Sports

What Do You Remember About Campbell's Successes in the Little League World Series?

The Petaluma team will try for the U.S. Little League title Saturday with the winner advancing to the world championship Sunday.

The Petaluma Nationals' quest this weekend for the Little League World Series championship stirs up memories Campbell's trips to Williamsport, PA, decades ago.

In the 1970s, Campbell played in the championship game three times, each time coming up short. And in 1962, Moreland Little League, which has kids from Campbell and San Jose, won the title, the only Northern California team ever to do so.

See who was on the Campbell and Moreland teams' rosters: 1962, 1970, 19761979.

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The successes were the subject of a book by Chuck Hildebrand, a Campbell native, journalist and youth baseball coach, titled "The Last Baseball Town: How Campbell, California achieved the unprecedented, and still unduplicated, in American youth baseball."

Campbell and Moreland Little League World Series History

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That 1962 team defeated Kankakee, IL, 3-0, before the Little League World Series went international. This past spring and summer, of that team's success.

In 1970, one year before international competition began, Wayne, NJ, beat Campbell, 2-0, for the title.

Campbell won the U.S. title in 1976 before losing the international championship 10-3 to Chofu of Tokyo, Japan.

The results were the same for Campbell in 1979: a U.S. title and a 2-1 loss to Chiayi County, Taiwan.

Other Northern California teams in the Little League World Series championship game:

1959 – Auburn, CA, lost 11-0 to Hamtramck, MI.

1969 – Santa Clara, CA, lost 5-0 to Taichung, Taiwan.

1974 – Red Bluff, CA, lost 12-1 to Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

1978 – Danville, CA, lost 11-1 to Pingtung, Taiwan.

1991 – San Ramon Valley, CA, lost 11-0 to Taichung, Taiwan.

Were you on the Campbell or Moreland teams? Did you watch them play? Share your memories in the comments below. If you have photos or videos from those World Series, please add them to this article.


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