A Memorable Little League Championship

The plucky group of 11- and 12-year-old boys grew up only a short drive from Hollywood, but to become television celebrities they had to take a trip to Williamsport, Pa., and the Little League World Series.

The year was 1963, and the championship game between Granada Hills and Stratford, Conn., was the first to be televised nationally. The Granada Hills players were so small that tiny uniforms had be special-ordered for the World Series, but they defeated Stratford, 2-1, to complete a streak of 13 consecutive victories.

Left-hander Dave Sehnem and right-hander Tom Berry alternated as pitchers. Sehnem, now a businessman and volunteer pitching coach at Crespi High who lives in Simi Valley, still gets together with some of his former teammates to watch a grainy video of the championship game.

“Every year, no matter where I am, I become interested in who is going to get to the World Series,� he said. “Many times, we’ve been on vacation and I tell my wife we have to stop and watch the game on TV.�

San Fernando gave Granada Hills its first severe test early in the local district tournament, loading the bases with no outs in the sixth and final inning while trailing, 1-0. Sehnem, however, threw nine consecutive strikes to retire the side.

Granada Hills also won a 1-0 squeaker over West Covina in which Sehnem struck out 18 and hit a game-winning double in the 10th inning.

Two regional victories in Sunnyvale, Calif., propelled the team to Williamsport, where Granada Hills defeated Houston and Izmir, Turkey, to qualify for the World Series final.

With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Fred Seibly, Granada Hills’ only 11-year-old, reached second base on a fielder’s choice and scored on a bloop single by Jim Walker.

Seibly, who lives in Moorpark, later was drafted by the San Diego Padres and played two seasons in the minor leagues. But nothing ever compared to the elation he felt that day in Williamsport.

“The friendships, the feelings of team unity, and the excitement of playing just about every day for weeks stays with you,� he said. “It’s hard to duplicate.�