Darien Hornets Play On Fields Of Dreams

Cue the soundtrack and the last scene from The Natural as Roy Hobbs shatters the lights after slamming the pennant winning run for the NY Knights.

Becoming a legend is among the stuff that baseball players’ dreams are made of.

What better place, then, for the U12 Darien Hornets to culminate their season than to play five short miles away from the baseball holy land of legends in Cooperstown at Cooperstown Dreams Park?

Hornet team member Mike Stoltz shared his perspective on why the trip was special.

“The fact that we played in New York and that not many teams get to go there,” were some of Stoltz’s reasons, adding, “There were a lot of fans there to support the team. And it was like a giant sleepover with your friends.”

It was a little daunting playing teams from warmer climates that play year round, racking up twice as many games in their regular season. More than 100 teams from North America participated.

“We wanted the kids to play well when they were there,” said Coach Ralph Caccavale, “but first and foremost we really wanted the kids and their families to have fun too.”  

With two strong wins the first day, the next two days each brought one win and one loss for a 4-2 record in pool play. Seeded #41 in the single game elimination tournament, the Hornets won 15-5 against the Idaho Crush and lost the next round to #24 So Cal Shockers.

Caccavale was pleased to see the team’s level of play and the number of home runs hit. Coach John Yurcak echoed that statement.

“I’ve never been around a team where every kid contributed to every aspect,” Yurcak said. “Every kid had a highlight in these games.”

Off the field, the 11 team members and four coaches stayed onsite in Baseball Village, or “the barracks” as they are referred to. During the course of the week, the Hornets ate and bunked together, visited the Hall of Fame and most importantly in the views of the coaches, bonded together.

“The camaraderie between the families and amongst the team was incredible,” Yurcak added.

The teams, while competitive on the field, had a chance to socialize as well. Hornet team member Dawson Morford enjoyed pin trading with teams from all over, including Canada and Hawaii.

“Every team had a pin, and it was fun trying to collect them all,” Morford said. He loved the atmosphere of the week, relishing in the fact that “it was all about baseball.”

Morford’s mom, Heather, turned the trip into a family adventure, taking a train from Chicago’s Union Station into Utica, NY. Dawson met players from other participating teams along the way. She found it difficult to aptly portray how momentous a week this was for her son, even though he’s previously taken the trip as a spectator for his brother.

“This was so amazing, [it] really goes beyond words, to see your child experience this,” Morford said. “Between [event coordinator] Carol Yurcak’s planning and the kids themselves, the whole week was truly unbelievable and flawless.”

After returning home, the team and their families convened for a final pizza party, and each team member was presented with an American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame ring.

“[The ring] reminds me of how much fun I had at Cooperstown,” Dawson Morford said.

Both Morford and Stoltz had the same answer when asked why they were proud of their team.

“We fought through games and bonded together,” they replied.

The Hornets team will remain intact next year as 13 year olds in the West Suburban Baseball League.