2002 Norwalk Pony World Series Champs honored at Holifield Park
Members of the 2002 Norwalk Pony World Series Championship team, from left, Anthony Topete, Johnny Perez, Head Coach Ruben Velasquez, Assistant Coach Jorge Sanchez, Richard Melentrez, Eddie Murray and Gabriel Schwulst show the placard they signed 20-years ago as they are honored during the Norwalk Pony Baseball League Opening Day at Holifield Park in Norwalk on Saturday. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
NORWALK – A double header sweep of rival Hartwell was the key to a terrific World Series run and eventual championship for the 2002 Norwalk Pony All Star team in 2002.
A 20-year anniversary of the title was held at Holifield Park Saturday (March 19), with many players and coaches appearing at the opening day of the 2022 Pony League season.
On display was the Roy Gillespie Memorial Trophy that the team received in the World series.
Norwalk, which dominated the Series, shutout Levittown, Puerto Rico, 10-0 in five innings to win the championship and became the first area team to win a Pony World Series since the 1965 Long beach team.
“It was an amazing run,” said second baseman Johnny Perez, who was wearing his No. 5 jersey from the 2002 team. “It was unbelievable. Our team was so stacked. It was so hard even to get playing time, because we were so good. We just went on this amazing run where we couldn’t lose. I still remember it like it was yesterday.”
“Yesterday” was the theme at opening day for the team.
“It feels great, this is home,” former Norwalk Pony All Stars coach Ruben Velazquez said. “This has always been home for many of us here. It’s always great to come back here and see the league still going.
“Ultimately, that’s what it’s about. It’s about the kids. It’s not about us. We’re just trying to lay the foundation and hope that things keep running and keep growing, and keep growing. This is happening every year.”
Velazquez commented on the players now and how they are just like the 2002 team of young players.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “All of these kids need something to look up to. If they can see that kids from this area with the success that they are having now, anything is possible for them as well.”
Velazquez remembered the run to the title that year.
“It was a memorable one,” he said. “It was a total team effort and we had a ton of fun and a bunch of memories. We just completely dominated that World Series run. It’s history now.”
Velazquez, who looked around at the field and said it still looked the same and talked about how his team bought into what they were coaching that year.
“The total team buy-in to what we were preaching and what we were about,” he added. “These kids really wanted to win and they did anything it took and played the game the right way. We just had some dominating pitching and all-around performances.”
The one big hurdle for the 2002 team was the Regional Tournament held at Norwalk, which was the step before Zone.
“Hartwell was our arch-enemy up the street,” Velazquez remembered. “We had to beat them in a double header to move on to Zone, before we went to the World Series. By far, that’s one of the biggest series that all of these guys will talk about. We’re kind of like hated rivals. It’s like the Dodger-Giants rivalry and we had to beat them twice to move on and we did.”
A nice moment of the ceremony was the displaying of the jersey of coach Tony Rivas, who has since passed. His son, Gabriel Schwulst, was also on the team and was the catcher and said: “We were all just on the same page.
I’ll never forget my dad saying, ‘I love it, I love it’. Out of all of the screams, that one stood out the most. It was awesome having my dad as coach, especially since he coached so many years and he never achieved a championship like that before.”
Schwulst hit a homerun in the game for Norwalk.
Assistant coach Jorge Sanchez, who was the first base coach, described how he knew that team would go far that season.
“That season was memorable, and we still talk about it today when the guys get together,” Sanchez said. “All of these kids could straight out play baseball and just about every kid on the team was a pitcher. We were never worried about pitching and we knew we were going to go far, just the caliber of baseball the kids were playing that year.
Asked about what stressed Sanchez the most during the playoffs, Sanchez knew right away which game it was.
“It must have been the game we were playing in Zone against Los Alamitos,” Sanchez remembered. “We were down by one run and I believe it was the bottom of the sixth or the bottom of the seventh.
“Coach Ruben (Velazquez) called two squeeze plays – one to tie the game and one to win the game to advance into the World Series from there. Ya, that was awesome.”
Prior to the series, the Pony Leaguers all watched the Little League World Series and commented on the way some of them acted up in front of the cameras.
Sanchez’ son Victor said of the Little leaguers at the time: "Coach wouldn't let us get away with that stuff," he said. "Showing up the other team. Showboating. That's not right. If we did that, he'd yell at us and we'd be sitting on the bench."
In the championship game, Victor Sanchez had six RBIs and a home run.
Victor Sanchez said later after the game to the local newspaper: “It feels great,” he said. “I’m still kind of shocked.”
Victor Sanchez’ brother, Jorge Sanchez also said of the Little Leaguers: "I wouldn't want anybody to do that to me, if they hit a homer off me.”
Pitcher Jorge Sanchez, who gave up only three hits in the championship game and got the win, also hit a three-run homerun in the first inning for Norwalk.
Pony League Board Member, Toni Moreno, was excited to see the reunion of that championship team: “As a board member and parent, seeing these men reuniting after 20 years was such an emotional experience.
“I recently had a group of 12-year-old girls who won District Champs for ASA/USA Softball and remember that feeling of accomplishment.
“I’m definitely honored and grateful as a league we were able to bring the players, coaches and families back together again to reunite and reminisce about their once in a lifetime experience they had as young men.”
Later that Fall, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (D-CA) of the 32nd Congressional District, introduced a Bill congratulating the 2002 Pony League team for winning the World Series.
The following on the Norwalk Pony website says it all about the organization: “Norwalk Pony is in its 62nd year of sharing the love of baseball to the youth of Norwalk. In the Spring of 2019, we officially added Girls Softball to our program. Our league prides itself on teaching basic and competitive baseball knowledge, community partnerships, and a true family atmosphere.”
What they said:
Anthony Topete, 2002 center fielder (Current St. John Bosco varsity asst. coach): “I think we averaged about 11 runs in that World Series, playing against some of the top talent in the country. That was probably the best summer of my life, creating memories with the guys on the field and playing in that atmosphere. I remember playing the host team from Washington, PA and you could feel the ground shaking underneath you. That’s how crazy it was.
My most memorable moment was hitting a home run off of Port Neches, Texas.”
Richard Melendrez, 2002 outfielder: “The whole experience was memorable and it was more than a team. It was family.
It was just like yesterday 20 years later. The final out of winning the whole series was memorable.”
Jimmy Buentello, 2002 first baseman: “That season was special. I remember losing in one of the tournaments and then went on a tear. Everybody contributed one way or another.
It was an amazing time with these guys. We ran through Zone and the World Series. It was something special and something I look back at.
We knew we were a good team, but how special we didn’t know.”
Eddie Murray, 2002 shortstop: “We were just on fire and just smoked everybody.
It was also fun because all the other guys in the tournament were in our hotel on the same floor. We got to know all of the guys and it was nice comradery with everybody.
We were up 5-zip in the first inning or something and it was the most dominant team I had ever been on. We just all clicked and had a great time together.”
Aiden Garate, current Pony League player (2B, SS): “It’s exciting because I get to see the legacy and history of the players.
I get to see what they (2002 players) did and get to learn new things (from the 2002 players). Seeing these players, it gives me the chance to do that one day.”
Note: Aiden’s father, Carlos Garate is the Vice President of the Norwalk Pony League. Aiden has been playing in the league since T-Ball.
Chuck Finder, Columnists, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (August 25, 2002):
“The boys in this youth baseball world series played the game last night at Washington's Lew Hays Field as it should be played everywhere. Norwalk, Calif., thumped Levittown, Puerto Rico, 10-0, in a Pony League championship abbreviated to five innings, but nobody had to show any mercy, any meanness, any ugliness. They were, at ages 13 and 14, perfect gentlemen. They were, more important, sportsmanlike competitors and true baseball players.
Ruben Velazquez is the manager of the champion Norwalk team, although he stands nearly a head shorter than most of teen-age charges. There is no mistaking that he's the adult in charge. He sets the correct tone and maintains the needed control.”