Cody Webster

I don't remember what I ate this morning (I'm lying: it was pussy) and I'm terrible at remembering names but I'll always remember the name Cody Webster, since we watched him beat Taiwan in the 1982 Little League World Series. Maybe that was the first year it was televised, maybe that's why it was a big deal?

Apparently, being a hero became a bit of a nightmare for the lad.

Diary of a World Series hero, Year IV - Cody Webster is making his first appearance at the plate in a Mickey Mantle playoff game in Southern California. He notices something unusual.

"Their coach was pointing at his head," recalled Webster. "He pointed to the pitcher, then pointed at his head."

The first pitch hits Webster - where else? - in the head. About brain- high. It cracks his batting helmet and knocked him to the ground and the other team tittered.

"Everybody in the park knew what was going on," said Webster. "Every year I think, OK, this will be the year people in baseball will forget about my past. Every year I am wrong."

Interestingly, I'm not the only person my age who sees the name Cody Webster as some sort of generational touchstone a la the 1980 Miracle on Ice.

Now, if you want to ask TigerBlog what is second on the list of sports moments that have impacted American national pride, he can come up with a few for you. And either near or at the top of that list is the name "Cody Webster."