Kutno, Poland

Eight days of baseball.  It was a dream that came true.  Twelve teams from all over Europe came together to compete and become the European representative at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.  We had been waiting for this moment all summer long and it finally came.

Downtown Kutno

Kutno is a small town two hours west of Warsaw.   It's in the sticks, even by Polish standards.  There, on the side of the road about a mile and a half from downtown Kutno, stood the baseball compound.  It housed the centerpiece, the major's stadium.  There were also a few minor league practice fields and an outdoor pavilion that proved to be our safe haven from the rain.  The concession stand housed a single Polish woman who cooked up some of the best Kielbasa and Polish sausage.  Even the chicken nuggets were made fresh daily.  And the dormitory, well I never actually got inside as it was guarded.  Yes, guarded.  The coaches and players were given badges and only those with badges could enter through the gate.  The rest of us were left out in the cold and the rain.

Guarded dormitory

Our team, Great Britain, was comprised of six Americans, four Japanese, and one Australian.  Most of the kids were expats and came from all over London, spanning both British and International schools.  It was quite an eclectic mix.  They had one thing in common - their love of baseball.

Team Great Britain (at the airport)

The first two games went off without a hitch.  We played Kutno, the host of the tournament, and then Germany, the defending champs.  We won against Kutno by a landslide, 16-0.  Unfortunately, Kutno is not as experienced but they were gracious hosts and actually won against Belarus later in the tournament - one win under their belt.

GB warming up

Opening ceremony first night before we played Kutno

Germany, on the other hand, was an exciting game.  Some said it was the best little league game they ever saw.  The kids, on both teams were competitive and well matched. Germany, actually Germany-US, because the team was comprised of Americans stationed on a German air force bases, was the favorite to win the tournament as they had won it the past two years.  We gave it our all - played our best pitchers, presented a solid line-up, and played the best defensive game possible.  No errors.  We played perfect baseball. There were many highlights, with our leftfielder making a diving catch in the gap ending the game 2-1.  But honestly, we were sitting on the edge of our seats the entire time.  We held our breath with each play and exhaled when it went in our favor.  It was truly and amazing game played by both teams.  Unfortunately, Germany got disqualified the next day, due to paperwork errors, and within 24 hours they left and were removed from the system, as if they never came.

Team huddle after we defeated Germany

We faced Netherlands the next day and lost 10-2.   We knew they were good but we thought we'd have a chance, and we were coming off a high from the previous two days. However, we started to unravel a bit.  Our defense was good but our hitting was weak; we had trouble getting on base.  We just couldn't keep up with the Netherlands who had trained together for over a year and came to Poland a week early to bond at a farm nearby.  They were polished and subsequently, won the whole tournament.  They are number one.  They are also very big!  They towered over us.  There were several kids on the Netherlands team that were literally over 6 feet tall.  They're a great team and our kids hung out with them in the dorm and at a restaurant one night.  Not many restaurants could accommodate us so we all ended up at the same place.  The Netherland boys and our kids really bonded.  They even made up a dance together that we have on tape.  Inside Out.  Later we took pictures of the biggest Netherland boy next to our smallest player.  Both are twelve years old.  Unbelievable.

Post game handshake with Netherlands (in green).  

We ended the tournament in 6th place.  It was a memorable event, one that will be etched in our minds and hearts forever.  We'll never forget the passionate, red-haired Italian lady that kept yelling from the sidelines, "B-e-l-l-a Carlos.  B-e-l-l-a!"  We'll never forget the Romanian girls on the side of the road.  Is that legal?  Most importantly, we'll never forget how Kutno welcomed us - the parade with the bagpipers and Polish step dancers, the cannons they shot off in our honor, their hospitality.  The town rallied behind us, accommodating groups of 30-40 at a moments notice.  They served traditional Polish food, perogies and American food as well.  The locals were warm and welcoming, even though we really didn't understand each another.  "Prosze" (please) they would say and then gesture for us to go first.  There is a feeling of hard times and oppression still in the air, but Poland stepped up to the plate, swung, and hit a home run.

Polish step dancers with GB team looking on

"Town Hall" of Kutno

The rest is history as they say.