Greenville - Greenville Little Leagues is proud to announce a new team sponsor in the North State League.  Sylvan Learning Center, a long time minor league and/or Greenie League sponsor is taking over for Clark-Branch Realtors effective immediately. 

Sylvan, located on 1925 Turnbury Drive in Greenville, has been a part of the educational scene in Greenville since 1988.  Owned by Donnie and Becky Taylor, Sylvan provides tutorial services to children throughout the area while also providing advanced children with supplemental education.  Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, in addition to their Greenville location, have Sylvan locations in Kinston, New Bern, Washington, and Morehead City. 

Mr. Taylor is a former Greenville Little Leaguer having played for Coca Cola in 1960 & 61.  During the 1961 season he helped lead Coke to the City Championship by clouting a Greenville Little Leagues record 15 round trippers (since tied by Charlie Herring in 2005).

The Sylvan team will keep the exact same color scheme as the Clark-Branch team.  The Sylvan players will wear royal blue caps with a kelly green “S” trimmed in white.  The jerseys will be royal blue with kelly green letters, numbers, and piping.  The letters and numbers will be trimmed in white.  The team will wear kelly green t-shirts under their jerseys.  For the lower half of the uniform the team will have royal blue belts and socks. To complete the outfit, the team will wear North State’s traditional gray pants.

Bill Clark Construction (1988-1994) or Clark-Branch Realtors (1995-2009) as the team later became known as sponsored their team for 22 seasons. They reached the City Championship on two occasions.  In 1992 Bill Clark Construction lost to Mackenzie Security (now NorthCare) 2 games to 1.  In 1995 the team changed names to Clark-Branch Realtors.  As Clark-Branch Realtors the team appeared in and won the 2008 City Championship Series by defeating East Carolina Chrysler Dodge 2 games to none.

Greenville Little Leagues is most thankful to Mr. Bill Clark and Mr. Connally Branch for their 22 years of sponsorship and wish both Bill Clark Construction and Clark-Branch Realtors the very best in the future.

All references to "Clark-Branch" on the 2010 game schedule etc. should now be thought of as "Sylvan Learning Center" until we have had a chance to make this change. 

THIS INTERVIEW IS FROM DECEMBER OF 2007.  FLORIDA MARLINS PITCHER  BURKE BADENHOP IS GOING TO BE THE SPEAKER AT THE PITT-GREENVILLE HOT STOVE LEAGUE BANQUET TO BE HELD ON JANUARY 27, 2010.  SINCE HE IS GOING TO BE HERE I THOUGH I WOULD PLACE THIS INTERVIEW ON THE WEB SITE ONCE AGAIN.  I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT.

 Recently I was reading a story about prospects in the Detroit Tigers farm system.  I happened to stumble upon a name which I remembered from the mid 90's as having played in our program.  The name was Burke Badenhop. Burke played for Sportsworld (now Physicians East) from 1992-1995.   I was able to contact his father (a professor at the University of Toledo) and he put me in touch with Burke. I asked Burke if I could interview him and ask him about his experiences as a kid growing up in Greenville and his life as a ballplayer now.  Burke responded by typing nearly 4 full pages worth of answers to the 17 questions that I sent him.  I found his answers to be fascinating and insightful.  Instead of writing an article as I was going to do initially, I chose to put Burke's exact words in response to the questions that I asked him.  Burke is obviously a well spoken young man and I appreciate so much the time he put into answering the questions that I asked him.  Burke has been able to do two things that I will never be able to do in life:  1.)  be a Greenville Little Leaguer and 2.) play in the Detroit Tigers organization.  Since I interviewed Burke his life has certainly changed.  He was one of the minor league pitchers that the Tigers dealt to the Florida Marlins in the Cabrerra, Willis deal that the Tigers recently completed at baseball's winter meetings.   So Burke is no longer a Tiger but I hope that he has the same type of career that another former Tiger minor league pitcher has had.  20 years ago (1987) the Tigers traded a minor league pitcher to the Atlanta Braves for a veteran starting pitcher named Doyle Alexander.  I have always maintained that this was a good deal for the Tigers because Alexander won 9 games down the stretch for the '87 Tigers and helped them win the division title (one of only 3 divison titles the Tigers have won in my lifetime) by 2 games over the Toronto Blue Jays.  By the way, if you are wondering who the Tigers traded to the Braves it was some guy by the name of John...................I think his last name is Smoltz. 

Now, for your enjoyment, here is my interview with Burke Badenhop.  I have added some comments here and there throughout the interview.  My comments will be in italics.

Give us a little background on yourself.  Where were you born, where have you lived etc?

I was born in Atlanta, GA.  I have an older sister, Beth, and of course a younger brother, Mark.  We lived in Atlanta for about 2 years while my dad worked at Georgia Tech, and then moved to Charlottesville, VA. for a year while he worked at the University of Virginia.  From Charlottesville we moved to Charlotte, NC and then finally moved to Greenville when I was 5.  I was in school at Wintergreen Elementary from K-5 and then went to A.G. Cox Middle School from grades 6-8.

We moved to Perrysburg, Ohio a week and a half before I was to start high school.  My parents are from northwest Ohio, so the move wasn't someplace completely unknown to us.  I attended Perrysburg High School (PHS) and graduated in 2001.  At PHS I played basketball (even the pros don't specialize in high school) and baseball.  I signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) the fall of my senior year in high school.  Both of my parents attended BGSU, while my dad played basketball there.  I played at BGSU for four years, graduated magna cum laude with a degree in economics.  I was then drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 19th round of the 2005 draft.  I've been playing pro ball ever since, finishing my last season in AA and the Arizona Fall League.

What memories do you have of Little League tryouts?  Did you realize that you stacked up pretty well against the other kids?

I have quite a few memories of Little League tryouts actually.  My tryout for Sportsworld actually started before actual tryouts.  I played recreation basketball with a kid named Josh White.  Josh went to our church (Jarvis United Methodist) and our parents were friends.  Josh was a year older than me and had already played his first year for Sportsworld.  I can't remember if it was the fall before tryouts or early that spring before tryouts but Coach Wing always encouraged his current players to bring any kids to practice that they thought would be good players trying out for Greenville Little Leagues.  So, Josh brought me for Coach Wing to get an early look at.  I remember being overmatched a little, but still being able to hold my own at practice.  I could catch well and put the bat on the ball, so I guess that's enough to ask out of an 8 year old.  I think I went to about 2 or 3 practices with Sportsworld before tryouts. 

Once actual tryouts came, I remember doing pretty well.  I don't think I blew the doors off, but I know that Coach Wing was a little nervous that I wouldn't last 'til Sportsworld's pick.  I believe he was picking toward the end of the first round.  I remember waiting the night of the draft for the call from a team.   I couldn't have been happier that it was Coach Wing and Sportsworld that called.

Who were some of the teammates that you remember?  Do you still keep in touch with any of them?

The nine year olds that were drafted with me were J.D. Diven (The Diven Family operated the Sonic Drive In which used to be on Greenville Boulevard near the mall.  They moved to Darlington, SC to operate another Sonic in the mid to late 90's.)  and Lee Hathaway.  We were pretty good buddies since we played together for four years on a great team.  Some of the other players included my brother Mark, Josh White, Kelly Atkinson, John Johnson (Currently John is involved with the same team he played for as an assistant coach to manager Jeff Gaddis.) and Brian DeSoto (probably one of the greatest Little Leaguers in Greenville of all time, he was 12 when I was 10 and he was amzaing, probably was 6'1" at the age of 12).  Unfortunately, I don't keep in touch with any of these guys.  Well, except for my brother!

Tell us about a time when you realized that you were really going to contribute to your team.

I guess I realized pretty soon as a 9 year old that I was going to contribute to my team at least defensively.  While most 9 year olds in the league played the first two innings, batted once, then were taken out for older players; I got the chance to come in the third inning and play centerfield the rest of the game when the other kids came out.  I actually think we had a 12 year old play CF the first couple innings until I bumped him to RF when I came in.

 I didn't  contribute much offensively.  I think I had three hits as a 9 year old, but I was someone our team could count on defensively in the outfield.  By the time I played enough CF, my coaches nicknamed me "the dirt devil" because I had a knack for making diving catches.

The Sportsworld team was really successful during that time but didn't win a City Championship.  Do you remember when your team came closest and any details you might think of when you lost out?

Yes, the Sportsworld teams of that time were very good, but we never did win a City Championship.  We did have 2 really good shots at it, however.  We had an outstanding team when I was 10.  We started out 13-0 and thought we would run the table, before losing to Coke in game 14 and finishing the season 19-2.  I played CF, hit a little, and was a good supporting player on the team.  We were led by Brian DeSoto. He was unbelieveable on the mound and at bat. I can't tell you how many no hitters he threw, but he won every time he went out.  I also remember him hitting home runs into the parking lot way up in RF at Elm St. Park.  He was left handed, and yes, I mean the parking lot that looks down on the field.  Unfortunately we lost in a second round upset to Optimist that year.  I remember how disappointing it was and how I thought we would never get another chance to win a City Title, especially with a good group of 12 year olds leaving.

We did get another chance when I was 12.  We had three experienced 12 year olds and some very good younger players, highlighted by my brother Mark who took over for me in CF once I moved to SS.  We were the first team in Greenville Little Leagues history to finish a regular season 21-0.  (During that time each team played 21 games, three times against each of the other teams in their league.  There were no inter-league games except for the City Championship games.)  Coach Wing was very excited about our perfect season and we knew we had a good chance at winning the North State Playoffs.  We ended up sweeping through the playoffs and were set to face Jarman's for the City Championship.  We knew it was going to be a tough series, but we were confident since we were 24-0 and hadn't been beaten since the year before.  Jarman's was led by all-everything Justin Phillips and Nate Logan (former ECU football coach, Steve Logan's son).  We ended up losing two straight games, with me taking the loss in the second game.  I was so upset we didn't win that championship.  I knew we didn't play up to our normal level and also knew it was the end of my Little League career.  I'll always wonder if things would have been different if I would have pitched game one of the championship.  Coach Wing decided against it since I threw the game before in the North State finals.  Sporstworld never did win the big one.

What positions did you play in Little League?  Also, what was your favorite position in Little League?

I played CF from 9-10, then played SS and P from 11-12.  I was never a very good shortstop, and will always regard CF as my favorite position.  I loved chasing down fly balls and making spectacular catches. 

What memories do you have of playing on the North State All Star team?  (All Star teams below the ages of 11-12 did not begin until Burke was 12.)

My memories of playing on the North State All Star team are all pretty much tied to not being able to beat Tar Heel.  Tar Heel had a run of good teams during my Little League days and we never seemed to beat them.  I was one of two 11 year old alternates the year North State lost to Tar Heel in the District Championship, only to see Tar Heel lose in the finals of the South Regional.  My 12 year old year also saw us lose to them twice in the district and get eliminated also. 

Tell us a little about Coach Wing.  Give us an example of how he was tough on you and how  good it felt to earn a compliment from him.

Coach Wing was a very tough coach and always expected the best of his players.  He also made sure his players were acting correctly at home and at school before they played at all.  I remember practicing a lot and working constantly on fundamentals. Any practice after an unexpected loss was never pleasant.  While he was tough, we still would always have fun.  He had fun nicknames for most kids and was always fair in how he treated everyone.  Coach Wing sacrificed a lot and spent a lot of hours creating and maintaining the Sportsworld program.  What's most impressive is that he didn't have a son on the team.  He coached for his son his last two years of Little League and then continued on for the next 10 or so years just because he loved the game and being around the kids.  I'm very lucky to have had him as one of my first baseball coaches.

Where did you play high school?  What positions did you play?  How much success did your high school team have?

I played high school baseball at Perrysburg (Ohio) at High School.  I played SS and pitched throughout high school.  I spent my freshman and sophomore years on the JV and my last two years on the varsity.  My high school always had a winning program and was one of the better schools in the area.   We weren't very good when I was a junior, but as a senior our team was consistently ranked in the top ten in the state.  Unfortunately we never went far in post season play, often losing to an underdog team early in the state playoffs.

What led you to choose Bowling Green as the university you would attend?  What was your favorite memory of college baseball?

I chose to attend Bowling Green because I felt I would fit there both athletically and academically.  I knew I would get a chance to play as a freshman and liked the overall feel of the university.

My favorite moment at BG would probably be as a freshman when I helped contribute to a MAC (Mid American Conference) regular season championship. 

Can you tell the kids in Greenville how important it was for you to get and education an how important it is to get good grades?

I can't stress enough how important it is to get good grades in school.  Without good grades I would have never been able to play college baseball.  It's always important to take care of your education first because that is truly what mattes most.  I've heard from so many coaches that players who get good grades in school are always going to have an edge on the field.  Anyone who works hard in the classroom is sure to work hard on the baseball field.  Additionally, regardless of what happens with baseball, I will still consider my greatest accomplishment being named  a first team Academic All-American while at BG. 

Where have you played in your professional career?  What is your best moment as a professional player?

After being drafted, I played short season Single A in Oneonta, NY in the NY-Penn League.  I spent 2006 playing low A ball for the West Michigan Whitecaps in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  I spent the majority of 2007 playing high A ball for the Lakeland Flying Tigers in Lakeland, Florida.  I finished the 2007 season in Double A Erie, Pennsylvania for the Erie Seawolves.  After the regular season in Erie, I was lucky enough to be invited to play in Peoria, AZ as a member of the Arizona Fall League.

My best moment as a professional player was definitely winning the 2006 Tigers' Minor League Pitcher of the Year.  A close second would be winning the Midwest League Championship in '06.

What is your typical day as a professional player like?  (What time do you get up, eat, etc.?)

On at typical day in pro ball I will get up around 10 or 10:30.  I usually eat breakfast, shower, and check up on the internet.  From there I might go run errands, hang with roomates, watch TV, or lift weights before I eat a light lunch.  I usually get to the park around 2-2:30 on a day I am not starting.  Once at the park I get changed for batting practice, stretch, play catch, shag flies during BP, and then finish my conditioning for the day. After BP, I usually hang in the clubhouse, eat again, and play cards or watch TV (ESPN is always on in the clubhouse.)  Once game time rolls around (usually 7PM) I'll put on my uni and head to the field with whatever pitching chart I need for the day.  Sometimes I chart pitch velocities and get to wear street clothes in the stands.  After our game we eat again and are usually out of the ballpark by 10:30-11, only to go home and do it all again the next day.  It doesn't sound too rough but add in travel and two days off every month and things get more interesting.

What goal have you set for yourself for the 2008 season?

I don't really set any specific goal for each year.  I more or less strive to continue to be a hard worker and get better as the year moves on.  If  I continue to do that, I will get to where I want to be.

On Christmas Eve our family was excited to receive a signed baseball and two signed baseball cards from Burke. 

 So many of the kids who are touched by our Little League program go on to do great things.  Most don't do it in the high profile way that a Burke Badenhop does it but Greenville Little Leagues really has a great track record of helping produce quality people.  We all should be so proud of our coaches, managers, parents, and supporters who continue such a fine tradition today. 

November 10, 2009 - Hopefully all of you have had a chance to check out the 2010 game schedule and see where all of the big games are.  I took my first good look at the schedule this morning and one thing jumps out at me right away.  The "Cola Wars" on Opening Day at 11am at the Kiwanis Field.  It's like the old boxing referee Mills Lane used to say:  "Let's get it on!!!"  I am sure the trash talking will start at team pictures that morning.  There is nothing like seeing your rival early on.  We have a great Opening Night matchup with the "Chrysler Dodgers" facing the "Clubbers" at 7:00 in the 60th season's first game.  We have our first "same color" matchup on Saturday at high noon (April 24) as the kelly green of A&S goes against the kelly green of East Carolina Chrysler Dodge.   Clark-Branch and Carolina Windows & Doors compete in the royal blue same color matchup on May 5 at the Kiwanis Field.  Kiwanis and NorthCare square off the day before (May 4) in a "back in black" matchup.  The "Whitecoats" and Overton's will see each other in navy on May 13 and June 18.  Pepsi and Eastern plumbing will hook up on May 22 and June 22 (last day of the season) in what the moms call "What did I ever do to deserve having my son have an all white uniform" games.  First 7:30 game of the year is "the plungers" against Clark-Branch.  "Chicken Day features Aldridge & Southerland vs. Physicians East and Host Lions vs. Optimist.    Other interesting matchups are the City Championship rematch (Kiwanis vs. Jarman Auto Sales)   May 6 at Elm Street.   Also, it is always interesting to see who plays last.  This year it is BB&T and East Carolina Chrysler Dodge.  They play on June 22 at 7:30.  This means that all of the other teams (except BB&T) will start their season after the "Chrysler Dodgers" and finish before them.  So that means that East Carolina Chrysler Dodge will have the longest season of anybody this year.

 Now that I have put all of that useless information out there I will let all of you know how it is decided when each team plays.  It is very simple.  What we do is take last year's schedule, change the dates, and then convert each of the teams into a number.  For instance Tar Heel teams were numbered 1-8 and North State teams were numbered 9-16.  Each Tar Heel team assumed the exact schedule (with the exception of the Opening Night game) of one of the North State teams.  Each North State assumed the exact schedule of a Tar Heel team from last year.  This keeps a team from having the same schedule from year to year. We then draw the numbers out of my brand new Tiger hat and the schedule is finished within minutes.  Some teams come out of it a bit better than others but it's fair and in the end that is all anybody can ask for.   What I find interesting about this is that for several years in the late 70's and early 80's the schedule was exactly the same for each team each year (other than the dates).  So if you didn't like your schedule you were stuck with it.

Next year's equipment has been ordered.  Over 1500 baseballs will be ordered in the next 2 weeks and t-shirts caps, socks and other stuff will be ordered.  Concession stands, fences, and dugouts will all be painted in the next few months. 

We hope to have all of the teams managers finalized by December and  we will be ready to begin registration in March.  Check out the calendar for all of the tryout dates, first practice dates and all of the other fun things associated with a Little League season.

 Our other big off season occupation is preparing for our first Tournament of State Champions (10-11 year olds).  We are meeting twice a month in an effort to make improvements at Elm Street and make some huge plans for the teams coming to Greenville from throughout the Southeast.  We are still looking for help on this committee and if you are interested drop me a line and we will get you going.  We are hoping to sell as many sponsorships as we can for this tournament to make it as great as tournament as we possibly can.  The dates of the touranment are July 31-August 4 and it promises to be exciting.

 As I write this basketball season is almost here but the best thing about basketball is it means  baseball is right around the corner.  See you soon.

Brian Weingartz

North State 9-10 year olds

William Voliva                           9                    Aldridge & Southerland

Michael Crumpler                     10                    Coca Cola

Quentin Patterson                     10                    Coca Cola

Jacob Klug                               10                    Host Lions Club

Tanner Link                              9                      Host Lions Club

Michael Hickner                       10                    Kiwanis

Jackson Stanley                        10                    Kiwanis

Ryan Goodwin                          10                    Optimist

Grant Talbot                             10                    Optimist

Tyler Hubbard                          10                    Overton’s

Sam Sneed                               10                    Overton’s

Drew Steele                             10                    Overton’s

Keonte Goodman                     9                      Overton’s

 North State 10-11 year olds

Logan Simmons                        11                   Aldridge & Southerland

Catarino Becerra                      11                    Clark-Branch

Wes Hill                                   11                    Coca Cola

Will Lineberry                           11                    Coca Cola

Edwin Clement                         11                    Host Lions Club

Shyheem Clemons                    11                    Host Lions Club

Billy Luzzi                                 11                    Host Lions Club

Parker Hudson                         11                    Kiwanis

Alex Dunmire                           11                    Optimist

Cameron Leudesdorf                11                    Optimist

Josh Lewis                               11                    Physicians East

Will Branch                              11                    Physicians East

 North State 11-12

JD Clark                                  12                    Aldridge & Southerland

Cameron Rees                          12                    Clark-Branch

Josh Walston                            12                    Clark-Branch

Connor Barton                         12                    Host Lions Club

Frankie Williamson                   12                    Host Lions Club

Jordan Bryant                           12                    Kiwanis

Maleek Gorham                       12                    Kiwanis

Addison Taylor                         12                    Kiwanis

Blake Rogers                            12                    Optimist

Tyshawn Williams                     12                    Optimist

Cameron Higley                        12                    Physicians East

Ashley Weingartz                      12                    Physicians East

Tar Heel 9-10

Gregory Hardison                     10                    BB&T

Nathan Henson                         10                    Brown & Wood

Gray MacKenzie                      10                    Brown & Wood

Tyler Conklin                            10                    Carolina Windows & Doors

Chandler Hallow                       10                    Carolina Windows & Doors

Holton Ahlers                           9                      East Carolina Chrysler Dodge

Phillip Sanderson                      10                    Eastern Plumbing

Hunter Christopher                   9                      Eastern Plumbing

Roman Galaska                        10                    Jarman Auto Sales

Shemar Jordan                         10                    Jarman Auto Sales

Sean Williams                           10                    Jarman Auto Sales

Brandon Pearson                      10                    NorthCare

Cole Smith                               10                    Pepsi Cola

 Tar Heel 10-11

Cal George                               11                    BB&T

Shyheim Manning                      11                    Brown & Wood

Timothy Nifong                         11                    Brown & Wood

Gavin Cruz                               11                    Carolina Windows & Doors

Jeremy Mageau                        11                    East Carolina Chrysler Dodge

Tyshawn Barrett                       10                    East Carolina Chrysler Dodge

Cooper Kunkel                        11                    Jarman Auto Sales

David Deena                            11                    NorthCare

Everette Lassiter                       11                    NorthCare

Dakota Roberson                     11                    NorthCare

Ben Sasser                               11                    Pepsi Cola

Tar Heel 11-12

Copeland Spell                         12                    BB&T

Zach Hallow                             12                    Carolina Windows & Doors

Peyton Ahlers                           12                    East Carolina Chrysler Dodge

Nick Whedbee                         11                    East Carolina Chrysler Dodge  

Garrett Jones                            12                    Eastern Plumbing

Ben Blackwell                          12                    Jarman Auto Sales

CJ Coombs                              12                    Jarman Auto Sales

Travious Ford                           11                    Jarman Auto Sales

Brisen Koch                              12                   Jarman Auto Sales

Matt Conlin                              12                    NorthCare

Johny Hallow                            12                    NorthCare

Ryan McGill                             12                    Pepsi Cola