, but Tri-Valley took
advantage of some costly errors and regained
the lead, and went on to win. El Segundo’s
all-star run came to an end when pitching was
thin, and South Reno took advantage and shut
out El Segundo in a lopsided win.
The 13s played their regional in Fallon,
Nevada. El Segundo faced Yuma, Arizona
to open up their Pacific Southwest Regional
Tournament and came away with an 11-3
win. In their second game, El Segundo took
on Hawaii Elite and fell 10-1. In the elimination
game El Segundo faced Hanford (Central
California) and was outmatched and eliminated
in a lopsided loss.
Bob and Kathy Motta Honored
The El Segundo Babe Ruth League has just
completed its 66th season. In that time, the
league has won five World Series championships
and finished second or third two other
times. The league, which is strictly filled
with volunteers, has had a number of league
presidents and coaches in those 66 years. Two
volunteers have stood the test of time which
started in 1979. Bob Motta and his late wife
Kathy were honored in a dedication ceremony
to name the score booth above the snack bar
at Stevenson Field, the Bob and Kathy Motta
Score Booth. Bob has been the league president
13 times and has served on the board in some
capacity 14 other times. Bob was also honored
with the Lefty Gomez Babe Ruth League
Volunteer of the Year.
Lars Nootbaar Made
It to ‘The Show’
Eight former Eagles have played or coached
in the Major Leagues, including George Myatt
(player 1938- 1947 and coach 1950-1974),
The El Segundo 8-10 All Stars won the Section 4 Tournament, before winning the Southern California State Tournament.
The three El Segundo Babe Ruth League All Star Teams pose before advancing their respective Pacific Southwest Tournament.
Bob Motta and his wife Kathy were honored in a ceremony dedicating the Score Booth in their name.
Team Hype won the El Segundo Summer Coed City Softball League by upsetting Slice and Pint 12-5 in the final.