San Diego Padres host book launch at Sunday, September 26 game
Authors Mike Ford and Wade Lindenberger bring the 2009 Little League Champions’ magical season to life in a new book, The Blue Bombers: The True Story of the 2009 Little League World Champions. The biography, published by Pro Management Press, tells the story of the Park View Little League team from Chula Vista, California. Dubbed “The Blue Bombers” because of their baby blue uniforms and record-breaking home run prowess, the team won the hearts of fans of all ages as they won game after game to reach the pinnacle of youth baseball – the Little League World Series champs of 2009.
To celebrate the upcoming release of the book, the San Diego Padres have invited the Blue Bombers and the book’s authors to the game against the Cincinnati Reds on September 26. It should be an exciting game as the Padres battle to win the National League West Division. The Blue Bombers will be available to meet fans and sign autographs beginning at 10:30 a.m. just inside the Gaslamp entrance.
There have been 62 previous winners of the Little League World Series, so why is this team so special? The Blue Bombers: The True Story of the 2009 Little League World Champions provides the answer by telling the story of superb coaches who shielded the team from pressure and unique players that worked hard and maintained focus while relaxing and enjoying the ride.
With profiles of the team and interviews with opposing managers, fans, family and many others, The Blue Bombers: The True Story of the 2009 Little League World Champions chronicles the Park View players and their parents and coaches who didn’t place inordinate emphasis on winning. Early in the competition, the coaches gave the players a choice — have fun or try to win the whole thing. The players decided to win the whole thing and have fun.
The book showcases the ability of the Park View kids to stay grounded with the support of strong families and an adoring community, plus the guidance of compassionate and caring coaches whose philosophy was to make sure the concepts of team, hard work and fun did not get lost in the run for the crown. By keeping the players loose yet focused and always putting the best interests of the kids and their families first, the Blue Bombers were destined to be victorious.
The same guidance that kept the team level-headed during the Little League World Series carried them through the post-championship hoopla that included appearances on The Tonight Show, rallies attended by tens of thousands of adoring fans and a visit to the White House.
Little League is big business, which intensifies the pressure on our young players to win. The 12 and under version of the national pastime has morphed from its humble beginnings in 1938 to the world’s largest organized youth sports program, with almost 200,000 teams and 2.3 million players in more than 80 countries. Each year, it culminates in the Little League World Series, which in 2009 earned almost a 3.0 share of the TV market, or 3% of the total viewership for its time slot.
The story of the Blue Bombers is instructional and inspirational, providing a new road map for how Little League players, coaches and parents can create a team that can win for all the right reasons. The Blue Bombers: The True Story of the 2009 Little League World Champions is not just for the Little League crowd. There is something in it for everyone. It is an exciting story with a compelling cast of characters. It showcases life lessons and provides motivational messages that can fire up everyone from Little League players to business people. Most of all, it has the power to refresh readers’ spirits in an often weary world. Regardless of why they buy the book, readers will enjoy immersing themselves in the youthful optimism of the Blue Bombers.
“The Blue Bombers’ extraordinary championship season excited and inspired the entire community,” said Padres President and COO Tom Garfinkel. “We have been proud to honor them all season long at PETCO Park, and we are excited to celebrate this new book, which will give us a behind-the-scenes glimpse at a season that reminded us all just how magical baseball can be.”
For more information about The Blue Bombers: Champions for All the Right Reasons including pre-order information, please visit www.bluebomberbook.com or www.atlasbooks.com/marktplc/03087.htm.