Dream ends for McLean American
By Jason Mackey
Though it didn't end the way anyone would've hoped, the McLean American 10- and 11-year-old Little League All-Stars will remember this year's state tournament for something completely unrelated to baseball.
Well, only sort of.
After promising to dye his hair blue in exchange for a District 4 title, McLean American coach Paul Shiffman was forced into action when his team rallied for eight unanswered runs in a 10-9 win over Alexandria in the district final, prompting a trip to the Virginia state tournament.
“The [players] were divided between green and orange, and we finally settled on blue,” said Shiffman, who unveiled his new hairdo last Saturday at Rockafeller's seafood restaurant in Virginia Beach. “They gave us a standing ovation.”
But Shiffman and Co. weren't in Virginia Beach strictly for seafood. McLean American started the state tournament with a 2-1 win over McIntire – spearheaded by a complete-game effort from pitcher Caleb Beatty – but eventually dropped its second-round game, a 14-2 loss to Chantilly American.
Playing in the bottom part of the bracket, McLean American got a three-run homer from Cam Hester in the bottom of the fifth inning as the team rebounded to post a 5-2 win over Abingdon, but Shiffman's team was finally eliminated with a 4-2 loss to Lebanon on Monday morning.
“I thought this was one of the most supportive teams I've ever coached,” said assistant coach Steve Bielamowicz, who also dyed his hair blue. “Each child had opportunities to deal with adversity.”
Hester hit five home runs during the district and state tournaments combined, and he also posted a .750 batting average. Shiffman said Beatty also hit at around a .700 clip, and Jameson Culp provided a presence at the leadoff spot with an average that hovered near .650.
“I've coached for 41 years and this is the nicest team I've ever coached,” said Shiffman. “There was never any finger-pointing. It was a very cohesive group.”