TOMMY LASORDA TO SPEAK AT THE SENIOR LITTLE LEAGUE WESTERN REGIONAL TOURNAMENT

The following article is from guest contributor Sid Robinson from the blog Sid's Side.

UPLAND, Calif. – Eleven champion teams will converge in Ontario and Upland from Aug. 4-11 to determine the best team in the West at the Senior Little League Western Regional Tournament.

The tournament, which will be held at Jay Littleton Field in Ontario and Memorial Park in Upland, is the final event before the Senior Little League World Series in Bangor, Maine, featuring teams with players ages 14-16.

State champion teams from Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Northern California, Oregon, Southern California and Washington, along with the host team from California District 23, will compete in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to earn a trip to the Senior Little League World Series.

Opening Day activities will begin at Memorial Park with the kick off on Tuesday, Aug. 4, with a pancake breakfast for $3 hosted by the Upland Fire Department from 7-10 a.m. Outback Steakhouse will serve lunch for $5 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Former Los Angeles Dodgers Hall of Fame Manager Tommy Lasorda will speak at 10 a.m., along with Upland Mayor John “J.P” Pomierski.

A home run derby featuring two players from each participating team will follow the ceremonies.

Four games are scheduled for every day from Aug. 4-8, with games at each field at 4 and 7 p.m. Two games will be played on Aug. 9, leading up to the tournament semi-finals on Aug. 10 at Jay Littleton Field. The championship game will be played at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11.

The 4 p.m. Opening Day contests feature Montana against Northern California at Jay Littleton Field and Arizona vs. Southern California at Memorial Park. At 7 p.m., Hawaii will play Oregon at Jay Littleton and Nevada will play the District 23 team at Memorial Park.

Many local organizations have contributed either with financial, service and other non-monitory support. The most notable supporters include Doubletree Hotel, Mark Christopher Chevrolet, Aires Hotel, Pro Nine, Colonies Partners, and the City of Upland.

A complete schedule and more tournament information can be found here.

For more information, contact Ralph Cavallo at (951) 990-4595.



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Colonies Donate to Senior Little League Tounament

The following article is from guest contributor Sid Robinson from the blog Sid's Side.

UPLAND, Calif. ­ Colonies Partners, investors and developers of a housing
community and shopping center in north Upland, has donated $5,000 to help
support the Senior Little League Regional Tournament to be held Aug. 3-11 at
Upland Memorial Park.

The tournament, which will feature up to 12 state champions, is the final
event before the Senior Little League World Series in Bangor, Maine, and is
the highest level Little League baseball tournament ever held in Upland.

³This is just another example of the generosity and community involvement of
the Colonies Partners and their investors, ² said Ralph Cavallo, president
of Upland National Little League, which is co-hosting the tournament with
Little League Baseball¹s California District 23.

In 2006, Colonies Partners and their investors contributed $50,000 toward
Upland National Little League¹s field renovation project at Olivedale Park
in Upland. The ballpark is now known as Colonies Crossroads Stadium.

³Without the donation from the Colonies, we would not have the beautiful
artificial turf field that is there today,² Cavallo said. ³They have been
more than generous and an outstanding supporter and partner, not only with
our Little League, but with organizations throughout the community.²

The tournament will include teams from the Western United States. Players
ages 14-16 from Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Northern
California, Oregon, Southern California, Utah, Washington and Wyoming will
have achieved their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete for a berth at
the Senior Little League World Series.

The donation from the Colonies will go completely toward assisting teams
with travel, dining and hotel expenses. Last year, three of the state
champion teams did not travel to Southern California to participate in the
Western Regional Tournament, because expenses are not covered.

³We know things will be difficult this year, too, because of the economy,²
Cavallo said. ³But with donations from the Colonies and we hope many others,
the players from those teams who have earned a place in the Western Regional
Tournament will be able to participate in the tournament and experience
their dreams of competing for a berth in the World Series.

³It is a great honor to have a tournament of this level in our town of
Upland. I hope we can make it memorable for all involved,² Cavallo said.

Contributions can be sent to Little League Baseball, CA District 23, P.O.
Box 92, Upland, CA, 91785.

For more information, contact Ralph Cavallo at (951) 990-4595.

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Upland National Little League to open Saturday, March 14

The following article is from guest contributor Sid Robinson from the blog Sid's Side.

Upland National Little League will kick off its 56th year Saturday, March 14, at Bob Hargis Field at Colonies Crossroads Stadium, located in Olivedale Park in Upland.

Former Major League pitcher Dave Coggin, who graduated from Upland High School, will speak to the players and families during the opening ceremonies. In 1995, Coggin was a first-round draft pick (30th overall) out of Upland High and played for three years with the National League’s Philadelphia Phillies (2000-2002).

A full day of activities starts at sunrise with team pictures and a pancake breakfast prepared by members of the Upland Fire Department. Opening ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. with team introductions, special presentations and recognition of the top sellers from the league’s candy fundraiser. Those players will be rewarded for their fundraising prowess with a visit to the league’s famous money booth, where each winning child could walk away with hundreds of dollars.

Outback Steakhouse will serve opening day lunch specials beginning at 11 a.m.

The UNLL season is scheduled to open with four major league division games at Olivedale Park on March 14, with the opener set for 12:30 p.m. The junior league division launches its season at the south field at Memorial Park at 1 p.m. Other Upland National divisions begin their regular seasons on Monday, March 16.

Upland National is the only Little League in the United States that throughout its 55-year history has never charged a signup fee so that every eligible child wishing to play baseball can do so, regardless of his or her family’s economic situation. Every child in the league is provided with a cap and use of quality uniforms, safe equipment and well-maintained fields, largely because of the generous support of families, the community and sponsors.

Olivedale Park is located at 550 E. Eighth Street in Upland, east of Euclid and west of Campus.

For more information, please contact Ralph Cavallo at (951) 990-4595.

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Upland Hills Golf Course: 17th Hole

Next up on our journey through Upland Hills golf course is a nice break after that long par 4. It's a short par 3 with a hungry bunker up front.

Here's your pro tip from Upland Hills Golf Course's General Manager/Director of Golf Rick Parillo:

The 17th hole measures 139yds with an intimidating green side bunker that hides the exact pin location. The green is not wide, so club selection is critical.
Good luck.

Good luck indeed golfers.

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Upland Hall Of Fame: The Pipeline

Long before towns were building free skate parks to keep skaters off of park benches, we had to have Mom or Dad drive us to "Pipeline". Not only that, but we had to pay to get in and have our own membership card. At soccer practice, kids would lie and tell other that they actually skated the "Combi" or "The Monster Bowl".

I never really skated the Combi or the Monster Bowl but I did ride the deepest part of the trench that led to the Monster Bowl. The combi was a combination Bowl on one side and Pool on the other. It's the picture above on the right. The pool the square part in the back while the bowl is just below and to the right of the camera man.

I don't remember the full layout but there was probably 4-5 small bowls, the Trench, Monster Bowl, Combi and of course, the most picturesque part, the Full Pipe leading into a Bowl (Pictured above left).

Southern California was the epicenter of skateboarding culture in the 80's and the best place in SoCal to skate was The Pipeline.

Located in Upland on the north side of Arrow between Benson and Central stood this Mecca of Skate Parks. It also had a BMX track but it was rarely ever used when I was there. It closed in the late eighties and has since been torn down. I'm sure rising insurance costs did them in.

For being the only real World Famous from Upland, The Pipeline is my second UHOF Inductee

Here's a few of Videos
Father and Son riding the Full Pipe
Last Ride of Combi while tractor is ripping the place apart
Some guys skate the whole park
Upland's new free skatepark. Kids are so much better now than we were in the 80's

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Upland Hills Golf Course: 18th Hole

The Finishing hole at Upland Hills is a great one. Hazards all around this short par 4 can make for either an easy birdie/par, or a easy 8. Luckily the 19th (watering) hole is located just off the back of the green in case you score high.

Here's your pro tip from Upland Hills Golf Course's General Manager/Director of Golf Rick Parillo:

The 18th hole is your final challenge to your round. The hole measures a short 328 yards, with water surrounding the left side and a large bunker guarding the right side. The green slopes from back to front and right to left. Beware of pin placements, be below the hole.

I want to again thank Rick for his input here. It's awesome that he chose to be a part of this.

One other note from me is to stay away from the bunker on the right side of the green. Any ball caught thin can easily wind up in the water on the south side of the green. Also, if your like me, a driver is not needed on this hole. Just a long iron to get me within 125 yards and I'm set. Personally I think us Sunday Golfers pull out the Driver when it's not needed.

Look for hole 17 next Saturday.
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Upland Hills Golf Course Strategy Guide/Intro

Next week I'll be starting a new weekly series that will catalog all 18 holes at Upland Hills Country Club. I'm pleased to tell you that I won't be flying solo on this one as UHCC's General Manager/Director of Golf Rick Parillo has graciously accepted my invitation to add his comments/tips on each hole.

We'll be starting with hole 18 and working backwards until I get to 1. In the end we'll have a complete Strategy Guide for playing the Upland Hills Golf Course.

For non golfers, it'll give you a good idea about what's "behind the gates" over there on baseline. We'll also answering questions like: Are there lakes on the course? What holes do I see on the corner of 16th and Campus? And, Is the course on both sides of 16th and if so, how do the golfers get to the other side?

For golfers, this should prove to be an excellent reference for when you are heading out to a tee time at UHGC. It'll be like taking the Club Pro on the course with you and it'll give you the edge you need to maybe take a couple strokes off of your score and maybe a couple of bucks off of your friends

Check back with us next Saturday, January 24 when we introduce a Upland's Finishing Hole #18

For Tee Times at Upland Hills Golf Course, call 909-946-4711. ...Read more!

Upland Hall of Fame: Frank Pastore

Back in 1986, I was looking at some of my baseball cards to see where some of the Pros lived. Irvine, close. Diamond Bar, closer. Upland! WTF?!. There it was, on the back of the 1986 Topps Traded (not the card pictured) Frank Pastore card.

Keep reading, it'll get good.

I had to go ask my mom to see if I was mistaken or maybe there was a whole bunch of Uplands in some other part of California where baseball players live on every corner. Nope, somehow my mom had even known this. This was at a time when I idolized baseball players. I knew every position player on every team and could give you a pretty close guess of each persons stats were so this new news blew me away.

I heard that he lived near 15th and Campus but I didn't dare roam over there for fear that look like some crazy fanatic.

I promise, keep reading

A few years later I met another Frank Pastore, it was the MLBers father and he was one of the coaches for the Upland Legion 15-16 year old team. Frank Sr. was also one of the old guys that would yell at you if you dared look at a blade of grass at the Memorial Park baseball field the wrong way.

Anyway, back to Frank Jr. Frank would later end up on the business end of a Steve Sax hit back up the box that would end his career. These days he's hosting a religious radio show out out of LA.

To me, and many others in this nation, it's not what Pastore did on the diamond or over the airwaves what makes him a legend. It's the feat that he accomplished in May of 1987 that makes him one of Upland's most important (former?) residents.

He completed the 72 oz. steak meal challenge at the Big Texan Steakhouse in Amarillo, Texas in 9 1/2 minutes. Yikes! 72 oz. is 4 1/2 of meat plus a bread roll with butter, potato, ranch beans, shrimp cocktail, and salad.

His record stood for 21 frikin' years until it was broken by super stomach pro eater Joey Chestnut (the guy that finally beat Kobayashi in the July 4 Nathan's hot dog eating contest) in March of 2008. RINGER!!

As far as I am concerned, Chestnuts record should have an asterisk next to it due to his pro status. Pastore is still the champ.

Frank Pastore's eating prowess, All Things Upland's first Upland Hall of Fame member. ...Read more!

2009 Upland Hilltoppers Sign-ups (Girls Softball)

Sign-ups for Upland Hilltoppers are Wednesday, 1/7, 7PM and Upland Jr. High and also Saturday, Jan. 10 from 9AM-12PM at Upland Jr. High

Many study's show that women that participated in youth sports when they were young are more confident, successful, (etc) adults.



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New sports park coming to Upland

Have you wondered what all the recent construction is over in the gravel pit north of Cable Airport is? It turns out were getting another sports park.

It'll take a few years to complete so don't hold your breath but at least we can all sleep better now that we know it won't be a third Home Depot. ...Read more!