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Enduring Memories of a Perfect Season

I read about Fairfield American's many successes and the team's pursuit of its dream – a trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. – and I chuckle. Terrific for them. Way to go. And then I think back to 1982 and I chuckle again. That was the spring and summer when Varsity Sports Shop, coached by long-time friends Bill Constand and Don Harrison, put together the perfect Little League season. Fourteen wins. Zero losses.

Okay, it wasn't the big time, even by Little League standards. We were members of the National Division's Minor League. But just ask any of the moms and dads who watched us. Or the opposing coaches. We could play the game.

In truth, Varsity players missed few baseballs – either batted or thrown – during their drive to the league championship. There was nothing minor about their accomplishments. Consider: Varsity outscored the opposition, 190 runs to 14. Varsity outhit the opposition, 151-28. The team batting average was a robust .378.

Perhaps even more remarkable, considering the players ranged in age from 9 to 12, was the team's error total for the 14-game season: Ten. Yes, just 10 errors. Little League records are sketchy, but National Division officials believed that more than a decade had elapsed since any previous Fairfield minor league team completed a season without a loss. The 1981 FairMart team tasted defeat in the playoffs after reeling off 13 straight victories during the season.

Frankly, to me, what made the season so special was that everyone contributed; it wasn't just a handful. Every Varsity player had his or her day in the sun.

Matt Kohn and Chris Tierney were incredible pitchers, from the start – a 21-0 perfect game against Blue Sky Bar – to finish, a combined 5-0 shutout against the runner-up August Brothers. Kohn struck out 73 batters, issued just three walks and allowed nary an earned run in 34 innings. Tierney, who threw ever harder, fanned 76, walked 12 and allowed just one earned run in 31 innings.

Tierney, who went on to play at Sacred Heart University and Southern Connecticut State, led Varsity at bat with a .568 average and a pair of home runs. Chris Constand, our first baseman and the younger of Bill's two sons, hit .538, and then came the Manning brothers, Derek (.500) and Brett (.429), Lisa Boyle (.412), Josh Zamat (.400) and Kohn (.395). Rachel Harrison, the oldest of my three daughters, came through with some big hits late in the season.

Kohn and Tierney glittered in the field, whether on the mound or at shortstop, and Constand at first, Boyle and Zamat at second, Pat Lau at third and Derek Manning in left center also were outstanding. Derek's one-handed catch against LaBella's Bill Tierney – his older brother – was worthy of any highlight reel.

Although nearly 30 summers have passed since that memorable season, one particular evening remains embedded in my mind: Gary Zingo, who coached August Brothers, came to our game to scout us. He was sitting in one of those low-back chairs on the side of a hill.

The Varsity hitters, some of whom were good-sized boys, began to tee off against the opposing pitcher in the first inning. Up stepped Lisa Boyle, all 4-foot-8 of her. She walloped the first (or maybe second) pitch into the right-center field gap for a triple.

Zingo had seen enough. He got up, picked up his folding chair and walked away, seemingly shaking his head all the way to his car. As I recall, Lisa was among three girls selected to the National Division team for the league's All-Star Game at the end of the season. We won that game, too.

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