How does this Championship East Nepean Eagles team stack up?
Just to grasp the magnitude of what the 2013 East Nepean
Major Eagles accomplished this past weekend in Glace-Bay, NS, we should take a
look back through the history of the Little League Canadian Championship Series.
- Over the past 20 years, a team from British Columbia has won the LLCCS, 12 times.
- Over the past 10 years, BC has had a stranglehold of the Canadians, having lost only twice.
- Those 2 losses, were to very same East Nepean Little League.
- These winning BC teams have outscored their opposition by an average of 9.1 runs in the championship games over that 10 year span. This means that they have “mercied” their competition the majority of the time.
What also makes this achievement so stunning is that baseball
is generally perceived to have been on a sharp decline in popularity in Ontario
over the past two decades.
Credit of course should go to the players and their parents
for making this dream a reality. It's an incredible commitment for families to take on, while dealing with the regular going-ons of day to day living (and working). But
also, one can’t help but recognize the commitment to a training and development
program that has been put in place by the League and it’s volunteer coaches. This along with the longevity of what they
have been able to achieve is quite remarkable and worth consideration by other
leagues.
Some may point out that the success of this team was largely
a result of having a few strong workhorses that could carry the team. While this is important, baseball is one of
those sports that you are only as strong as your weakest player. And it takes a complete team effort to become
champions.
It’s time for all local Ottawa-Valley leagues to tip their
hats to this Eagles team and the East Nepean program. And to wish them well in Williamsport,
PA. Go Eagles!!!