One last stand for Sarasota All-Stars

Rob Million didn’t fully appreciate his All-Star experience until he found himself on the other side of the lineup card. 

Nearly 25 years ago, Million played baseball for the Sarasota Babe Ruth League. While Million had his share of big-time hits and stellar defensive plays, the Sarasota resident never reached the sport’s echelon: the World Series. 

Million enjoyed the experience, but at the time, he didn’t recognize the work and dedication it takes to not only become an All-Star but also to win a district championship let alone a regional crown. 

Often recognized as one of the state’s hotbed’s for baseball, Sarasota has a long and rich baseball tradition, however, the odds of reaching the World Series are still relatively small. 

Just ask Million, now 38, who has been managing Sarasota Babe Ruth All-Star teams for the last 15 years. It took Million 12 years to reach his first World Series, as an assistant coach, and he hasn’t looked back since. 

“I know how hard it is to do this,” Million said. “That doesn’t happen very often. I’m very, very lucky.”

For the third straight season, Million will coach a team in the World Series — this time it will be Sarasota’s 14U All-Stars. 

The Sarasota 14U All-Stars will compete in the Babe Ruth League World Series Aug. 11-18, in Westfield, Mass. The tournament features champions from 12 regions across the nation. 

“It’s pretty big because there are teams and kids from all over,” 14-year-old catcher Dylan Robertson said. “It would be neat for a team from Sarasota to beat teams from Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.” 

Although the 14U All-Stars aren’t the league’s only team headed to the World Series. Sarasota’s 13U All-Stars also captured the Southeast Regional Championship July 30 to earn a berth in the World Series. The 13U tournament will be held Aug. 11-18, in Ottumwa, Iowa. 

This season marks the first time the Sarasota 13U All-Stars have advanced to the World Series since 1988. Sarasota won the World Series that year. 

“I’m pumped,” 14-year-old shortstop Gabe Copeland said. “We get to go to Iowa. It’s a lifetime memory to go to the World Series. We take pride in it. We want to represent this city and state.” 

Million, who coached last year’s 15U team to a third-place finish, and 13U manager Rick Held are both coaching their respective teams for the first time, as managers within the Sarasota Babe Ruth organization rotate among different teams each season. 

Knowing their players had been playing together for years, both managers had an idea of what to expect from their respective teams. 

Although it wasn’t until the Southeast Regional Tournament when Million realized just how good of a team he had. 

“When we went in and bulldozed the tournaments, that’s when I knew we were really special,” Million said. “They have a chemistry that you don’t see very often.” 

From a baseball standpoint, both the 13U and 14U teams have the mechanics necessary to get the job done on the field. It’s just a matter of whether or not the players can put all three components — pitching, hitting and defense — together when it counts. 

“You have to have all three to be a successful ball team,” Million said. 

While the 14U team is averaging more than 15 hits per game and scoring runs at ease, the 13U team, which batting over .500 collectively, has seen its share of ups and downs, including losing the first game of the Southeast Regional Tournament. 

“They hadn’t really been tested up to that point,” Held said. “They realized they had to put the work in to get the wins.” 

Although with every bad inning that comes along, the players have learned to rely on one another to get the job done. 

“Whenever you get on base, you know the person behind you is going to get a hit or do something to help,” 13-year-old first baseman Jacob Danowski said. 

At the end of the day, the familiarity the players have with one another that could be the deciding factor. 

Players for both teams are hoping their experience growing within the sport together for the past five years will carry them throughout the tournament. 

“We’re all brothers,” Robertson said. 

In addition to the tournament, the Sarasota All-Stars hope to take in the sights, with a trip to Fenway Park topping the 14U team’s list, while meeting new teams and players along the way. 

“I’m looking forward to watching other teams get better,” shortstop Nick Henry, 14, said. “I know we’ve all accomplished a lot of things to get better. I’m also looking forward to spending more time together with these guys because we’re all going to be at different high schools this year playing against each other.” 

No matter the outcome, the fact two Sarasota Babe Ruth All-Star teams were able to reach the World Series in the same season is a feat in itself. 

“I don’t want them to look too far ahead,” Million said. “It’s an accomplishment to get this far. This is a successful year for All-Stars.” 

“We plan to be there the last day,” Held said. “If we’re going all the way to Iowa, we might as well bring back a trophy.”