Albany Little League Team Wins District Title

When the District 4 Little League Tournament of Champions began last month, the AAA Rays were without substitutes, their manager and one of their coaches.

But at the end of the week-long tournament, in Oakley on June 23, the Rays walked away undefeated as the 2012 District 4 Champions.

District 4 is a geographical area containing 14 little league teams and more than 1,200 players, stretching south to Alameda and east to Oakley. The post-season winners of each league go on to play in the district’s Tournament of Champions.

The Rays—made up of 9- to 11-year-olds from Albany, Kensington and Berkeley—won the Albany Little League AAA championship earlier in June, earning them a bid to the district tournament.

Because of preplanned vacations, the team’s manager, Erik Davidson, and one of the coaches, Frank Knowles, along with both men’s sons, were unavailable for the tournament.

That left Albany resident Richard Motamedi, the only remaining coach, to lead a roster of nine players, the exact number necessary to play.

The Rays started the tournament strong, defeating the team from North Oakland, 6-4, and the team from Pittsburgh, 15-4, to reach the semifinals against Martinez.

With a ticket to the championship match on the line, Motamedi said the atmosphere of the semifinal was tenser than any previous game.

“Not only was the score tight and the details of the game close, but the fans were extremely loud, and the other team was extremely loud on almost every pitch,” Motamedi said. “There was a din that our pitchers had to face that they weren’t used to.”

In the bottom of the sixth and final inning, the score was tied 8-8 and the Rays were up to bat.

With a runner on third, two outs, and two strikes, the Rays’ Colin O’Brien drove in the game-winning run, earning the Rays a spot in the championship match against Alameda.

According to Motamedi, Alameda Little League has a reputation as one of the strongest leagues in the district. Though he expected a close battle for first place, Motamedi said the players felt less pressure headed into the game.

“There’s no advancement after the Tournament of Champions for AAA, so it’s our last baseball game whether we win or lose,” he said. “We were pretty loose going into it, even if facing Alameda is a bit of a daunting task.”

Just like the semifinal, the score stayed close until late in the game. In the bottom of the fifth inning with the game tied, O’Brien proved to be the Rays’ savior once again, hitting a double that scored teammate Jeffery Hopson.

With O’Brien’s RBI, the Rays went up 7-6. Thanks to pitcher Ari Libenson, who closed out the semifinal and the championship game, the Rays held on to their one-run lead to win the District 4 title.

Motamedi attributed the team’s success to its solid defensive plays, consistent pitching and clutch hitting.

Certain players stood out for their achievements, including Zander Motamedi, who threw eight strikeouts in the championship game, and Zachary Anderson who reached base at all six of his at-bats in the final two games.

But Motamedi stressed that what set the Rays apart from the competition was that all the players were a threat at the plate. 

“There really wasn’t much of a difference between the top half of the order and the bottom half of the order, and that just wears out the other pitchers,” he said.

POST-SEASON PLAYOFFS OFFERED CHALLENGES

While their success at the Tournament of Champions capped off their season, the Rays’ biggest challenge this year was making it to the tournament in the first place.

After a less-than-spectacular 5-9 regular season record, the Rays went into the Albany Little League playoffs hoping for better results.

In the second round, the Rays suffered a close 11-10 loss to the Reds, a team that had proven to be a powerhouse in the regular season. But the playoffs are a double elimination tournament, so the Rays still had a chance for the league title.

After battling their way through the loser’s bracket, the Rays emerged in the championship round, needing two consecutive wins against the Reds to take the pennant.

During the regular season, the Reds defeated the Rays all three times the teams met.

The first championship-round game was a mountainous challenge for the Rays, Motamedi said. But it was a challenge the Rays overcame, sneaking away with a 3-1 victory. That win gave the team the confidence to dominate 12-2 in the second game, completing their playoff comeback and winning the league trophy. 

“It was a bit of a surprise winning the league to be honest, but it was really validating—if we needed any validation—to go on to win the district tournament as well,” Motamedi said.

Motamedi credited the coaching of Davidson and Knowles as a reason for the Rays coming out on top in the league playoffs.

“I can’t really say enough about the job he (Davidson) did,” Motamedi said.

Though the district championship was bittersweet because the Rays were missing two of their coaches and three of their players, Motamedi said the best part for him was seeing the transformation of the players during the season.

“All the really key hits came from boys who, in the beginning of the season, had struggled, but who preserved and came through at the end,” he said. “There’s nothing more gratifying than seeing all the boys on your roster believe in themselves.”

Though the Rays’ season is over as a team, a few of the players will go on to represent Albany Little League on the All Star team.

Aidan Knowles, Zander Motamedi and Ari Libenson are on Albany’s All Star first-team, while Benjamin Davidson and Gabriel Bracken Serra are on the All Star second-team.

If there's something in this article you think , or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email her at albany@patch.com.