Field of dreams: Last Houston team since 1966 to win Little League World Series reflects on historic title

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It's been 60 years since a Texas team won it all at the Little League Baseball World Series.

That team was Westbury American Little League from Houston.

"I was one of 14 guys on a team that can call ourselves a world champion at 12 years old," said Steve Reeves, a first baseman on that championship team.

The path that got the team to that point in the 1966 Little League World Series is one Reeves remembers well.

"We played Monterrey, Mexico; Sacramento, California; West New York," Reeves rattles off.

But he also remembers picture day.

"They gave us our uniforms, and we had to go take our team picture, and we looked very sad, no smiling in this picture. So they must have told us to do that, except for me, I was smiling," he recalled.

And he would have plenty of reason to keep that grin as the Westbury team and their opponent would be the survivors of some 4,000 teams from all over the world that started in the tournament.

On August 27, 1966, a Texas team won it all at the Little League Baseball World Series. That team was Westbury American Little League from Houston.

But before introductions in the dugout on national TV and the chance to play in front of thousands on Little League's biggest stage, Reeves and his teammates were like the young ballplayers today getting their turn at bat on the Westbury fields.

"We're sitting here with eight baseball fields with 550 people, but it really all started with a dream of a couple parents who wanted their kids to play baseball," said Greg Ortiz, the league's current president.

Those parents' field of dreams started with buying the land and building the initial two grounds where the team would learn to play. Those first fields were completed in 1965, one former player says. A year later, Westbury was in the World Series.

"They're raking the dirt and digging the trenches and putting up the fences," Reeves said. "Our parents sacrificed a lot, not only building the fields but to go all the way to Williamsport, Pennsylvania."

A Family Affair

Two of the parents led the little leaguers -- Ray Plumb, Jr. managed the boys and Bill Raymer coached alongside him.

"I always say that I learned more baseball from those two guys at 12 years old than I learned all the way through college," Reeves said. "I've learned most of what I know about baseball from them. You couldn't get two better coaches."

"Steve, he's a dear friend. I can't put it any better. He's just a good guy, and on top of that, man, what a hitter. He could hit," said teammate Ray "Trey" Plumb III.

"I think all the kids on the team really knew what they were getting into. I mean, my dad was not a perfectionist, but he expected as much out of you as he was giving to you," Plumb, the team's second baseman, added.

"They really prepared us very well, would throw batting practice to us from close up, and throw as hard as they could, so we would never face a pitcher that we couldn't hit a fastball off of," said Bill Raymer, the son of the coach with whom he shares a name.

From Westbury to Williamsport

The Westbury American Little League team would get their shot to show how much their practice made perfect when they faced West New York, New Jersey, on August 27, 1966, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, at just the 20th Little League World Series ever.

It'd mark the first time the game would be broadcast in color on ABC's Wide World of Sports, hosted by legendary broadcaster Jim McKay. Only the title game was televised, but instead of being shown live, a condensed version of the game aired on Channel 13 a week after their win.

"We started out as if we were nervous. We got behind two to nothing," recalled teammate Mark Harding, who pitched and played center field.

Then it started to rain, but that seemed to turn the tide.

"When we came back, it was all us after that," said Reeves, a smile spreading across his face.

During that comeback, Plumb added to the score with a home run.

"How big a thrill can you have as a kid? That's what you dream of, is to be in the World Series and hit a home run," Plumb said.

"My dad is not a big smiler, but I did get a good smile out of him on that and that was worth every bit of the whole tournament team for me," he continued.

Houston scored another two runs in the 5th inning, putting them firmly in control with an 8-2 lead.

And then in the final inning, the bottom of the sixth, pitcher Mike Robinette struck out the batter to seal the victory.

The win cemented Westbury American, now just Westbury Little League, in history, making them just the second team from Texas to accomplish such a feat. The first Texas team did it in 1950 and was also from Houston.

Not only did Westbury now know the thrill of victory, they earned a hero's welcome home, too.

Hometown Heroes

"We flew into Hobby Airport and there weren't jetways and so we came down the steps of the plane and the crowd was enormous," recalled Reeves. "The mayor was there, the Westbury High School band was there."

Added Raymer, "We're 12 years old, signing autographs. We're not used to that."

ABC13's Cadet Don was among those to greet them and fans carrying signs on the tarmac advertised when to watch the game on Channel 13. Then the little league champions came to ABC13's studios for a visit with then -sports director Guy Savage.

"I remember we were all very awkward and uncomfortable being on camera. But our coaches, Coach Plumb and Raymer, they were able to field all of guys' questions," Harding said. "We all had on good looking outfits. And I guess our moms had dressed us well that day."

Their newfound stardom was highlighted in the headlines and caught the attention of the pros.

"We went to the Astrodome, and we ran out onto the field in our uniforms with the Astros into our positions right before the very first pitch," Reeves said.

"I stood at third base with a guy named Bob Aspromonte, who was the Astros' third baseman. We got introduced at halftime of the Houston Oilers game," Raymer added.

The fanfare continued, with the team receiving telegrams from the Astros and a trip to Congress.

"That was our first taste of feeling like celebrities," Harding said.

And in the eyes of the athletes on the fields now, they still are.

"One of my goals is to go to the MLB. I really want to get there, and I remember when the 1966 winners, right from Westbury, when they spoke, I kind of want to win the Little League World Series with my team. I think that would be really awesome," said Jace De La Torre, who plays shortstop, catcher, and pitcher for the Westbury Astros.

The 1966 team's accomplishment will be hard to forget, no matter who takes the field next.

To honor their legacy, the league created a brick memorial plaza.

"You meet this 1960s team, and you see that they're all still best friends from when they were 12 years old," Ortiz said. "It makes me realize that this place is special."