SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — The Valentin family has accomplished a rare baseball double play. One month, two world series.
Less than two weeks after former major-leaguer Jose Valentin Jr. helped coach a team of 15- and 16-year-olds from Puerto Rico to the Pony Baseball Colt World Series title in Indiana, his father, Jose Sr., coached a team of 11- to 13-year-olds at perhaps the most well-known tournament in youth sports — the Little League World Series.
The elder Valentin didn’t have as much luck after Manati, Puerto Rico, lost to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, 4-2 on Monday.
The loss didn’t spoil his enthusiasm for being in South Williamsport. Not only were Jose Jr. and another son and major-leaguer, Javier Valentin, watching in the stands, but Valentin also coached three grandsons at the Little League World Series.
“I want to come back again to Williamsport — soon,” he said.
In other games Monday, Kaoshiung, Taiwan, routed Vancouver, British Columbia, 23-0; and Ramstein Air Base, Germany, beat Plymouth, Minn., 2-1.
Rain delayed the Puerto Rico-Mexico game 70 minutes. The Ohio-Georgia game postponed Monday night will be restarted and played today. The Connecticut-Washington game scheduled for Monday night will be played tonight.
Puerto Rico had a sloppy exit from the series after committing seven errors. The go-ahead run by Mexico’s Aaron Juarez scored in the fifth after catcher Victor Valentin, one of the skipper’s grandsons, mishandled a throw to the plate with the bases loaded.
“With seven errors, no team is going to win,” the manager said.
Eduardo Mata struck out 11 and pitched a five-hitter.
