The annual AAU Tournament at the Disney Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida is expanding the field to 36 teams for the 2009 edition. The tournament will be played January 22 – 25, 2009. The tournament began in 2000 with 8 teams. 8 grew to 16, then 24, 28, and 32 for the past several years.

Here is the list of the first 32 teams….

1) Los Socios ( Venezuela )
2) Combatientes ( Venezuela )
3) Guayana ( Venezuela )
4) Guatemala Natl. ( Guatemala )
5) Jamaica Natl. Team ( Jamaica )
6) Puerto Rico Natl. Team ( Puerto Rico )
7) Puerto Rico Jr. Natl. ( Puerto Rico )
8) Cobourg Force ( Ontario,Canada )
9) New Breed ( Bahamas )
10) Texaco Pirates ( Bahamas )
11) Virgin Island Eagles ( St. John, VI )
12) Elmira Advance Millwrights ( Ontario, Canada )
13) Radio 560 ( Mexico )
14) Niagara Storms Fury ( Ontario,Canada )
15) ADCO ( New York )
16) Maccabi Blue ( U.S. )
17) Maccabi Red ( U.S. )
18) Dominicana ( Dominican Republic )
19) Chicago / NY ( New York Dominicans )
20) Minnesota Angels ( Minnesota )
21) Florida Fastpitch ( Florida )
22) CPI ( NY )
23) Manor Dirtbag ( Texas )
24) Team Minnesota ( Minnesota )
25 Gremlins Knights ( New York )
26) Ohio Battery Stock Pack ( Ohio )
27) Millwood Logistics ( Ontario Canada )
28) Earls Club ( Wisconsin )
29) Midwest Stampede ( Bondurant, IA ) revised
30) Brewers ( Venezuela )
31) Miami Venezuela ( Miami,Fla )
32) DC Arrows ( BC Canada )

We are going to 36 Teams!

33) Defending Champions, Mac’s Sprayers
34) Sioux Falls Sox ( Omaha, NE )
35) P.K. Broward ( Chicago, IL )
36) Hill United ( Ontario,Canada )

For more information contact:
Alex Linares
407- 828-5602
alex@aausports.org

Readers no doubt know the love and respect we have for Los Angeles Dodgers announcer, Vin Scully While it may not quite fall under the heading of “fastpitch news”, it is big news in these parts, so we decided to share it with you.

Scully will return for 60th season
Dodgers broadcaster, 80, will continue with same workload
By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com

LOS ANGELES — Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully said Friday he will return to the Dodgers for a 60th season at the microphone in 2009.
Scully, whose current three-year contract runs through 2008, said he decided to return after receiving clearance from his wife, Sandra.

“When you’re on the road as much as we are, it’s the loneliness of your wife that you consider,” Scully, 80, said. “But she said, ‘It’s been such a part of my life for so long, you might as well do it if you want to do it.’ And I still enjoy it. I still feel like I’m happy to be here, I still get goosebumps with an exciting play. So, I told Frank [McCourt, club chairman] that I’ll try it for another year.”

Scully said he will continue with the same broadcasting workload — calling virtually all home games, plus road games as far east as Colorado. He said he made no commitment beyond 2009.

“When I think of what has happened in my life, the only feeling I have is gratitude and thankfulness,” Scully said. “God has been good to me, allowing me at such a young age to start this job and allowing me to do it all these years. I’m overwhelmed, because I really don’t do anything but talk about the accomplishments of others.”

Yet, there is no other with the accomplishments of Scully.

The Dodgers are currently celebrating 50 years in Los Angeles and Scully has been the voice and the face of the organization since it arrived. He joined Red Barber and Connie Desmond on the Brooklyn Dodgers broadcast team in 1950, one year after graduating from Fordham University. In 1982, Scully was inducted into the broadcaster’s wing of Baseball’s Hall of Fame as winner of the Ford C. Frick Award and also had his star placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2001, the Dodger Stadium press box was named in Scully’s honor.

Throughout his prestigious broadcasting career, Scully has received numerous awards, including being named the California Sports Broadcaster of the Year 29 times by the National Sportswriters & Sportscasters Association, and in 2000 was voted as the “Sportscaster of the 20th Century,” by more than 500 national members of the American Sportscasters Association.

According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, his years of service are believed to be the longest tenure of any broadcaster in sports history.

Scully has been behind the microphone for some of baseball’s greatest moments, including Don Larsen’s perfect game in 1956 and Sandy Koufax’s in 1965, Hank Aaron’s 715th career home run, the scoreless innings streaks of Orel Hershiser and Don Drysdale, Barry Bonds’ record-breaking 71st, 72nd and 73rd home runs in 2001 and all six Dodgers World Series championships.

In 1976, Scully was voted by Dodgers fans as the most memorable personality in Los Angeles Dodgers history.