The team confirmed a deal was done to The Associated Press, but terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed. 

Mejia has continued to be around the organization since his retirement on a consulting basis, helping Coach Mercado and the 10U Gorillas ball club.  Rumor had it that GM Mike Martinez had been hard at work coming up with a plan to offer just enough to entice Mejia to come out of retirement. The crafty GM knew the organization could use the help and they needed someone they could trust.

After retiring, Mejia followed his other passion of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and began training at one of San Diego’s Elite MMA Gyms, The Arena.  Currently he trains daily at The Arena and he plans to balance his daily MMA regime with assisting the 10U ball club. He feels he will be able to bring a new dynamic to coaching through his experience of training with elite athletes and coaches.

“I am so proud of this team. I would take them anywhere and put them against any team,” Coach Rudy Mercado told reporters after the championship game. “It’s tough to lose this game. We felt like we could win it. You can’t give runs to good teams like that, and we did. We gave them two or three runs, and it cost us in the end.”

SWVLL notched their first three runs in the top of the first when Moses Mercado drove a 3-run home run to dead center. 

After the first inning the team seemed to take its foot off the gas and put the car on cruise control, which ended up being a costly mistake.  Confident his team would learn from the miscues. “There were some easy plays that we didn’t make,” Coach Mercado said of the fielding miscues that let Eastlake back into the game. “We didn’t keep the ball in front of us. These are kids, they’re athletes, but they made a couple of mistakes. They’ll learn from it.”

Mgr. Dennis Hay said of the team, “they are a quality team, no question. They are wellcoached. They were the best team SWVLL played in the tournament. As a coach, you worry about them getting the momentum (late in the game). It was a great game by two very good teams. Those are fun games right there. Fun games for the fans, fun games for the coaches and the players. I can hold my head high for these kids, they did a great job. Our kids never give up.”

To get to the finals, the 9-10′s from Sweetwater Valley Little League put on their hitting hats against Four different teams and belted 11 home runs in the process. 

Most of all, this game was a fun reminder of how quickly feelings can change in baseball. When this series started last Saturday afternoon, most anyone associated with Sweetwater Valley 9-10 All-Star team were feeling down about the dreadful series opener against Eastlake Little League, and the 8-2 loss which now feels like a distant memory. Now SWVLL has rattled off four straight wins and sent four different teams on to an early summer vacation, scoring 12, 12, 7, and 13 runs along the way, and the team looks a lot better than they did last Saturday morning.

“I think our guys have been practicing a lot of patience at the plate,” SWVLL All-Star Jack Hay said. “I think that’s really made a big difference and really sort of brought out what our lineup is capable of doing, especially today. You saw the result of that.” Hay has recorded two homeruns himself this last week.

Despite a lively and somewhat hostile crowd at Imperial Beach Little League, SWVLL offense exploded from the get go putting up a four spot in the first inning off a grandslam homerun which set the tone for the game. SWVLL moves two victories away from their District 42 9&10 year old Championship.

“We feel like our at-bats are getting better everyday,” SWVLL All-Star Jordan Thompson said. “We’re making the pitchers throw strikes. When we do that with our ballclub, we’re capable of doing some good things.” Thompson came in and shut the door in the bottom of the six recording the first 2-outs of the inning on as many pitches and getting the last out with a strikeout, sending his ballclub onto face Eastlake LL in the Championship game tomorrow at 6:30pm at Imperial Beach LL.

In the end, the SWVLL bats had provided plenty of cushion, a big reason they left today standing halfway to a District 42 Championship.

It is with great sadness that I announce my resignation from the Gorillas Baseball Club, effective January 1, 2011.

I have never considered nor imagined a future outside the walls of the Gorillas Baseball Organization. However, sometimes life takes an unexpected turn and while it is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made, it is time for me to move on.

First and foremost, I would like to thank Mike Martinez the General Manager for the incredible education working with him has provided and for giving me the opportunity to play a role in building the Gorillas Baseball Club into the travel baseball powerhouse that it is today. I am extremely proud to have been in this business, and I am grateful for everyday I was able to work alongside not only my own family, but the entire Gorillas Baseball family.

Thank you to all of the Gorillas Baseball players, both past and present for your passion, pride and dedication. You are truly the engine of the organization and it has been a pleasure to work with, learn from and get to know all of you. Thank you for the privilege of sharing the baseball diamond with you and for allowing me to become but a momentary member of your elite brotherhood. I have so much appreciation for the many sacrifices you endure both physically and personally, to make this organization the success that it is. The respect I have for each of you is immeasurable.

Finally, there are no words to express my gratitude to the Gorillas Staff, families and the fans for supporting this organization through good times and bad and for your unbridled passion that fuels the kids’ performances. I am profoundly grateful to have been able to help on the field of play and from behind the scenes. You are the greatest staff and fans in the world.

I will always love this organization and will remain a fan forever.
Thank you,
Coach Tony
Gorillas Baseball Club

If you’re looking for a baseball program and you’re wondering, “Does this program really work?” wonder no more. The answer is an absolute yes; however, as with any legit athletic program, you have to COMMIT, set realistic goals and follow through in the good times and bad. No matter what age, sports help mold and prepare you for whatever life can throw at you.

Most coaches don’t get paid for getting results; most don’t get fired for not getting results. As an entrepreneur and a New Breed coach, I find this offensive. But it is what it is and its par for the course all over the world.

I’d love to get your thoughts and stories, but I really only see two options, neither of which are exciting if you want to get results in the near future:
I’m not trying to get preachy or self righteous. I don’t have the moral authority. And I’m no stranger to the ‘Shock and Awe’ approach, as well as several others that don’t work. I am not a perfect person by any stretch of the imagination. And, if you know me, you know I’ve never claimed anything of the sort. But I do try to learn from my mistakes. Like Jay-Z says, “It’s all about progression.”

When you invest in your athletes through ongoing coaching education and create a positive, exciting, cutting edge training environment, you’re going to start getting eye opening results.
Because kids want to be the best they can be. They’re silently begging to be heard and to be led. New Breed coaches provide that experience and that is why we’re successful. It really has very little to do with how many 40 yard sprints we do (or don’t do) today.

The bottom line is: Some kids don’t want to be left on their own every day so practice turns into Romper Room (Little League Baseball), while others want to have their summer time barbecues and pizza parties every other week.

I want to coach the kids that want to be coached, the one’s that want to get better. They want to run varsity, stand on the podium, get a medal (seriously, kids will chew through concrete to earn a $2 medal), see their name in the paper.

They’ll follow you if you make them feel good about themselves. And a little individual attention goes a long way. Because my organization and I run a serious program, we are often accused of being an elitist. Of only paying attention to the top 10% of the kids that are in our program. That a focus on ‘winning’ has no place at any level. (I will address this absurdity in an upcoming article down the road.)

I don’t just give individual attention to the kids breaking and or setting any records. I pay attention to the kids who pay attention, no matter where they fall on the food chain. Kids will pretty much do what they’re told by the adult coach in charge. They have no other choice. But it doesn’t mean they like it. And it doesn’t mean they believe in their coaching.

(Parents, you want to win over your kid? Memorize his seasonal goal, that is if he has any. And then, one day, when he is half-assing it, that is if you are able to tell that he is half-assing it, say, “Your goal sheet says you want to achieve X GOAL. Not gonna happen with that kind of effort.” Kids don’t think you’re paying attention to them. But if you are and they know it, all you have to do is look at them and they know you know. And the overall effort goes up. My Gorillas program operates just like the food chain: Survival at the top doesn’t happen without a strong, healthy population at the bottom.)

Just be prepared for the backlash, because everyone hates a winner. (Don’t believe me? Name one highly successful person you know of, famous or otherwise, who doesn’t get hated on with regularity. That’s right. You can’t.) So the haters will be out in full force. And by ‘full force’ I mean they’ll smile to your face, talk trash behind your back and/or send you unsigned letters in the mail. You just have to accept its going to happen. People I’ve known my whole life have said some hurtful and obnoxious things about me (behind my back, of course). There’s no point in freaking out about it. Because I’m a firm believer in the Law of Karma, also known as ‘You reap what you sow’.

So you’ll be accused of ’recruiting’ and stealing athletes from other sports. You’ll also be the cause of Global Warming, the reason babies poop their pants and, nice try asshole, but we didn’t forget what you did to little Sally.

Of course you’re not doing any of these things, but to those with no concept of a world where kids are capable of making independent, autonomous choices about where and how they spend their free time, it will seem that way. People drunk on Hater-ade aren’t going to hear your point of view or acknowledge all of the good things you do. But what do you expect? You are the one who ruined Christmas.

Nice job elitist. Why don’t you take your fancy workouts to the college level so we can get back to our pizza party? And what’s that smell? Good God, man. You just made another innocent baby crap itself. What’s next on your list of abominations? If you melt a few more glaciers, maybe you can kill off the last polar bear. Jerk.

I’m a firm believer our actions define who we are. And other peoples’ reactions say far more about them than they do about you. Remember that the next time someone slanders you behind your back.
Your supporters (parents, coaches and athletes alike) will see right through their BS. So if, in your heart of hearts, you know you’re living your life in service to others, persevere and continue to be the change you want to see in others.

It’s not easy. And you might be up against a status quo so firmly entrenched that parents will choose to take their kids so called talents elsewhere. But fighting, arguing and belittling your adversaries’ only serves to teach young people all the wrong things. No matter who thinks they’re in the right. So don’t go down that road. Gandhi also said, “There is no path to peace, peace is the path.”
Let that marinate in your mind for a while.

If the people around you can’t get on board, you’ll have no choice but to find people who will. That’s ultimately the choice I make every day. Now, when I go to baseball practice, I feel energized and excited instead of feeling like I’m going to lose my lunch because of some ridiculous people thinking their kid is the next Alex Rodriguez. It’s awesome. And that’s how it should be, for everyone.
That’s all I’ve got! If you have a better solution to this fundamental problem in the world of athletics (and world in general), I’m all ears! Post your comments below.

Signed,

Coach Tony Mejia
Check it out! In 2011, I’ll still be pontificating!

On a hot afternoon the Gorillas 8th grade team were down 13-1 before mounting a comeback in the 4th and 5th innings to defeat the North County Longhorns baseball team 15-13 Sunday at Damato Field.

The Gorillas made its impressive comeback by scoring 10 times in the top of the fourth and another 4 runs in the top of the fifth.

Gorillas Head Coach, Mike Martinez was quoted as saying in the bottom of the 3rd inning; ”guys, do we want to quit now or do we want to fight?” The team responded, “coach we want to fight.”

“I think it woke our offense up a little bit, to hear coach Mike say that to the guys” Coach Tony said after the Gorillas rallied for a 10 spot in the 4th inning. “We’re not going to panic by any means just because we’re down in any game. It was an absolute grind today, that’s for sure, I can’t remember winning a game where we’ve struggled like we did this afternoon. So it’s very gratifying.”

The Gorillas 8th grade team continues to display why its one of the most feared teams in the 8th grade division. OK, sorry. This was no Stanley Cup. But it was a stunning moment, a fittingly Hollywood style shocker to decide a remarkable baseball game and these boys do it every weekend. If you get a chance make it out to watch one of their games, I promise you wont be disappointed.

Andrew Brown

Andrew Brown 2013
SS RHP/IF R/R 6-2 165
HS: The Rock Academy
Hometown: Chula Vista, CA
Summer Team: Gorillas
Fall Team: Gorillas
OF: IF: 76 1B: C: Pop Time:
Fast Ball Velocity: 81
60 yd: 7.41 40 yd: Track Conditions:
PG Rating: 7.5

PG Report:
Andrew Brown is a 2013 SS/RHP/IF with a 6’2”, 165 lb. frame from Chula Vista, CA who attends The Rock Academy. Lean athletic build, plenty of time to fill out and add strength, line-drive hitting approach, short simple swing, consistent solid contact, extension out front, hitting tools project more with added strength, solid MIF tools, feet work, good to the ball, athletic actions, short compact arm action on the mound, good armside run on fastball, quick arm, works quick, stays in the zone well, good straight change-up, fills up the strike zone, strong student.