T.O. Big League team experiences baseball bliss traveling the country

All-Stars won United States championship


James Brady found out he was the answer to a trivia question.

A seniortobe for the Thousand Oaks High baseball team, Brady was the last out in not one, but two
World Series championship games.

“It was destiny,” he said with a laugh.

When he was 12, Brady grounded out to end the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., during the Conejo Valley All-Stars’ 5-2 loss to Curacao.

On Aug. 5, Brady was the last out in Thousand Oaks’ 12-0 loss to Santiago, Dominican Republic, in the Big League World Series finale at Easley, S.C.

“Once is enough,” he said. “Twice is just mean.”

Brady and the rest of the Thousand Oaks Little League Big League All-Stars, who went 15-2 overall throughout the summer, still enjoyed their World Series run.

“It feels good each time you get there,” said the Lancer, who made a third World Series appearance in PONY ball when he was 14—which also ended in defeat.

“Overall, it was really positive.”

Thousand Oaks is accustomed to success. This was its fifth World Series trip since 2003.

John Short, president of Thousand Oaks Little League, said the experience is measured beyond wins and losses.

“We always try to make a difference and give a little to the community of Easley that does so much for us,” Short said.

The Thousand Oaks All-Stars spent three hours visiting and cheering up sick children at the Shriners Hospital for Children at Greenville, 15 minutes outside of Easley, on Aug. 4.

Later that day, the local squad topped Ruston, La., for the U.S. championship.

“One of the things I try to instill in all the players is for us to be good stewards of our community,” Short said, “and to share our passion for baseball.”

The trip was memorable for Short since the league didn’t field an AllStar squad in 2008 for undisclosed reasons.

For pitcher Tyler Karp, who graduated TOHS this year, the World Series was his chance to shine on the diamond.

In three World Series appearances, Karp earned two wins and a save, surrendering only one earned run in 13 2/3 innings.

Karp earned the win in the U.S. final, notching five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings during the 5-2 victory.

The former Lancer stymied Louisiana with an array of offspeed pitches, specifically curveballs and sliders. Of 107 pitches, Karp said less than 15 were fastballs.

Karp was also the winning pitcher during the Western Regional championship at Bremerton, Wash., and during the Southern California title game at Long Beach.

During the regular season with the Lancers’ varsity team, Karp pitched in only eight games, starting twice.

“It was awesome,” he said of his All-Star experience. “I didn’t really get a shot at Thousand Oaks. But I went out and did what I could and made the best of it.”

Karp and Brady played together on the 2004 Little League World Series team, along with current All-Stars Hayden Cronenbold, Timmy Ginther and Danny Leon.

Remaining AllStars are Austin Alvizo and Connor Detko of Newbury Park High; Thousand Oaks’ Michael Coates, Dustin Kahle, Kody Kasper and Trevor O’Shea; Kevin Neeley and Matt Toczynski of Simi Valley; Grace Brethren’s Nick Schmidt; Robert Toczynski from Royal; and Dakota Fog of Moorpark.

Traveling on the road for three weeks, the teammates built strong bonds with each other and had positive interactions with international players from Germany and Guam at the World Series.

Thousand Oaks players stayed in dormitories at Southern Wesleyan University in Central, S.C. They didn’t have access to television, and the fields at Easley were 30 minutes away by van.

So they played card games for hours on end.

“It wasn’t boring at all,” said Karp, who will pitch at Moorpark College next spring.

“We just played our (baseball) games, ate and played card games. We had lots of fun together. It was a good team thing. . . . There was no TV, but we just found other things to do, and we had a good time.”

Manager Ed Kitchen, who has coached the Big League AllStars since 1998, said this team was special in its own way.

“They were the best team I’ve ever coached,” he said. “They didn’t have the most talent. They understood the team concept more than any other club I’ve been around.

“I think it means a lot (to reach the World Series.) I think we started with almost 4,000 teams worldwide, and to finish as the best team in the United States is quite an accomplishment.”