A team of leaders

(Special to the Times - Donovan Quintero)

TOP PHOTO: Naa`taanii third basemen Seith Joe tags out a Farmington Stings player Saturday at Ricketts Park in Farmington.

BOTTOM PHOTO: Naa`taanii pitcher Josh Bilison winds up for a throw Saturday in Farmington.

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It was 1999 when Dineh Benally sat in his small cubicle at his job in Page, Ariz., pondering names for a baseball team.

First he thought of classic names like "Thunderbirds" and "Broncos," but somehow they didn't seem right.

He ran names through his head for hours and then, as he turned toward a conference-room door, the perfect name came to him - "Naat'áanii," the Diné word for leaders.

"I turned around and there was a sign on the corner door, it said, 'Naa'taanii,'" Benally said. "Then I said to myself, 'You know what? That's what I'm going to name it.'"

He wanted a name that stood for something. A name that suited the character of the team he wanted to have.

"It's about the trials and tribulations a person goes through, to get there," he said. "It's very sacred, very important."

Over the last 10 years that the team has been in existence, he has seen the meaning behind the name unfold.

He has seen players come and go, make successful moves to higher level baseball and, most importantly, he has opened the eyes of dozens of Native American and non-Native baseball players to competitive baseball.

And it all started way before the first Naa'taanii team played their premiere game in 1999.

Benally played baseball for Shiprock High School as a pitcher and third baseman. Then he moved on to play for New Mexico Military Institute, also as a pitcher and third baseman.

Finally, he enrolled at New Mexico State University and tried out for the baseball team but didn't make it.

Providing the tools

It was then he realized he didn't have the tools, the outside experience, many other players had to make them well-rounded players.

"There, I realized to play baseball, if Native American kids want to play at the next level, they need to become experienced to the outside competition," Benally said.

"I didn't have that opportunity to travel, that's when I said I needed to start up a program. They'll be that much better prepared," he said.

At the same time his younger brother Marcus Benally, then 16, was into baseball and he, too, became a motivation for Dineh.

So in 1999, the team was born.

Benally said the team's first tournament was on the 4th of July weekend in Farmington.

He started with an all-Navajo baseball team and the reasoning was clear: "To promote Native American kids in the sport of baseball," he said. "To give some of the top Navajo players the opportunity to play with some of the best teams out there."

That team, in 2001-2002, won the gold medal in baseball at the North American Indigenous Games in the 19-and-under division in Manitoba, Canada.

Finally, in 2002, just after their big win in Canada, Naa'taanii, entered the Farmington Connie Mack league.

They were the only all Native American team and Benally said they did well.

"We came up short in hosting the World Series (and) lost on the championship night," he said "So from then on we've been trying to become a host team."

In order to become a host team, a local team to play in the Connie Mack World Series held in late July and early August in Farmington, a team must win the city league tournament.

From July 13 to 17, the 10th Naa'taanii team will try once again to become the host team for the Connie Mack World Series.

A broader group

A couple of years after the team's start, Benally said he started opening the team up to a broader group of players, including non-Natives.

The number of Native players in baseball wasn't large and led Benally to become more open-minded about the players he added to the team.

"Finally I just opened it up to a more diverse team - Anglo, Hispanic, African-Americans," he said.

In 2001, the team won the USA Junior Olympics Baseball tournament in the 16-and-under division in Tucson.

Benally said his team also played in other USA Baseball tournaments in West Palm Beach, Fla.

And he said his players loved it and the experience helped them significantly.

"It's been highly developed for the kids," he said. "They realize how much more improvement they need to become better baseball players."

Benally has seen how important the team has been to many Native and non-Native players over the years. So he decided to expand and start young.

Benally said two years ago he and his assistants decided to start a 14- and 16-and-under league team.

"That's the key (starting young), that why it's important to have a strong youth base," he said.

He said he has also learned a few things. He's learned to look out for players, where to find them, what he wants in a player and what he wants for his team.

Benally said he spends much of his off-season time recruiting players. He said he's made many contacts over the years and it's helped him tremendously.

"What helps is during the fall I invite these kids to showcases, play in tournaments, a lot of it is just talking to people, having connections all these years," he said. "A lot of it is just recruiting, getting the word out ,finding out where are the better players."

A mix of backgrounds

Which is how he found his 2009 Naa'taanii team, which is currently 5-4 in the Connie Mack league.

Some players on this year's roster are veterans and some are new, but all are experienced and most are Navajo.

Eighteen players make up the team, including a pair of brothers, one college-bound player and a newly drafted Florida Marlins player.

Benally said the backbone of this year's team is the pitchers.

One is Vincent "Vinny" Littleman who has signed with the University of Arizona baseball team.

"He's going to be one of our main pitchers," Benally said. "He hits from the left, quiet type of leadership, a very, very humble kid. He doesn't realize how good he is. That's what I'm trying to look for - be humble, try to be mentally tough."

Littleman and his brother Ramon Littleman both played for Page High School and now contribute to Naa'taanii.

Other pitchers include Kenneth Giles and Scott Schlosser.

Giles, a graduate of Rio Grande High School, in Albuquerque, was drafted in the 44th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft by the Florida Marlins.

 Schlosser just completed his second year as the No. 2 starting pitcher for Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kan.

Benally said both are humble athletes and bring experience to the team.

Schlosser, 19, said he's been playing on the team for two years and likes the atmosphere of Connie Mack and his Naa'taanii teammates.

"It's a real good group of kids," he said. "We all get along pretty good. We're really trying to win Connie Mack.

"I say that we have a pretty good chance," he said. "Just the fact that Dineh is a really nice guy, I like the way he coaches and deals with kids."

High expectations

Benally's coaching style and attitude have won over many of players, including brothers Joshua and Seth Joe from Keams Canyon, Ariz.

It is the first year for both the boys who were recruited by Benally. The two attend Westwood High School in Mesa, Ariz.

Benally has also added Kirtland Central players Tyrus Warren and Jeff Belin.

Warren is a shortstop and outfielder and Belin is the team's catcher.

Benally said he is counting on both of them to do what they do best.

"(Tyrus is) one of those kids that can play everywhere, he has a good bat as well," he said. "(Belin) he's going be our catcher, as our catcher he's going to have to step it up. I'm counting on him."

And there are many more Benally's counting on, including a recent Page High graduate, Tiler Posthuma, Dominic Mendoza from Gallup High, Josh Billison from Window Rock, Troy Billy from Gallup and Tuba City, and Tyler Nakai from Shiprock.

Most of the players practice on their own. And how, where and what they do Benally leaves for them to decide because they know what he expects of them.

"Some have to work out on their own," Benally said. "When it comes to games they have to be ready to compete. It's going to come down to who can hit the ball and have a never-say-die attitude."

Many of the players have moved on to the college baseball level. Benally said he's sure that not only has he helped the players but the programs they go to benefit as well.

Benally said it all comes down the name of the team and it's philosophy.

"That's what I tell my players, play hard all the way," he said. "To bring pride to the Navajo Nation, that's the reason why I make sure that the team represents and competes every game. We represent the Navajo Nation."

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