A WINNER'S WELCOME: SIKESTON SALUTES HIGH-FLYING BASEBALL TEAM

SIKESTON -- Under the lights at VFW Memorial Park Tuesday night, nearly 150 people in the grandstand stood and cheered wildly as a bus followed a wailing police car into the parking lot and onto the baseball field.

The noise grew even louder as the bus disgorged 14 excited young baseball players who dodged somersaulting cheerleaders to gather in an aw-shucks knot on the pitcher's mound.

The parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters and friends had come to welcome back Sikeston's 13-year-old Babe Ruth baseball team, which last weekend took third in the Babe Ruth World Series.

It was the best finish for a Sikeston team since 1959, when the city's team of 15-year-olds claimed second place in the Babe Ruth World Series in California.

This was a team of Davids that slew some Goliaths during their week in Tallahassee. Sikeston opened the tournament by beating Beaverton, Ore., a Portland suburb, 10-8, then lost to New Orleans 13-3.

Sikeston then defeated a team from Washington, D.C., 12-5, and again clubbed Beaverton, 13-5, before being eliminated by New Orleans, 13-4.

Tallahassee, a team Sikeston never faced, was the eventual champion. The teams played at 40,000-seat Dick Howser Stadium at Florida State University.

Blake DeWitt was named to the all-tournament defensive team at shortstop. DeWitt, who also pitched 17 innings during the tournament, and centerfielder Scott Keenan were selected to the all-tournament team. Both batted above .400 in the tournament.

Lauding the team's talent, determination and class, Sikeston Mayor Bill Mitchell asserted, "You showed them."

"We are proud of you as ballplayers and we are proud of you as fine young men."

He gave each of them a certificate of appreciation and said Monday had been officially declared World Series Team Day in Sikeston.

Manager Mike DeWitt said he has watched his team mature and grow through the post-season tournaments. "They have done and seen things most kids their age never get to do," he said.

"Thank you, boys, for allowing us to tag along."

Defense was the team's strength, coach Alan Keenan said. "We don't have overpowering pitching and we have contact hitters. But a lot of people made favorable comments about our defense."

Ron Priday is the team's other coach.

To qualify for the Babe Ruth World Series, Sikeston won its district tournament and the state tournament, then defeated seven other teams in the regional tournament in Paonia, Colo., early in August.

This is the second straight year this group of players has gone to a world series, accomplishing the same feat last year as 12-year-olds.

"This is a talented group," Keenan said. "They work hard at it."

The team is composed of all-stars gleaned from the 51 players who participated this summer in the Sikeston Babe Ruth League.

Asked what he expects to remember most from his baseball experiences this summer, team member Ben Pyles had two words: "Being proud."