So what does it matter what a bunch of local Little Leaguers did 60 years ago?
I suppose in the grand scheme of things, not much. But in West Covina, in 1957, what these young men did mattered a lot. As I said previously, this was the first team from the city to ever play and place in a state-level tournament, and firsts in sports history are always noteworthy.
Our family's only official mementos of the tournament. Of all the trophies in my father's collection, this plastic one was the cheapest-looking of all, and yet, it was his first as a manager of an All-Star team, and probably his most-treasured. My mother made the presentation case for the pins.
One might argue that "Third Place" isn't a whole lot to cheer about, but let me explain why the West Covina American All-Stars' winning finish in the 1957 State Tournament was such an exceptional accomplishment.
- After losing their opener, the team had to win 3 games in a row just to place in the tournament, which they subsequently did, and convincingly, too.
- Only one other team won 3 consecutive games, and that was the State champ, La Mesa.
- Overall, our boys were the most productive. West Covina played more games in the tournament than any of the other teams–4 in less than 48 hours–and in their 3 victories, West Covina scored 20 runs; La Mesa only 11.
- Finally, we ended up beating the team that sent us to the losers' bracket to begin with, which means that West Covina–just like La Mesa–defeated every opponent they faced.
Considering all this, I've little doubt that, if not for that one wild pitch in the last inning of their tourney opener, West Covina would have claimed the State crown, not La Mesa. And if one recalls what happened to La Mesa in the Little League World Series final that year, had West Covina knocked them out at the state level, a certain history-making baseball game would not have taken place...
Win or lose, though, there is no question that the 1957 West Covina American All-Stars made local sports history, and I hope that, through my storytelling here, I've managed to do justice to them and to their achievements.
