Surprises Abound with Arrival of Cardinals’ Trophies

Major League Baseball has not always had the trophy that we know so well for the World Series champions -- the ones with the pennants spoking out from a circular base and the logos of the two teams featured near the front of the Tiffany & Co.-designed award.

The 2011 title was the Cardinals' organization's 11th World Series title, but only the fourth trophy for the team. All four are on display right now on the field.

And that surprise was who brought them, especially the two most recent trophies:

• 1967 trophy -- carried out by Mike Shannon
• 1982 trophy -- carried out by Tommy Herr, accompanied by Glenn Brummer
• 2006 trophy -- carried out by Jim Edmonds, joined by World Series MVP David Eckstein
• 2011 trophy -- carried out by former manager Tony La Russa, joined by pitching coach Dave Duncan

The Cardinals began the intros of the trophies and their escorts with a short highlight video from the 2011 season, narrated by Dan McLaughlin. The video featured a brief photo of David Freese as a Lafayette High Lancer.

With the trophies still on the temporary pedestals, the parade of current Cardinals has started.

Chris Carpenter's arrival at home plate -- in a blue pickup truck -- was announced by a highlight from the World Series played on the big screen. The highlight? Why his dive into first base for a groundout in Game 1 of the World Series, of course.

Red Bluff Little League All-Stars Honored

The Red Bluff Little League All-Stars took to the stage at the Tehama District Fairground Sunday night to accept trophies and proclamations in front of hundreds of family members, friends and fans. It was a fitting place for them, having taken center stage in Red Bluff's collective heart for the past month.

While it may have been one of their last public gatherings together, speakers at Sunday evening's Meet & Greet made note the team's run through the 2011 Little League tournament will have a lasting impact. Red Bluff Mayor Bob Carrel told the players their names will go down in city history and summed up his thoughts over the past few weeks with a simple - "wow!"

The Red Bluff Police Department was represented by Heather Souza, who helped pass out trophies to the players along with certificates of achievement from the offices of the Little League Western Region and Assemblyman Jim Nielsen.

A week after coming within three outs of advancing to the Little League World Series, it was a time to reflect on how they got there or almost how they didn't. Red Bluff manager Donnie Button told a story about the team's first game at the District Tournament in Redding and how their binder containing all of their official paperwork was missing one hour before the first pitch. If the binder couldn't be found, Red Bluff would have had to forfeit. "I thought I was going to have to move out of Red Bluff," Button said.

Of course the binder was found and Button will never have to worry about being the town's goat. His team's legacy will live on as has that of the 1974 All-Star team. Button, who was the same age as those All- Stars, thanked them for the impact they had on Red Bluff's future teams going forward. "They paved the way and made it so we can believe we have a chance - little old Red Bluff," he said.

Button thanked the entire community and said the team knew they had the town's backing while they competed in San Bernardino. He told every Little Leaguer in attendance, whether they were on the All-Stars team or not, to take pride in their accomplishments. Button said the competitiveness of Red Bluff 's Little League program made the eventual All-Stars better players.

The Meet & Greet was sponsored by the Tehama County Marine Corps League Detachment 1140 of Red Bluff, the American Veterans Post 2002 Corning, VFW Post 1932 Red Bluff and the American Legion Mt. Lassen Post 107 Red Bluff. Ashtin Lopeman and Jennifer Peyton sang the national anthem.

After the trophies and certificates were awarded and Button's comments heard, the All- Stars took their celebrity- like place at a long banquet table to sign autographs for all in attendance.

While Button was talking about the impact the All-Stars had on the coaching staff when he said: "They put a lot of joy in all of us." It's safe to say the community spent the last month feeling the same way.

Strikes Name of Game for Hellickson

In the basement of Grandma Rennie's house in Des Moines, Iowa, sit the spoils of Jeremy Hellickson's baseball career. "I keep all my trophies in my grandma's basement," Hellickson said.

Lately, a lot of hardware has been carried down the basement stairs, what with all the minor-league player of the year awards the Rays' rookie right-hander garnered last season. Add to the haul the American League rookie and American League pitcher of the month awards Hellickson received Tuesday and the baseball trophies are beginning to make a formidable presence with some other reminders of Hellickson's athletic success.

 "I think I have more bowling trophies down there," he said. Oh yeah, Hellickson is quite the kegler. Or was. "I haven't bowled since I was 12," Hellickson said. But back then, Hellickson said, he could break 200. He remembers once rolling a 230.

Rays manager Joe Maddon laughed Thursday when he learned Hellickson was as good on the lanes as he is on the mound. "He bowls the way he pitches," Maddon said. "He probably was good. He saw that little dot down there. He threw it over the dot all the time and threw strikes." The key to both sports, obviously, is the ability to throw strikes, and Hellickson can certainly do that. That he's throwing them more with his fastball is the reason for his success, Maddon said. "He had that one bad moment in Baltimore recently (five walks in five innings). We talked to him about it. Since then he tries to utilize more fastball, working his other stuff in with the fastball, and he's done that," Maddon said.

Hellickson, the only player in team history to win a pair of monthly awards in the same month, makes his 11th start of the season this afternoon against the Mariners. He is 6-3 with a 2.80 ERA for the season. In May, he was 4-1 with a 1.36 ERA and held opposing batters to a major league-low .168 average. "It was a good month," said Hellickson, who is even more economical with his words than he is with his pitches.

"I'll tell you this, he doesn't walk all over the conversation," Maddon said. And, Maddon added, Hellickson is a good listener, which is a good trait for Hellickson to have as he negotiates his way through his first full season in the big leagues.