Chucktown Legends host Firecracker Classic, win two Gold Division Bracket titles

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Sometimes the best throw is the one you don’t make … or the ill-advised one you sucker your opponent into making.

During this past weekend’s Legends Firecracker Baseball Classic, the hosting Chucktown Legends 12U baseball team repeatedly frustrated defenses with a type of base running that could be classified as baiting as well as aggressive.

Often during hits to the outfield, Legends baserunners would round third base and get halfway to home plate before stopping and retreating back to third base. This prompted throws to the plate allowing the hitter to take an extra base to get into better scoring position.

Then, often again, that latter base runner would do the same on a subsequent hit to the outfield to force another throw to the plate for more uncontested passage to second base.

That was one of the winning strategies the Legends used while producing big innings against the Winneshiek Nationals and the Cedar River Bandits while respectively winning the semifinal and final of the 12U Gold Division Bracket.

The championship effort inspired an impromptu fireworks celebration beyond the center field fence.

The Chucktown Legends 11U team also won its Gold Division Bracket; the Chucktown Legends 10U team won the Silver Division Bracket.

The format of the two-day tournament that included a 9U division was a series of pool-play games before determining — by way of wins and losses and scoring differential — the top four teams for the single-elimination Gold Bracket with the other teams playing in the Silver Division.

The fourth-annual tournament attracted 32 teams from the surrounding area.

“This is our biggest turnout,” said Tad Barry, who coached the Legends 12U team and is the founder of the Chucktown Legends youth baseball program.

Barry is also the co-director of the Charles City Baseball Club with Charles City varsity head coach Tyler Downing. The CCBC also has a seven-member board, most of whom — like Barry and Downing — were standout youth players for Charles City when it hosted the Continental Amateur Baseball Association World Series several decades ago.

The Legends operate under the CCBC “umbrella”.

“We host other smaller tournaments during the season, but this is our big one,” Barry said of the Firecracker Classic.

The tournament took place at two sites: Sportsmen’s Park (the former home of the Charles City Comet baseball and softball programs), and Lion’s Field Park.

Due to fundraising and donations from community members and local businesses, there have been recent upgrades to the fields and facilities at both parks, including a fresh-paint makeover to several bleachers, player-friendly lights, new bases, reconfigured outfield fences, scoreboard repair and an added concession stand at Lion’s Field Park.

The Firecracker Classic has adopted the youth baseball rules sanctioned by the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA), which allows leadoffs, hitters to reach base on dropped third strikes, and other rules and nuances that cater to higher level travel ball play.