The Firebirds won one of two AABC National Qualifier Tournaments by beating the Utah Bucks this morning at Tempe Diablo Stadium (Los Angeles Angels) and will be returning to Farmington NM in August for the Connie Mack World Series. To win, the Firebirds had to emerge from a 25-team, week-long event over organizations such as the Dallas D-Bat Mustangs, the Dallas Tigers, the Dallas Patriots, the Orange County Renegades, Trombly Baseball, the Utah Marshalls, Hoots Baseball (CA) and others. This is a very, very tough event with a great reward. Along the the Area Code Games, the Connie Mack World Series (a 10-team tournament) is the most impressive 18U event I have ever seen. To qualify, a team must win one of the two qualifiers or make it through a state tournament and then a regional tournament. What makes it special are not only the great crowds and hospitality to be found in Farmington but the lasting sense of accomplishment that comes with competing for a truly meaningful prize against some of the very best players and teams from around the nation. It is an old and great American baseball tradition.
Congratulations also to Ron Benham (our own poster here, rbinaz) who did another outstanding job running this event.
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). But it was a superb tournament and very well run. Of course I hate to see "ties" but AABC has a schedule to keep.
