by Steve Stuart

Very early in their baseball careers, members of the Tribe select baseball team had a tough choice to make.

They could play on a city-sponsored team with other young men from their area, on which these talented players would stand out as one of the teams go-to guys. Or they could commit to a select team, like the Tribe, joining other standouts of comparable talent from around the Metroplex.

That decision payed off in a big way for the Tribe members last year, and with the 1999 season taking it's first cuts, hope is in the air for another magical year.

The Tribe, consisting of players from around the Metroplex, including several from the Lewisville-Flower Mound area, earned national attention last year by winning the USSSA-AAA (United States Speciality Sports Association) World Series for 12-year-olds in Hutchinson, Kansas.

This surpassed the hopes and dreams coach and founder Tom Italiano could have had when forming the select club over five years ago.

The original thought was to get away from the city leagues and form an up-scale team for kids that are really into the game of baseball, he said. But this isn't like regular baseball. This is more for the diehards.

After holding tryouts five years ago to field his first team, Italiano now recruits newcomers by word of mouth or by hand picking youngsters he's seen in action. And just like in past years, that recruiting path has led to the Coppell area. Two players on this year's team -- Kaelan Jones and Corey Kluber -- come from the land of Cowboys.

Last year's team also relied heavily on Coppell players, with Jared and Jordan Pelt playing a key role in the run to the World Series.

Italiano, who was named Manager of the Year at last season's World Series, shields any credit passed his way, explaining that the kids are the one who truly thrive in select baseball.

I really believe the coaching in select baseball is better than in your city leagues, he said. You have to be good to recruit these kids to play on your team. And its very important that the kids get quality coaching at this age.

But with the team's hectic schedule (the Tribe will play 24 games in the regular season alone, including several out-of-state tournaments), Italiano warns this level of baseball is not for the weak of heart.

Select baseball is not for everyone. If you think it would be too tough for your kid, it probably is, he said.

But becoming a member of the Tribe also has its rewards. Team members play against the best players the Metroplex has to offer game after game and Italiano believes this raises their level of play. The team also takes field trips to scout the baseball programs at Flower Mound High School and the University of Dallas, just to see what the future could hold for them.

With the immense talent on the team, several current Tribe members will likely see playing time on high school and college teams. But they can't think of that right now.

The Tribe has a World Series title to defend.