FARMINGTON – To most New England sports fans, any mention of Babe Ruth conjures up thoughts of a seemingly never-ending curse that has been the ruin of every hopeful Red Sox baseball season since 1918.

But in Farmington, a team of 15-year-old Sultans of Swat (as the Babe was often dubbed) have been on a tear, proving that curses are meant to be broken.

It’s fitting then, that this week the team will break a curse that has prevented the town from hosting a state baseball tournament in the 209 years since it was incorporated in 1794 when the Babe Ruth State All-Star Tournament hits Hippach Field.

That’s no small feat.

Earning the right

Comprised of the most talented 15-year-old ball players in the greater Farmington area picked from the area’s Babe Ruth teams, the All-Stars have hit, hurled and fielded their way towards earning the berth to host the tourney since 1998, when they became the first Farmington team in history to win the state’s Bambino (now called Cal Ripkin Jr.) All-Star game for nine and 10-year-olds.

The 1998 performance was followed by an impressive rout in 2000 in which they again won the Bambino All-Star state title for 11 and 12-year-olds, were runners-up to powerhouse Portland as 13-year-olds in 2001 and finished third in the state in the 14-year-old Babe Ruth tourney last year.

Usually, the dominance of the southern Maine teams mean the tourney is held down state, but this year, the clout as one of the best All-Star teams in the state means that when the Western Mountains East 15-year-old All-Stars step out onto the field, they will have home field advantage for this first time ever in a state tourney.

They are hopeful that advantage will fuel them towards winning the crown.

“We’ve done so well over the years that they just had to give it to us,” says WME All-Star team manager Frank Underkuffler, a Farmington attorney who’s son, Will, plays on the team.

Hometown boys

Underkuffler, and league commissioner Tom Holt, are hopeful that the excitement of watching the hometown boys hit the field will spur locals to pack the grandstands and bleachers at Hippach.

The team is one, the two say, which locals can really be proud of. “They are just good kids,” Underkuffler says proudly, adding that the boys have been eager to extend practices, run drills and take extra batting practice to get ready to show the home crowd what good ball is all about.

Even the Babe would be impressed.

“The team really runs itself. What’s unique about this group it they’ve stuck together for six years and the chemistry of the team is really good. Success breeds success and they’ve been successful since they were nine. What sets this group apart is they have a lot of confidence. But they feel the pressure. What they really want to do is play well in front of the home crowd this week,” he admits.

The tourney, which runs Wednesday through Sunday, will feature the top 10 Babe Ruth All-Star teams in the state. Along with them will come hundreds of coaches, parents and fans- all who have money to spend in the area, which will fatten the registers of local businesses. Underkuffler guesses that the tournament will bring 1,000 people into town who wouldn’t normally come here. “They are going to have to pull out their maps and figure out where they are going,” he jokes.

—Pass the cap—

In addition to working hard on the field over the last six years to earn the tournament, the boys have also had to work hard off the field, raising the $3,500 it will cost to put the five-day event on.

Parental support has also been crucial. “The support from the parents has been huge,” Underkuffler notes. “Even though the boys are 15, the parents are still very much involved. You look into the stands and the parents are coming to the games.”

While most tournaments in the past have had a spectator fee, Underkuffler says all the games at Hippach will be free of charge, in order to encourage people to come watch and get local youngsters interested in the sport.

On July 3, dressed in their uniforms and ball caps, the WME Babe Ruth All-Stars stood outside of the Farmington Wal-Mart, soliciting $934.50 in small donations from shoppers. Letters have also been written to local baseball patrons and business owners, and a sizable chunk of the tourney cost has been raised that way, including $850 chipped in by Franklin Savings Bank.

Players on the team will also be walking through the stands on game days, passing their ball caps around asking for donations.

“We are trying to help baseball in this area and we are doing this for the community. It’s big for the kids because it’s the culmination of six years of hard work,” Underkuffler says. “It’s big for the community because it’s the first time a state baseball tournament has been held here.”

For more information about the state tournament, contact Frank Underkuffler at 778-9771 or Tom Holt at 778-4300.

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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