J.P. Castañeda was feeling under the weather the morning of June 6, but no matter – the third base territory at Crocheron Park was his to give up, and there was no chance he was going to miss Saturday’s game.
“I just didn’t give up. I just tried hard,” he said. “I didn’t think about being sick.”
His Bayside Little League team, Prava Stone Works, clinched the Major Division that day, putting J.P. and his fellow 11- and 12-year-olds atop 11 other teams as the following week’s playoffs neared. All season long, Prava Stone Works, improving its record to 12-1 with the June 6 win, has impressed with a well-rounded attack, and the day’s final out prompted a few moments of pride.
“When you guys are in control, they can smell the fear,” assistant coach Joe Pravata told the troops, clustered in shallow left field during a post-game meeting.
“Just real good pitching, real good hitting,” head coach Bob Klein said, explaining why his team has been so successful. “They come to play whether it’s a weak team or a tough team. … Different kids pitch – they all play multiple positions.”
That goes for J.P., too – he tallied three strikeouts in three innings from the mound during the June 6 contest.
Yes, these are happy days for the Prava Stone Works team, which draws a sizable family contingent at each of its twice-a-week games. A day after their division-clinching victory, they joined the league’s other teams – which range from Pee Wee (5- and 6-year-olds) to Senior (15- to 18-year-olds) divisions – for a picnic at Crocheron Park, sponsored by Outback Steakhouse and featuring carnival booths, rides, games, contests, and plenty of barbecue.
Yards away, a pristine baseball field beckoned. For months, it has played host to uncommonly smart pitching, hitting, fielding, and baserunning. And, most importantly to Prava’s players and parents, it has been the home of spring and summer fun for countless kids from Bayside.
“It’s not about winning – it’s about having fun. Although this season they’re winning,” Jenny Rico, J.P.’s mom, said with a smile.
"It makes me happy," J.P. said of his team’s winning ways. "I think we can win the championship if we keep working together."
