The “Strike Out Lou Gehrig’s Disease” Tournament was established in 2005 to involve youth baseball players in raising funds to help support the mission of The ALS Association Golden West Chapter. Over the last nine years, it has become the country’s most successful charitable youth baseball tournament, raising nearly $1 million through sponsorships, fees and a hit-a-thon.  Organizers have successfully collaborated with USC Baseball, Pepperdine University, The Los Angeles Angels, The Los Angeles Dodgers, California Lutheran University, The California Collegiate League, The Amateur Baseball Development Group, Entertainment Tonight, and Legends Players from the Dodgers and Angels.

Over the years, youth baseball teams (8U, 10U, 12U, 14U and 16U) from throughout California have participated. This year, the tournament added an 18U Elite Invitational component, which brought teams to compete in a top-level 3-day tournament, with a final game between teams from Northern and Southern California. The 18U division featured six teams from throughout California, including many D1 college division recruits and players being scouted by Major League Baseball.

The Danville Hoots from Danville, California won the inaugural 18U State Championship trophy. They bested the SoCal Bombers 3-2 in extra innings to ensure the trophy went to Northern California. The Danville Hoots have previously won their league’s National Championship and recently won the Connie Mack Northern California Championship. Other division winners in this year’s tournament included The Ventura Quakes (8U), The Malibu Tide (10U), and the The Simi Valley Predators (12U).

The Hoots team captain, A.J. Puckett, won The 2013 Iron Horse MVP Award for his outstanding play and community involvement which included volunteering at the East Bay Crisis Center and at Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco. He is a pitcher who will be attending Pepperdine University on a baseball scholarship in the fall, and this past season had an impressive .084 ERA. n addition, Hoots team captain A.J. Puckett won The 2013 Iron Horse MVP Award for his outstanding play and community involvement. This included volunteering at the East Bay Crisis Center and at Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco. A pitcher who will be attending Pepperdine University on a baseball scholarship in the fall, this past season he had an impressive .084 ERA. Also, many of the players had a direct connection to the disease.

Many of the players in this tournament had a direct connection to ALS. Mazie Rosipal, who lost her husband John to ALS in 2009, threw the first pitch to her grandson, Blake Hannah of the Hoots, before the championship game. "It was great meeting everybody throughout the tournament," shared Mazie. "This is a brutal disease and we are so thankful to see so many people giving so much to continue to work for a cure. Thank you for all of your efforts.”

"It was an honor to be part of the "Strike Out Lou Gehrig's Disease" Tournament," said Kathy Hannah, John's daughter and Blake's mother.  "We are so glad that our coach, Don Johns, made this a priority for the team."