Jackson kids cheer on their home town heroes as they clinch a berth in Tuesday's championship game.

By Phil Stilton

Jackson, NJ -  Two weeks ago I was with my daughter at the rainbow colored playground at the Jacskon Justice Complex and a baseball game started behind us.  I was on the Toms River side by the playground and asked one of the Toms River parents who was playing and they told me that it was Jackson vs. Toms River.  They went on to tell me how the Jackson team lost a few days before to a not so good Manchester team and how it was surely going to a be a Toms River vs. Toms River championship game eventually.    I was told Jackson won’t make it out of pool play.  The kids are too small.  They have no pitching and several other reasons why Toms River teams are the ones to beat this year.  Having heard enough, I made my way to our side and watched the game.

coaches meet at home plate before the game.

Jackson went on to beat Toms River National that night by a score of 6-4 and the team that was written off so early went on to win 7 of their next 8 games, dominating every team they have played, even in their only other loss during the tournament.  This week, that same team that was written off placed the Toms River American team in the unusual position of facing elimination for the first time this year.  The parents of that Toms River team back in June perhaps jinxed themselves as their team was the one to not make it out of pool play.

After that first  game, I was hooked.  I followed the team around from Lacey to Brick to Manchester and finally back to Jackson and along the way, I realized that not only was the Jackson team a great group of kids and good players, they had a great support system to back them up.   Like the bleacher creatures of old Yankee Stadium chanting for each batter and jeering their opponents from beyond the outfield fence, these parents and kids are just as much a part of the team as the kids on the field.

Ashley & Erin cheering on their team in the bleachers.

Today, the bleacher bums, brothers, sisters, cousins, friends and even the Holbrook Little League kids joined in to help cheer on their team chanting for each Jackson batter, politely mocking the Toms River parents who went screaming when their team scored one run, still behind 5-4 with “see the scoreboard” and when Toms River parents and players argued calls with the umpires they cheered “stop your crying”.

So much was the presence of the ‘bleacher creatures’ that umpires warned children not to be too loud.   The umpire went out to the outfield and warned the children that if they “bang the signs on the fence, the top of the fence or stomp their feet on the aluminum bleachers, he will ‘clear the bleachers’” threatening to remove them from the game.

Jackson's bleacher creatures have good fun with outfielder Shane Brand, asking for autographs and handshakes during a pitching change.

So, like any good Jackson kids do, they followed the rules.  They didn’t bang the signs (though the Toms River side did).  They didn’t stomp their feet on the aluminum bleachers.   They didn’t hit the top of the railing to rattle the fence.   Instead, in Bronx fashion, they did their part to cheer their team on without breaking any rules and helping to inspire the kids on the field to keep their heads up and in the game even when the chips seemed to be down.

Jackson kids run onto the field after the last strike out of the game to celebrate with their friends on the field, 1969 Shea and 1977 Yankee Stadium Style.

This article is a tribute to the kids in the outfield today who gave it their all and followed the absurd rules  ordered upon the umpires by the Toms River coach.    They did a great job cheering on their team and they’re obviously not discouraged to come back in full force on Tuesday.

You have to ask yourself.  What kind of ‘champion’ has their coach whine about a bunch of kids having a good time in the stands?

Jackson's fans celebrate on the field with their team.