August 14, 2010
Bangor welcomes 50th Senior League Baseball World Series

Fireworks display does more than light up the sky

By Chris DeBeck

Assistant Information Director

Flames shoot up from a tree that caught fire beyond the right-center field fence at Mansfield Stadium during the fireworks display.

The fireworks show capping the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Senior League World Series ended with a bang as a small fire ignited in woods just over the right-center field fence at Mansfield Stadium Saturday night.

The fire scorched a few trees, but could not quench the spirit of the fans who attended Saturday’s ceremony, with officially kicked off the tournament.

No one was injured in the mishap and the fire was under control before Bangor firefighters arrived to tamp down the remaining flames.

Throwing out the ceremonial first pitch were two Bangor Senior League stars spanning Senior League’s 50-year history. Skip Black, a second baseman from the 1960s, threw the pitch to P.J. Dowe, a catcher from Bangor’s 2002 Senior League World Series squad.

This is the ninth year the tournament has been held in Bangor, and was celebrated in a formal proclamation presented by Bangor City Councilor Sue Hawes to Tournament Director Michael Brooker.

“May the next several days find you in a spirit of fellowship and friendship...and may you have many memories that last a lifetime,” Hawes said in remarks.

Skip Black, a World Series volunteer who played in what would eventually become Senior League Baseball in the 1960s, throws out the first pitch to P.J. Dowe, who was the catcher for the 2002 Bangor East/West team that played in the first Bangor World Series.

The teams were led onto the field by the Anah Temple Shrine Bagpipers, with the 101st Air Refueling Wind Honor Guard presenting the colors. The Bangor Band, which also played a pregame concert for the fans, played the national anthems of Aruba, Canada, Italy, Saipan (also known as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) and the United States.

Brooker addressed the approximately 1,200 fans who attended the ceremony.

“We’re so happy to be able to host the tournament in Bangor,” Brooker said. “We’ve had tremendous kids, tremendous parents and tremendous fans.

“It’s going to be a great weak of baseball,” he concluded. “Good luck to all the teams and have fun.”

Bob Stevenson of Bangor has served as the administrator of District 3 champion, will play Canadian champion East Park Little League of Edmonton, Alberta at noon in a Pool A matchup, followed by a Pool B game between U.S. Southeast champion Palm Bay (Fla.) East L.L. and U.S. West champion Manhattan Beach (Calif.) L.L. will play a Pool A game at 5:30 p.m., while Latin America champion Aruba South L.L. and Asia-Pacific champion Saipan L.L. of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands will cap the day with an 8 p.m. Pool B game.

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