THE HOLLYWOOD SHORTIES vs. CLANCY'S CRAB BROILER

Pelanconi Park, Glendale

EYE ON L.A. - KABC-TV CHANNEL 7

In 1989, the Clancy's Crab Broiler Softball Team, comprised of the restaurant's chefs, servers, and busboys, was ranked as one of the best teams in the Southern California Restaurant League.

Few teams presented a formidable challenge... until they met the Hollywood Shorties... a team of little people all under 5' tall who worked primarily as actors in TV and movies. The team had been playing baseball and basketball since the 1940s when they were founded by Billy Barty and Jerry Marren, who happen to be one of the original Lollipop Kids from the Wizard of Oz.

As the team's captain, Clancy's owner Jeff Williams was confident he could defeat the Shorties, but he admitted he started having doubts when they arrived on the baseball field at Pelanconi Park in Glendale. "They told us straight out they would leave no survivors, which I kind of laughed off considering how small they were, but when one of them kicked me in the shin, I knew they meant business."

The game was hard fought, and there were many questionable calls by the umpire. Clancy's defeated the Shorties 11-9, but Shorties' captain George Rossito cried foul and threatened to have the Shorties and all their little people friends picket Clancy's.

Jeff didn't want any trouble, so he agreed to a grudge match, and it became big news around Los Angeles. When Channel 7 got word of the game, they sent their EYE ON L.A. news team down to Pelanconi Park to film the action. The entire 4-minute segment is posted here, hosted by Eric Boardman with an introduction by Chuck Henry.

The Hollywood Shorties have since retired, but most of the players are still around, including Jerry Maren, who is now 89 years old (born 1920).