The Boys of Summer

By Mike Carter

The Fayetteville-Manlius Little League Baseball all-star team takes in
a game at Syracuse's NBT Bank Stadium (c) Mike Carter 2015

Syracuse N.Y. -- It's only August 12th, but as the sun set on NBT Bank Stadium Wednesday night, so too did it set on the season of the Fayetteville-Manlius District 8 Champions.

The Syracuse Chiefs invited the all-star team, made up of thirteen players between the aged 9 and 10, to attend the game against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

After an on-the-field tribute to the Little Leaguers in the Chiefs' pregame, the boys settled in to watch the game on a patio on the stadium's press box level.

The FM team is comprised of players selected in the spring from intra-town teams in Fayetteville and Manlius, said Chris Vaughn, father of third baseman and pitcher Casey Vaughn. Each member was asked to play in a series of tryout games over the course of two weeks in early June to make the squad. They've been traveling together ever since, playing in a series of tournaments in New York and Canada.



Upon winning their district -- made up of 28 teams from the greater Syracuse area -- the FM boys went on to win six more games in the sectionals round of New York State's Little League tournament. After 12 straight victories, the team lost in the sectionals championship game in Buffalo to the Little Leaguers from Horseheads. While no longer eligible to compete for the New York State Little League Championship, the team continued on playing in exhibition games in Rochester, and Ottawa for three more weeks, ultimately winning its final game of the season in Canada's capital city.

The Fayetteville-Manlius all-stars stand next to Syracuse
Chiefs players during the national anthem (c) Mike Carter 2015

To be clear, the team from FM never had its sights set on Williamsport this season; as it is considered to be in the Minors division of Little League. All the more appropriate that on their last night together as a team, these minor leaguers should be out watching Syracuse's minor league club.

It's interesting to watch kids barely old enough to play competitive baseball watching ballplayers who are one phone call away from the big leagues. If there was a way to measure pure joy and love of the game, which team would score higher? The one on the field, or the one in the stands? Is it possible that baseball is just more fun at 10 years old than at 20?

It seems likely that some, if not all of the District 8 champs will be reunited next season on the town's Majors all-star team. Inevitably, there will be new challenges and increased pressure; pressure that only comes with age, experience and expectations. "For this season, none of that mattered," said FM's team mother Ann Vaughn.

Fayetteville-Manlius all-stars pose for a team picture before being
introduced to the crowd at NBT Bank Stadium (c) Mike Carter 2015

The Little Leaguers left in the 8th inning, with Chiefs up 9-5 -- which would end up being the game's final score. Indeed on this night, the only thing that mattered was hanging out with their teammates, their best friends, having just shared arguably the best summer of their young lives.