Just a week before the start of the summer season, Feliz Filadelfia Angels did not even have a 19-Under baseball team. By season’s end in late July, the Angels 19-U became Philadelphia Phillies RBI league champions!

The Feliz Filadelfia Angels swept a two game set against Hunting Park 8-5 and 17-3 in the playoff finals in late July to capture the championship at FDR park in South Philadelphia.

This was a championship series where everyone was a winner. The camaraderie was everywhere. The competing teams traded handshakes and back-slaps throughout the game. They even fist-bumped with the umpires!

The Feliz Filadelfia Angels finished the regular season 9-2-1. Then in the playoffs, the Angels defeated Fairmount and Lawncrest to make it to the finals.

The Phillies RBI League is organized by the Philadelphia Phillies organization to promote baseball amongst the youth in the area. The RBI program is a class act. The baseball field at the championship in FDR park was in immaculate shape with grass maintained to major league standards.

Feliz Filadelfia for years has fielded teams at the younger age groups, 7-8, 8-9, 10-12, and 15-under, but never for 19-under. At the urging of the Phillies RBI program, Feliz Filadelfia at the last second recruited a 19-under team. Just as in the movie Field of Dreams “If you build it, they will come”, within a week more than 40 youths from throughout Philadelphia came to try out for the team. Just as important, Juan Romero was recruited to coach the team, and he did a great job.

The teams in the league are Vogt, Mt. Airy, West Philadelphia Black Socks, Whitman Park (Camden), Chester, Lawncrest, Fairmount and Hunting Park.