Manager’s prediction was right from the start: his 1987 Northwood Little League team was going to Williamsport

(Third of three parts)

Northwood Little League major manager Bob Garcia gathered his players for practice one summer afternoon at Harvard Park in Irvine in 1987 and made a prediction: his group of 11- and -12-year-old all-stars would earn a trip to Williamsport for the Little League World Series.

Thirty years later, some of the memories fade, but the significance of the Irvine team becoming the only Little League squad from Irvine to earn a trip to the Little League World Series has not been forgotten. It was the fourth year of Northwood’s existence.

“I think we all remember sitting here by the light pole after our first practice on this field and Bob Garcia said, ‘boys, this team is going to Williamsport, we’re going to win it all,’” recalled catcher Ryan Jones last week at Harvard Park. “And he made it happen.

“We had a tough game against Mission Viejo in the district (tournament) and then we just kind of caught fire. We really turned into an excellent Little League team. We could do it all. We could hit, we could play defense, we could pitch and I didn’t realize it at the time and as I got older and played professional baseball, realized how well coached we were. Everybody had their role and knew what was expected of them.”

Garcia’s talk came before the squad opened the district tournament.
The fourteen players – Aron Garcia, Ryan Jones, Chris Greinke, Ryan O’Toole, Tommy Louie, Chris Curry, Erik Sobek, Loc Tran, Steve Mendoza, David Lambert, Geoff Ebdon, Didget Tuttle, Erik Sobek and Erik Silberman – proved Garcia right.

TEAM WON 18 IN A ROW

The Northwood team, with Garcia and Coach Bob Jones leading the way, went on to win 18 in a row with championships in the district, sectional, Southern California and West Regional tournaments.

The players were then thrust into the national spotlight when they earned a trip to Williamsport for the Little League World Series. The team had a promising start, winning two games, including an 8-1 victory over Chesterfield, Ind. on Aug. 27, 1987, which helped Northwood secure the U.S. National championship.

The all-stars then lost to Hua Liam of Taiwan, 21-1, in the Little League World Series championship on Aug. 29, 1987, in front of 35,000 fans at Lamade Stadium and a national television audience watching on ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

“We just got beat by a well oiled machine,” Bob Garcia said after the game. “We tried to make a squeak and we just couldn’t do it.”

“It was tough, it was like a different universe,” Ryan Jones said looking back 30 years on the loss. “We had a couple tight ones, but every other game we were able to handle. It was such a big blast so early it was tough to come back. Looking back at it, we did every single thing we could and we just ran into a team at the time that was a little bit better. I don’t hold any resentment.”

The team still returned as national champions.

“The national title means a lot to me,” Bob Jones, the coach, said a few days after the team returned to Irvine. We flew over the whole United States Sunday, and I looked down and thought to myself, ‘we’re better than all the teams below us.’”

‘DEFINTELY TOUGH’ TO LOSE IN FINALS

Louie, an outfielder, said the team’s loss to Taiwan was “definitely tough.”

“A lot of us cried because it was the only way we knew how to deal with that type of defeat,” he said. “But what was great about was great to see all the fans giving us hugs and kisses and showing how proud they were of us to go that far. We had a parade at Northwood (when the team returned).  It was great to see all the community come out for us.”

The Northwood players were treated like heroes when they they returned to Irvine. There was a big parade in Northwood which Bill Brosnan of Northwood Pizza helped organize, the players were honored at Angel Stadium and were featured in a parade at Disneyland. The Dodgers and Clippers also intended to honor the squad.

“The parade at Irvine was something special,” Ryan Jones said. “I remember being in the parade float and the parking lot was full of people. Even before that, getting off the plane at John Wayne Airport, we got off and we went through the door and I just remember seeing a sea of people and that’s when it kind of hit. We were still kind of bummed about the game, but right when we got home, the phone started ringing off the hook.”

Northwood received proclamations or plaques from the 31st senatorial district, the Irvine City Council, the City of Irvine, the Irvine Unified School District, Little League baseball and the Orange County Board of Supervisors. It also received the Carl’s Jr. Sportsmanship Award.

But the team’s magical season hasn’t been forgotten.

NORTHWOOD OFFICIALS STILL PROUD

“So much has changed over the last 30 years, but the pride we all feel for the 1987 team is constant,” said Michael Madden, player agent for Northwood Little League. “They were on top of the world.

“No matter what changes, it will still be kids playing baseball. These kids are now grown men with their own families, even coaching their own kids.”

Madden said Northwood officials are now following Santa Margarita’s team, which is in the Western Regional this week and has won its first two games, hoping for a trip to Williamsport.

“All of us at Northwood Little League would love to share this anniversary with Santa Margarita,” he said.

The 1987 Northwood team consisted of all-stars from the league. Garcia, the manager of the Yankees, and Jones, the manager of the Orioles were selected to lead the team because those two squads were in the league championship. Eight of the 14 players were from the Yankees or Orioles.

“So many things have to fall into place for that to happen,” said Gregg Colbert, who was 23 and an assistant coach at the time. “Typically, what I’ve seen is that each (World Series) team has one or two dominating pitchers, which we had, Aron (Garcia) and Chris (Greinke). You have to have the pitching.

“You’ve got to get the right draw in tournaments and the lucky breaks when you get them. To me, to get to Williamsport as an 11 or 12-year-old is the toughest thing to do in any sport. There are 16,000 teams that start out. You have one or two years and you have to be an all-star. To get all the way there is pretty much impossible.”

Colbert, 53, said the Northwood coaches were thinking more about a possible trip to Williamsport than the players.

“For the kids, there was never any fascination in their heads,” said Colbert, who coached the Northwood pitchers. “There was never any mystique about Williamsport, because they were young and they didn’t really get it.  For us (the coaches), it was a completely different situation.”

TEAM STARTED WITH DISTRICT TITLE

The team’s first step toward Williamsport was in the District 55 championship in which Northwood defeated North Mission Viejo, 9-1, in the championship game.

“We were good in that tournament, but we weren’t good like we were down the road,” Colbert said. “In San Bernardino (at the Western Regionals) we outscored our four opponents, 49-1.”

The team was led on the mound by Aron Garcia, who was 10-1 and had six consecutive shutouts in the post-season and Greinke, who pitched a 1-hitter and struck out nine in Northwood’s 7-0 victory over Northridge in the championship game of the Southern California Division 3 title. Ryan O’Toole and Ryan Jones also pitched during the memorable playoff run.

Garcia threw a no-hitter to help Northwood defeat Dover, N.H., 13-0, in the first-round of the Little League World Series.

But Garcia was hit hard in the final against Taiwan, giving up all 21 runs, and Northwood was victimized by five errors which let in eight unearned runs.

“His nickname was Smoke and that’s exactly what he threw,”  Ryan Jones said of Garcia. “I think we developed a really good catcher-pitcher relationship. He had a real good curve ball and a fastball to cap it off. He was the main reason we got so far.”

There were many reasons to celebrate during the playoff run, which is what the team and its followers did at Northwood Pizza after the games.

“We would all go to Northwood; it was Northwood’s home, for sure, and the Brosnans were great,” Colbert said.

The players seemed to get along and had fun off the field, Colbert said.

“It was a great blend,” Colbert said.”You had the quiet guys, you had the outgoing guys, you had the stoic guys. Everyone kind of fit a role and played it perfectly.”

Northwood outfielder Steve Mendoza knew one of his roles was to keep the team loose. He did that by singing Beastie Boys songs after games at the Western Regional in San Bernardino.

“You have that guy that keeps things loose that says the correct funny thing at the correct time, that guy that just releases tensions from people,” Colbert said. “And that was Mendie. He had a great sense of humor. He was quick and outgoing. I remember when I filmed that Beisty boys song it was pretty epic. The kids were going nuts.”

“It was after our third win in San Bernardino. Everyone was feeling pretty good and it just kind of happened.”

Colbert went on to coach with Northwood Little League for three more seasons. He started teaching at Brywood Elementary and is now teaching at Santiago Hills Elementary. He has worked for the Irvine Unified School District for 30 years.

Colbert has also coached at various football levels at Irvine and is now the head freshman coach at Woodbridge.

Colbert and his wife, Barbara, have four children: Dakota, 20; Trent, 19; Chad, 17; and Kendall, 14.

Bob Garcia, who said he planned to retire from coaching after the 1987 season, moved to Alabama and Jones recently moved to Northern California with his wife Linda after the family sold their home in Irvine, Colbert said.

Most of the players have gone on to do well in their careers and many are raising families. While there was some talk at the time in 1987 about some of them playing in the Major Leagues one day, none of them did. A number went on to play baseball at Irvine High and were on the 1992 team that lost to South Hills, 6-5, in the CIF 4AA championship game in 1992 at Angel Stadium.

“They were on the world stage (in 1987) because they were in Williamsport,” Colbert said. “That doesn’t mean that they’re going to go on and play Major League baseball. It doesn’t really work that way. Ryan Jones played in the minor leagues for a long time. Some of them went on and played in college and a lot of them were very succcessful in high school. But that’s it. It’s a lot of pressure on a 12-year-old, that’s for sure.”

Colbert remains proud of what the players accomplished and cherishes the experience 30 years later. He still has tons of photos, newspaper clippings and Little League pins which he shares with his students at Santiago Hills every year before the start of the Little League season and is always excited to talk to former players to reminisce about that special season.

Many of Colbert’s students play in Northwood Little League and are curious about the Williamsport experience. They are well aware of the accomplishment.

“Every year it comes up and they will ask questions,” Colbert said. “It’s still part of the history and heritage of the league even though it’s 30 years ago,” Colbert said.

And it all started on a baseball field during a practice one day at Harvard Park.