Editor’s note: We were pleased to see our friend Bob Otto on hand Sunday at the California Classic in San Diego both with his trusty 300 mm lens and his reporter’s notebook. He hits a home run on this piece. I managed to snap a quick photo of he and my favorite photographer, Maddy in the same shot…finally, both of them together on the other side of the lens! Watch for that one soon.

California A’s, class of the Classic

Story and Photos by Bob Otto/OttoinFocus

(click banner for original news story at OttoinFocus)

Canadian, Sean Whitten, allowed but three hits along with 10 strikeouts in leading the California A’s to a 7-0 victory over Rude-Pac to claim the championship in the 2010 California Classic, Sunday, at Sportsplex USA in Santee, Calif.
Photo By BOB OTTO

SANTEE, CA – A year ago the California A’s were a good ball club, but not great. This season with the addition of Canadian pitcher, Sean Whitten, and a few more key additions, the A’s have taken a giant leap into the elite class of International Softball Congress teams.

And the California ballclub proved they are going to be a team to be reckoned with come ISC World Tournament time as the A’s swept through their own “California Classic” 12-team tournament with a 5-0 record culminating with a 7-0 win over Rude-Pac in Sunday’s championship at Sportsplex USA in Santee.

An overpowering Whitten, held a good-hitting Rude Pac of Sun Valley, California to three hits, while striking out 10. The right-hander showed his dominance by striking out the side in the first and third innings. Only Jason Obregon, Caynon Vance, and Casey Pimm were able to scratch out singles.

Whitten said that on Saturday he felt he wasn’t in top form. But come Sunday was a whole new ballgame.

“The rise and the change were both working good,” said Whitten, who some believe to be the hardest thrower in the game today. “The defense and the offense were strong. I think we are progressing pretty good.”

A’s DOMINATE

The A’s reached the title game by outscoring their opponents, 28-4, including an 8-0 win over the Cal-State Builders in their opener, followed by 4-1 victory over Maccabi USA, and a 6-1 thumping of Portland with Whitten besting Bricklin Anderson and Terry Luster.

And in Sunday’s semi-final, Whitten came on in relief of Travis Price to pick up a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Meralomas, and Derek Mayson, in the A’s toughest game of the tournament.

A’s manager, Dave Weldin, was pleased with his ballclub’s performance throughout the weekend.

Dave Weldin, Manager, California A’s
Photo By BOB OTTO

“We played great defense, got timely hitting, and our pitchers allowed just (four) runs the entire tournament,” said Weldin. “Whitten gives us a lot of confidence. If we score a couple of runs we have a great chance to win.”

TURNER LEADS THE WAY

In the championship, the A’s got all the runs they needed by scoring four times in the fourth inning off Rude-Pac’s Gerald Pyle. The left-side hitting, Chase Turner, batting in the number six spot, ripped a double to left field that brought home Marcus Tan, who opened the inning with a walk to give the A’s a 1-0 advantage.

Chase Turner went 3-for-3 and drove in the game’s first and final runs.
Photo By BOB OTTO

That proved to be the only run Whitten would need. But the A’s added three more runs in the fifth to shorten the game to five innings under the mercy rule. And again Turner (3-for-3) was the catalyst by ending the game with a run-scoring single to plate the A’s seventh run.

“I got change up’s on both hits,” said Turner, who played for the A’s last season, adding that he likes the look of the 2010 version. “With Sean (Whitten) and Kevin (Schellenberg), Darren Box, Paul Rosebush, and Derek Mayson, we’ve now got a good mix, and our pitching puts us in the top five (ISC ranking) as opposed to the top 15 last year.”

ALL-WORLD HURLER

Whitten comes to the A’s from the Midwest Stampede of Iowa, which folded after last season. He was selected as a second team, All-World (3-1 record) pitcher after leading the Stampede to a fourth place finish in the 24-team 2009 ISC World Tournament in Moline, Illinois.

And the right-hander, whose riser and drop speeds to the plate in the 80 mile per hour range was at his best against Rude-Pac.

“When you’re facing Whitten you’re in trouble if you give up a couple of runs,” said Rudy Montanez, sponsor and manager of Rude-Pac. “I would have liked the game closer, but I feel real good about how we are coming together.”

RUDE-PAC KNOCKS OFF FAVORITES

But even though Rude-Pac lost, Montanez felt good about his ball club’s performance in the tournament. As the ISC’s #26 ranked team, Rude-Pac finished 3-1 in Saturday’s pool play that included a 9-8 victory over #15 Portland, and a 4-0 shutout over the #11 Bakersfield Silverhawks.

“Coming from a team that started in 2005 playing (ASA Class) “C” ball, we are turning a few heads,” Montanez said.

By finishing second, Rude-Pac picks up an ISC World Tournament berth, which Montanez said, his team will gladly accept. “Getting the ISC spot is big for us,” he said.

The tournament also featured a few surprises. Portland (0-2-1) and the Silverhawks (0-1-2) both found winning hard to come by in Saturday’s pool play. And the #22 Italian Athletic Club (IAC) of Stockton won but one game, finishing a 1-2.

All three teams were relegated to the consolation bracket, with Portland going home early after losing its Sunday opener. IAC and the Silverhawks met in the consolation championship, with IAC taking a 3-2 victory with young, right-hander, Tyson Barkman, picking up the win.

TOW PROS TOUGH

Meanwhile, the local Tow Pros from nearby Poway – unranked and unknown – made it into Sunday’s championship bracket by finishing 2-0-1 in their pool.

The ISC? NAFA? Never heard of them, said Tow Pros manager, Hector Garcia, after his ballclub had eliminated the #34 ranked California-State Builders, 3-2, in their first playoff game on Sunday. And in semi-finals, Tow Pros gave Rude-Pac a battle before losing, 3-2, and being eliminated from the tournament.

Tow Pros Manager, Hector Garcia
Photo By BOB OTTO

“We came here to have fun,” said Garcia. “We called (to try and enter the tournament), and they asked, ‘who are you?’ We surprised a couple of teams and some good ones left before us.”

SCHEDULE GETS CHALLENGING

With their championship in hand in the inaugural showcase of the Classic, Weldin now points his team in a northeasterly direction. Next up is the “Boys of Summer” tournament in Denmark, Wisconsin, July 9-11.

“That will be a tough tournament,” Weldin said. “It will be a good test for us with four of the top 20 teams there.”

The Boys of Summer will indeed be a challenge for the A’s, which has won consecutive California championships after claiming the Best of The West in early June.

But the ultimate test will come in August at the 2010 ISC World Tournament in Midland, Michigan. And A’s leadoff hitter, Paul Rosebush, believes the Salinas-based ballclub has the ability to meet that test.

Paul Rosebush, A’s leadoff hitter and outfielder

Photo By BOB OTTO

“We’ve got a lot of talent,” said Rosebush, who took last season off after playing for the Farm Tavern of Madison, Wisconsin. “It takes solid pitching and consistent hitting to win it. We will definitely be a contender.