The Mexico Little League team that shocked the world
It’s been almost 70 years, however pitcher José “Pepe” Maiz García recollects his crew’s wondrous 1957 Little League World Series run prefer it was yesterday. It appears to be one thing that is simply continuously replaying by his head.
“Our coach Cesar Faz would always tell us, ‘You have to have fun,'” Maiz, now 78, remembered. “Play to have fun. Play to have fun. He never pressured us. He just let us play.”
The group of 11- and 12-year-olds from a factory-sponsored crew on the sandlots of Monterrey took that to coronary heart.
They gained 14 straight video games in two completely different international locations and three completely different states to turn into the primary non-U.S. crew to take residence the Williamsport title. Star pitcher Ángel Macías pitched the primary, and nonetheless solely, excellent sport within the ultimate. It’s a historic season that is since been made right into a film and, as Maiz notes, helped Mexico — a rustic already in love with baseball — fall in love with the sport yet again.
“We had one Little League in 1956, 1957,” Maiz stated. “We have 62 now in our state and 220 in our country.”
Back in 1957, the Little League program was model new to Monterrey, Mexico.
The metropolis had solely been part of the group for the reason that yr earlier than in 1956. There have been 4 groups — sponsored by native factories — that performed a 16-game season. An All-Star crew made up of the most effective gamers was then chosen to signify Monterrey within the Little League World Series in ’57.
The 14 children practiced from 4-8 p.m. each night time collectively for a month after which, after two exhibition wins in Monterrey, they have been prepared to start out Series play in Texas. Almost immediately, even inside their very own metropolis, the crew was thought of heavy underdogs.
Most had by no means left Monterrey — particularly with out their dad and mom. They have been additionally undersized — averaging about 4-feet-11 in peak and 35 kilos lighter than most of their future opponents. And in contrast to a number of the American groups they’d face, most of the children have been from poor backgrounds — some even utilizing selfmade gloves and gear.
“We played on fields that had no grass; stones and broken glass,” Maiz instructed me. “The [ball] rolls were not so easy.”
Expectations have been so low that the crew was solely given a three-day visa to go to the United States.
Still, with an eternally optimistic coach in manufacturing unit employee Cesar Faz and little or no strain (some did not even know what event they have been taking part in in or what Williamsport was), Los Pequeños Gigantes — the Little Giants — headed to their first cease: A subregional event in McAllen, Texas. They took a bus to frame city Reynosa and walked throughout a bridge over the Rio Grande. They trekked one other 12 miles to the world they’d be staying.
“We crossed the border walking and carrying the bats,” Maiz instructed the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. “We started to ask for a lift and they drove us to a motel that was called Rio Grande Courts.”
Even after that arduous journey to simply get to Game 1, Monterrey instantly started defying the chances on the sphere.
They gained 5 video games in a row — crushing All-Star groups from Mexico City, McAllen, Mission, Wesalaco and West Brownsville. Pepe pitched his crew to a 7-1 victory in one of many video games, whereas star hurler Ángel Macías gained two of the matchups by scores of 13-1 and 14-1.
“Angel Macías had a very good fastball and a very good 12-6 curve,” his rotation mate instructed me. “We called it ‘The Drop.'”
Because they saved profitable, the Mexican ambassador to the United States needed to intervene to increase the crew’s visas. Still, Team Monterrey had solely ready for a three-day keep in McAllen and had little garments or cash.
“We had lots of problems,” Maiz stated. “No money for eating. We were in a very small motel. We’d hold our hats out after the game and the fans would help us with some coins or dollar bills. That’d help us to eat in the restaurant. And the owner of the restaurant would charge us just 50 percent of the bill.”
Pepe recalled one occasion that actually stood out: In the McAllen motel, his roommate, catcher Norberto Villarreal, was sleeping on the ground as an alternative of the queen-sized mattress. Villareal had by no means slept in a mattress earlier than — it wasn’t comfy for him. It made Pepe notice the standard upbringing a lot of his teammates had, and introduced him nearer to Villareal and the opposite 14 children. They could not have had their household or sufficient garments or cash, however that they had one another. That’s all they wanted.
“We were all together,” Maiz stated. “The same.”
The crew moved on to Corpus Christi to a regional event.
Here, as a result of they have been housed on a Navy base, they have been properly taken care of. They had entry to a buffet, they slept within the bunk space with the Marines and, properly, they saved piling up the victories. Monterrey gained the primary sport, 5-0, and the second, 6-0. Enrique Suarez — additionally the crew’s cleanup hitter — gained the primary sport on the mound, whereas Macías gained the second.
Next up was the Texas State Tournament in Fort Worth. Once once more, the youngsters stayed in navy barracks and, as soon as once more, they got here out victorious after two video games. They had their closest win to this point with a 6-4 victory over a Houston All-Star crew (Pepe got here in to get the save), after which Macías shut down Waco, 11-2.
A crew from Monterrey, Mexico, was Texas State Champions.
Their offense, their pitching, their protection have been all clicking collectively in each single contest. The latter was helped by one thing that, on the outset, most may’ve thought may work in opposition to them: Those very rough-looking Monterrey sandlots they’d practiced on. They’d seen every kind of unhealthy hops again residence and these Texas fields have been, so far as they have been involved, excellent.
“When we went to the States and we played at McAllen, we were just happy to play on grass,” Maiz instructed me. “We had never played on grass, only on dirt.”
Still, they wanted to win a pair extra video games on the South Regional Championship in Kentucky to get to Pennsylvania. A airplane was despatched for them and so they arrived in Louisville for a two-game collection to attempt to turn into champions of the South. The Little Giants, as soon as once more, dominated.
“We played against Biloxi, Mississippi, and, well, I got lucky that day,” Maiz stated. “The bases were loaded and I hit a home run and we went up 5-0. We won 13-0.”
Macías pitched a one-hitter the subsequent day in opposition to Lexington to provide his crew a 3-0 win and a visit to Williamsport — representing The South Region of the United States. As you may think, the underdogs from south of the border had begun to seize the fascination of America.
“After they saw us play and they saw that we were winning, I think people were very kind,” Maiz stated. “We were very short, very skinny, very little, and I think that people felt something for us.”
That buzz for Monterrey was obvious as quickly because the crew arrived in Williamsport. But like in each different sport that month, they have been nonetheless not favored to win in opposition to a a lot larger, broader crew from Bridgeport, Conn. — a bunch of boys representing the East Region of the U.S.
The dimension distinction was obvious when Monterrey needed to sport new “South” uniforms; the pants went virtually as much as their shoulders.
“The small guys, over their heads,” Maiz laughed.
When requested in the event that they have been afraid of their Connecticut opponents, Maiz recollects shortstop Gerardo Elizondo saying, “No, we’re not going to pick them up. We’re going to play them.”
That proved to be a a lot simpler job for the undersized Giants. They gained, 2-1, to advance to the finals.
The championship can be in opposition to an equally dominant (and once more, a lot bigger) crew from La Mesa, Calif. Monterrey watched them dominate of their semifinal sport in opposition to a crew from Michigan, 7-1. Lefty starter Joe McKirahan struck out 15 and hit two homers, not simply over the fence, however over a little bit mountain behind the fence. McKirahan was ineligible to pitch within the title sport, however nonetheless, Pepe says his crew was scared — though they would not say it out loud. La Mesa felt assured going into the matchup.
“They have been warned that we have been the nice large California crew and so they have been the little Mexican crew,” McKirahan instructed the Orange County Register years later. “We have been larger than they have been and purported to kill them.”
As anticipated, Coach Faz referred to as on Macías to pitch in opposition to La Mesa. Pepe can be second in reduction. Ten thousand followers confirmed as much as see the David vs. Goliath matchup, many curiously rooting for this little manufacturing unit crew from method down south.
“We didn’t feel like we were at home because we were alone, but really, they treated us very, very good,” Maiz remembered.
The two sides matched zeroes for 4 innings, after which, within the fifth, Monterrey struck. On successful by pitch, bunts, some daring baserunning and a few key hits — together with a giant RBI double by Pepe — the Giants took a 4-0 lead. That was all their hero beginning pitcher wanted.
Macías relied closely on his drop ball to baffle La Mesa hitters. He struck out 11 of the 18 batters he confronted and did not permit successful or stroll (or perhaps a ball out of the infield). His fielders behind him made no errors.
“We were coming back to the dugout with that deer-in-the-headlights look,” La Mesa’s Lew Riley stated.
By the top of six innings, Macías had delivered the primary and solely excellent sport in LLWS historical past — a becoming ultimate be aware on an unbelievable event run.
“When I came running into home plate, Angel was already in the air,” Maiz stated. “All the players, all the people that came to the game were rushing him.”
Although they needed to return to Monterrey immediately — none of their relations have been on the ultimate sport — the crew, which had turn into the darlings of America, was despatched on a mini victory tour.
They traveled to New York for a Cardinals-Dodgers sport — given $40 every to purchase some much-needed new garments at Macy’s beforehand. The children frolicked and talked with Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Stan Musial.
“Oh, it was beautiful for us,” Maiz stated, his eyes nonetheless lighting up when pondering of the second seven a long time later.
Then, President Dwight Eisenhower referred to as on the LLWS champions for a fast go to. The crew met Eisenhower, had lunch with Vice President Richard Nixon and talked to Senator Lyndon B. Johnson.
“I don’t know, we’re probably the only people to see three presidents of the United States in three days,” Maiz instructed me. “Incredible.”
They went from D.C. to Mexico City to fulfill the Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos. After three or 4 days, they lastly made their method again residence to Monterrey.
“When we were coming in the plane from Mexico City to Monterrey, the captain said, ‘Hey, there’s a lot of people waiting for you,'” Maiz recalled. “There were 350,000 people from the airport to downtown waiting for us.”
At that point in Monterrey, the entire inhabitants was about 610,000.
Not till the crew noticed the crowds — greater than half their nation popping out to welcome them residence after an against-all-odds event run — did they absolutely notice what that they had finished.
Although virtually your complete ’57 crew, together with Pepe, had aged out, Monterrey extremely gained the LLWS title once more in ’58. They had a little bit extra backing and a little bit extra money and, after what they’d finished a yr earlier, a lot larger expectations.
None of the gamers from the ’57 crew performed in MLB, though Macías was signed by the Angels and spent years within the Mexican League. Pepe had an opportunity to signal with the Giants, however as an alternative, at his father’s urging, went to work for his father’s development firm. He nonetheless runs that firm immediately and he is nonetheless, after all, very concerned within the sport that he loves.
He’s the National Director of Little Leagues in Mexico and has been president of the Mexican League Monterrey Sultanes for 41 years. The sport has grown leaps and bounds over time within the nation — with expanded youth leagues, a number of MLB video games in Monterrey, Mexico’s latest success within the WBC and, most lately, the 2023 Mexico City Series between the Giants and Padres.
Maiz believes a lot of that fervor and fervour for the game may be traced again to that magical run a bunch of middle-school aged children went on 66 years in the past. It’s a sense and a reminiscence he can maintain on to without end.
“God has given me many many things I’ve never imagined,” Maiz stated. “That’s more than enough for me.”