Eau Claire Babe Ruth teams prepare for trips to Wold Series
Aug. 2—Eau Claire's 14-year-old and 15-year-old Babe Ruth baseball teams have qualified for the Babe Ruth World Series for a second consecutive year. Coach John Bugher and his 14-year-old team won the Ohio Valley Regional championship last weekend in Reedsburg. Chad Gorman's 15-year-old team topped Janesville 5-1 at Mt. Simon Park in Eau Claire to win its own regional championship.
"We (the 14-year-old team) qualified (for regionals) because we were supposed to host our state tournament, and there were not enough teams in the state," 14s coach Bugher said. "So they moved us right into the regional."
The 14-year-old World Series is in Williston, North Dakota, this year. It begins next week. The 15-year-olds play at Stafford, Virginia.
"Basically, as a coach, I need to be out there next Wednesday (August 10) and the boys need to be there Wednesday night," Bugher said. "They do an opening ceremony, they do a parade and they have guest speakers. Normally guest speakers are pro players; this year's opening speaker is Kirk Gibson." Gibson is a former major league player for the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
The 14-year-old team coach said his team would be playing one opponent from Massachusetts, another from Mifflin County, Penn., a team from Fargo, and one from Williston.
Placement in the bracket is dependent on how the team does in those first four games, according to Bugher. The tournament is single elimination, so when a team loses it goes home.
The coach indicated the trip to North Dakota will be a nine-day affair. The teams and families are responsible for paying all travel and lodging costs associated with each of the World Series trips. Both the 14-year-old and 15-year-old teams will be fundraising for their trips at the Festival Foods Brat Barns on N. Clairemont Ave. and Birch Street, on Saturday from approximately 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Both teams will receive a portion of proceeds from all sales at Milwaukee Burger Company between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Aug. 8 and Aug. 9.
Gorman estimated the trip to Virginia for his team would cost approximately $3,000 per family, which means the team has a goal of raising the full $39,000 to fund the trip for all 13 players.
Gorman and Bugher explained members of both teams would be present at Milwaukee Burger Company during the hours the restaurant will be donating some of its proceeds from in order for the players to thank diners for their contributions. Brat Barn fundraisers at both the Birch Street and Clairemont Avenue Festival locations will be staffed by members of both teams, and Gorman explained proceeds from the branch sales at all locations will be split between the teams. The coach of the 15-year-old team said he does not yet know who his team will face first since there are still some regional games to be played in the Midwest region.
Bugher's team of 14-year-olds did not start playing until early June this year because four of his players were high school freshman for whom he had to wait to complete their high school seasons.
Gorman indicated that despite the expense incurred in the trip to the World Series, everyone else seems to love the experience. He added that everyone seems to be present out of love for the game of baseball.
