Kings of the summer: 1959 Auburn Little League World Series team reunites at Beggs Field

The date was Aug. 6, 1959, when Auburn Little League's season nearly ended. Auburn was riding a five-game winning streak as it entered the sectional semifinals against Redding Little League in Oroville. Trailing 9-6 with two outs and two strikes, Auburn slugger Billy Epperson hit a walk-off grand slam to send the youngsters to the championship game with a 10-9 victory. The next day, Auburn claimed the sectional title with an 8-2 victory over Oakridge in 106-degree weather, aided again by an Epperson grand slam. Auburn rode its hot streak all the way to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where it was the runner-up in the 1959 Little League World Series, falling to Hamtramck, Michigan, 12-0 on Aug. 29 in front of 11,000 fans. While the team came up one win shy of a championship, the players are still revered as local heroes to this day, which was apparent as members of the squad reunited on Beggs Field as part of Auburn Area Recreation and Parks District's 75th anniversary party Saturday. In those days, the Little League World Series and its qualifying tournaments were single elimination, meaning Auburn had to win 13 consecutive games to make it to the championship. "I don't think any of us were prepared to go on the run that we did," said Paul Petifer, a third baseman on the 1959 team. "In the regional tournament in West Sacramento, they told us to pack our bags before the championship because if we won the game, we were leaving on a plane right after. It was just a wonderful time and back in Williamsport, they treated us like royalty." Petifer reflected on his time in Williamsport living out every kid's dream, remembering the crowds, hanging out with his teammates and being the kings of the baseball world for one week in August. "It was absolutely great. I think that was the first year that they actually had the bigger stadium there and we stayed at a college in the dormitories there," Petifer said. "They took us through a sporting goods store and we got to pick up pretty much anything we wanted. We got our West uniforms and everything we needed was right there. The people were just absolutely great." Coaching the team was Lloyd Beggs, the namesake of the field Auburn Little League plays on to this day. His son, Mike Beggs, was the catcher, and while he doesn't like to dwell on the past, he is still able to look back on his summer of '59 fondly. "Those are the best times of our lives when you're 10, 11 and 12 years old, and you're playing baseball all day long and hanging out at the park," Beggs said. "I always make sure to tell the kids to have fun, because these are memories you're going to remember when you're my age." Beggs recalled his father's unconventional coaching strategies, from warming up with two balls in the infield to intimidate the other team to taking any length necessary to make sure his team was ready for whatever they may face. "I remember when we were getting toward the final game and we knew we were going to be facing Artie Deras," Beggs said. "He threw the ball 75 miles an hour from 44 feet, so my father found a kid that had played minor-league ball who was done for the year to come throw a batting practice as hard as he could so we could get used to it." In the end, Deras and his teammates defeated Auburn in the championship game. Months later, it came to light that Hamtramck used illegal players in the 1959 tournament but were not stripped of their title, a bittersweet revelation for Auburn. These days, the team is scattered around the country but tries to get together whenever they are able to, though as time passes by, it gets harder to do so. "I see these guys that are here today and it seems like no time has passed since I've seen them the last time. We are just that good of friends," Petifer said. "We played baseball together when we were kids and we just loved each other and had a wonderful time. I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's one of the most important things in my life." While only five members of the team were present Saturday, they hope to have all surviving members come together next year for the 65th anniversary of their Little League World Series appearance.