Out of the bats of babes

Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2007 | 10 p.m.

In a summer filled with bad news about sports, the Little League World Series came as a welcome relief.

The series ended with one of those dramatic moments that served as a reminder of how good sports can be.

The championship game featured a pitcher's duel between a team from Warner Robins, Ga., and a team from Japan and went into extra innings. Then Dalton Carriker of Georgia said a prayer and stepped to the plate. He smashed a curveball to right field. He headed toward first base and when he saw it was headed over the fence, he sprinted around the bases like only a 12-year-old can, coming home to the celebration for World Series champions.

After the hugs and high fives, the teams met. They shook hands. They hugged. The Japanese players congratulated the Americans. The Americans consoled the Japanese players.

“They are some of the nicest kids you'll ever meet in your life,” Georgia player Kendall Scott said of the Japanese players. “Just seeing them fall down and cry, you just couldn't let them do that -- you gotta pick them up.”

Imagine that in this era of steroids and scandals.

For a moment, we forgot:

• NFL quarterback Michael Vick pleading guilty to killing dogs and running a vicious dogfighting ring;

• NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleading guilty to betting on games he officiated;

• Baseball's Barry Bonds breaking the home run record while being investigated for steroid use.

This year, with great play and a display of sportsmanship rarely seen in professional sports, the Little League World Series provided a refreshing moment.

Georgia Manager Mickey Lay said his ballplayers “just enjoy playing the game,” before adding the moral of the story:

“That's something that we miss sometimes.”

Indeed. We are grateful that a bunch of Little Leaguers could remind us of the joy of the game, even for just a moment.