Last week, the OC Dodgers Elite 8U team was named the Cecil Fielder World Series champions in the 8 and under age group. The four-day, 16-team tournament was held at Kennedy Memorial Park Field in Yuma, Arizona, and drew an international field of top teams from across the United States and Mexico. The best of the best were there to win the title.
The Baseball Legends (TBL) is a company created to train and support the growth of young athletes and adults in the United States and Mexico. It was created in 2008 by Gutierrez when he reconnected with his amateur and professional baseball roots after more than a decade with one of the largest real estate companies in the United States. He provided opportunities for minor league and 40-man roster players to participate in Winter League games in regions such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. In addition, with the help of his former Travel Ball coach and current TBL manager James Bishop, Gutierrez began running his own tournaments, camps and clinics in the Los Angeles market. It was during this time that TBL began to gain momentum, as its founder found himself teamed with one of Major League Baseball’s great players.
OC Dodger sponsor Don Ressler supported the players throughout the tournament and said: “My wife Ginger Ressler and I feel blessed to be able to sponsor such a great group of kids and can’t say enough about Coach Mike Torres and his coaching staff. These kids are amazing, and we created a lifetime of priceless memories over the weekend — the incredible pitching of Dante Jackson, who only missed one ball; Tony Silva’s face when his son Eric Silva hit a home run; watching Noah Rodriguez not let anything past him at shortstop; Cade O’Hara’s smirk as he slides to home plate; Caden Moeller becoming a batting machine; the list goes on. Amazing teamwork at its best. Cecil Fielder is a top-notch club, and we are thankful to be able to compete in this tournament and win the title!”
