by Kevin Cody
The Manhattan Beach Little League celebrated opening day on Saturday, February 21, by bringing back its traditional parade to the downtown. The MBLL parade dates back to 1960 when City Treasurer Tim Lilligren remembers lining up with his team, the Breaker’s Restaurant Beavers, in front of the downtown lumber yard, where Vons is today.
This year’s staging area was in front of the Shade Hotel, which put out coffee and rolls for the Little League families, and the broader community.
During introductions at the coffee, Lilligren was asked by a tall, athletic looking Little League dad new to the community what his favorite football team was. Lilligren said the Rams, having failed to notice the dad was wearing a Chargers baseball cap. It was an uncharacteristic oversight for the veteran politician that he would soon come to regret
The Mira Costa Marching Band and Color Guard led this year’s parade, followed by city dignitaries riding in classic cars.
As Manhattan’s longest serving politician, Lilligren rode in the back seat of the first car, a 1967, midnight blue Pontiac GTO convertible owned and driven by Henri Couderc. Lilligren served as City Clerk in the late ’80s, as a City Councilmember in the ’90s, and as City Treasurer since the turn of the century.
The man with the Chargers cap walked with his wife, son, and his son’s team, the AAA Red Sox.
After the parade arrived at the American Martyrs School baseball field, and the 23 teams were seated on the infield grass, MBLL co-presidents Craig Snyder and Lee Bauman thanked the league’s volunteers and sponsors,
Snyder said bringing back the parade was an important step in restoring MBLL’s pre pandemic reputation as one of the largest, most talent-loaded Little Leagues in the country. The pandemic caused suspension of the parade seven years ago.
The keynote speaker parade organizer Jeff Briggs chose for opening day also signaled renewed expectations for the league.
Lilligren recognized him as the man in the Chargers baseball cap he was introduced to at the Shade.
Briggs introduced the speaker as Jim Harbaugh, a Little League parent, an NFL quarterback for 14-seasons, and, since moving to Manhattan Beach two years ago, the Los Angeles Chargers head coach.
Harbaugh is legendary for transforming struggling programs, like San Diego State, Stanford and the Chargers, into championship contenders. He began his talk by challenging the Little Leaguers “to play with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”
“Enthusiasm Unknown to Mankind,” is the title of a book he wrote, which underscores leadership by inspiration, not intimidation.
“Just give it your best, and you’ll feel good about what you’ve accomplished…. Winning isn’t everything. I can think of 10 things more important. At the top of that list is having fun and making friends,” he told the Little Leaguers.
In a shout out to the Mira Costa Marching Band and Color Guard, Harbaugh recalled what he told players he coached at Stanford and San Diego. “Nobody works harder than the band. They practice late at night, after the players leave the field, and they practice on their own. Make the band your example. Practice today and you’ll be better than you were yesterday, and better tomorrow than you are today,” he said.
Returning to the importance of enthusiasm, he asked, “Do you want a tip on how to be enthusiastic? Act enthusiastic.” He clenched his fists, crouched like a shortstop waiting to field a ground ball, and shouted as loud as he could, “Oh boy! Am I enthusiastic!”
Then he thanked parents and civic leaders by noting, “There are no better fields in all of American than right here in Manhattan Beach.”
Harbaugh ended his talk with the “call and response” he uses in the Chargers locker room to motivate his players .
“Whose got it better than us,” he screamed.
“Nobody,” the young Little Leaguers screamed back.
For more information about the Manhattan Beach Little League, visit MBLittleLeague.com. ER
