Spirit Moves Moorpark’s All-Stars in Quest for Title
MOORPARK — From City Hall to the downtown beauty parlors, the word on everyone’s lips is baseball. Little League baseball, that is.
On Friday, the Moorpark All-Stars beat Pearl City, Hawaii, to advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
This is the first time a Western Regional team has advanced so far after being in the losers’ bracket, and the feat is getting notices all over town.
“Everyone is so excited about it,” said Margarita Caldera, 24, owner of Attitude N Styles on Moorpark Avenue. “All of my clients are rooting for them.”
Mayor Paul Lawrason said the players have become ambassadors for Moorpark. “Our little city is on the map,” he said.
“We plan a very big celebration for them, no matter what the outcome [of the World Series] is,” Lawrason said.
The 13 Moorpark All-Stars will play their first game of the World Series on Monday against Rhode Island, a team known for its size. Moorpark is not exactly a small team--Erik Johnson, regarded as the best Little League hitter, is 5-foot-9. But they have something Rhode Island lacks--the inspiration provided by the memory of 11-year-old teammate Joel Burchfield, who drowned in January.
The spirit of the “14th player” has been with other players ever since, said Joel’s mother, Laura.
“They all have stories about how they’ve felt his presence,” Laura said. “Joel gives them a little confidence, but I know the kids have done this all on their own.”
Some players say Joel’s spirit gives balls wings to sail over opponents’ heads, and on Friday they wondered aloud what caused the team from Hawaii to make the mistakes they made during the final game.
If Joel is having an effect on the team’s performance, Laura said, “He kind of made us do it the hard way. I’m glad he did because we made history.”
Joel’s father, Dan, has thrown batting practice for the Moorpark players, and both he and Laura are leaving for Williamsport today to watch how the team fares in the next round of play.
“The kids have fun with him,” Laura Burchfield said.
Joel’s 8-year-old brother, Ryan, will also travel to Pennsylvania. He will root for the home team, all the while knowing deep down that they can pull out a victory.
“All along Ryan has said they’ll win it,” Laura Burchfield said. “He’s had all the faith.
“Losing a child is absolutely the worst thing you can go through, but it’s comforting knowing that Ryan is still connected with Joel,” she said.
