South County : Young Baseball Players to Make Long Road Trip

Young sluggers from San Juan Capistrano and Mission Viejo literally will sweat it out over the next two weeks as the group of 11- and 12-year-old baseball players prepare to depart Aug. 6 for the steamy South Pacific and Far East.

According to Bob Noel, the manager and organizer of the 15-member all-star team that will spend 10 days in the Philippines and Hong Kong, the players are practicing in sweat suits with light jackets under their shirts to get ready for the tropical heat.

“We’re trying to get a feel for the heat that they’ll be playing in,” Noel said. “We’re trying to make them a little miserable.”

After their arrival in Manila, Noel said, the kids will enjoy a day off before opening against the local champs in a stadium that seats 30,000. “Most of our kids have never seen more than 500 people,” he said.

After playing four straight days in the Philippines, including games against teams in rural Cavite, near Manila, the all-stars will depart for Hong Kong.

Although all the players who will embark on the trip have played on Little League all-star teams, playing ability was only one criterion used in selecting the 15 players for the extended road trip.

Good citizenship and scholastic ability were also considered in making the cut, Noel said, because “the educational experience will outweigh the baseball experience.”

Of course, playing ability is not forgotten, as the 15 players prepare for their upcoming tour by practicing three hours a day, seven days a week. Because baseball is a popular sport in both Hong Kong and the Philippines, Noel wants his all-stars to be ready.

The trip was arranged through a Lake Forest organization that plans overseas trips for youth athletic clubs. Noel believes that going to the Philippines and Hong Kong will be an opportunity for the kids to “find out what life is all about.”

“This trip offers a tremendous cultural exchange,” Noel said. “We’re not just talking baseball.”

In order to come up with the $1,475 each youngster needs for air fare, hotels and meals, Noel said the players have been hitting up parents and saving their allowances. In addition, local businesses have helped by donating money, he said.