Wednesday, August 23 Six-year-old inspires Vancouver team
	Associated Press WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- The players from Vancouver, Wash., don't have any trouble keeping the importance of the Little League World Series in perspective. All they have to do is look to their biggest fan. Tyler Jacobs, a 6-year-old who underwent surgery in mid-June to remove a benign brain tumor, has become a source of inspiration to the Vancouver squad. The team first learned about Jacobs, who plays tee-ball in the same league, when his mother asked if some of the players would sign a ball for Tyler. "We wrote him letters and did a bunch of things as far as communicating with him," Vancouver coach Jerry Evans said. "That's kind of been one of our inspirations throughout this much longer run than we thought we were going to have." The team dedicates each home run it hits to Jacobs, and the players wear his initials on their hats. A bank in Vancouver has been raising funds to help fly Jacobs, his mother and brother to the Series. It's possible that they might be in Williamsport by Tuesday, Evans said. Jacobs' doctors are still trying to determine if he is healthy enough to make the flight. Coach's third trip: Each year, amid the hundreds of first-time visitors to the Series, there appear some familiar faces. This year one of those belongs to Toronto High Park manager David Trimble, back for a third time. "Our program is a very good program in High Park," Trimble said, "And it's our dream to bring back another group of kids to experience this life experience because it is valued." This is Trimble's first Series as a manager. He was a coach for the 1989 and 1995 High Park teams that competed. "I remember we were here in '89 and it was so overwhelming," Trimble said. "And I think that experience helped us in '95, and I think that it's helping us here this time with these kids to keep them kind of within themselves." Texas upstarts: Perhaps the most surprising team in Williamsport is the squad from Bellaire, Texas, which had never made it beyond district play before this year. "You always think about Williamsport but it always seems a little too far-fetched," Bellaire manager Terry McConn said. "But here we are and we're just having a ball with it." What makes Bellaire's run even more remarkable is that the team was picked from a pool of just 42 12-year-olds from a six-team league. That number allowed Bellaire to fly below the radar and surprise some opponents along the way. "When we got to regionals, there was some big old boys there," McConn said. "We're a bunch of little, bitty, small, scrappy guys and I think we got overlooked there. It definitely helped us." Baselines: With four players under 5 feet tall, Japan has the smallest team in the Little League World Series. ... The Vancouver squad is the first from Washington to reach the Series since Kirkland National won the championship in 1982. ... There are two brother combinations playing at this year's Series. Tokyo's Kazuma Yamada and Takuma Yamada are twins, while on the Davenport, Iowa, squad, Tim O'Donnell is a year older than brother Dan O'Donnell singled to center, driving home Roy Refungol. González scored when center fielder Wande Olabisi misplayed the ball. Dhahran manager Al Griffith blamed "butterflies" on his team's early miscues. He's not worried, though. "I feel like all the team's in the international pool are capable of beating each other," Griffith said. "We're deep in pitching ... I think we'll do fine."		ALSO SEE Washington mounts amazing comeback for 6-4 win Washington wins first pool play game Lessons in adulthood Lamade Stadium brightens the day Little League Hall of Fame inductees Williamsport is a special place Your Little League Memories Little Major League stars Before they were superstars