Yep, it’s time for the Little League World Series, and everyone here at NESN is fired up for the regional coverage in Bristol, Conn. In fact, everyone in the country — not just you baseball fans — should have an interest in this annual event. Why? Because we’ve all played baseball, softball or some form of organized sports as youths, haven’t we? For those of you who haven’t, I feel for you.
Little League and all youth sports, for that matter, offer kids more than basic fundamentals, good exercise and friendships. They teach these impressionable kids vital life lessons that they will carry with them for years and years: things like teamwork, cooperation, goals, direction, leadership and hard work, to name a few. These are the building blocks for success, and they can all be found in organized sports.
Here are the top 10 reasons why the Little League World Series is the can’t-miss sports event of the summer:
10. Little League World Series stars can make it big, not just in baseball, but in other sports.
Lots of people know that Jason Bay, Gary Sheffield, Dwight Gooden and Jason Varitek were all part of the LLWS as pre-teens. But did you know that NHL players Pierre Turgeon and Connecticut native Chris Drury also starred for their towns in the LLWS? In fact, Drury was named the 1989 LLWS MVP after leading his Trumbull, Conn., team to a world title.
9. Mascots are mascots, not hairy hooligans.
Dugout, the lovable Little League mascot, is a dancing machine who brings excitement, gets fans on their feet and even persuades players and umps alike to engage in his tomfoolery. The mascots in the majors? They’re brawling, blindsiding, smart alecks looking for a cheap laugh or a lame prank.
8. Regional and national pride.
We all hate that state and/or region next to ours, right? Right! Plus, what’s better than a little friendly nation- versus-nation battle featuring kids who barely know where their opponents are on a map?
7. Sportsmanship.
Every game, no matter the time, score or language barrier, involves a postgame handshake line. But the sportsmanship at the LLWS doesn’t happen only on the field. World Series participants live on a campus in Williamsport, Pa., and share dorms, cafeterias and common rooms. The youngsters trade pins, stories, tips and jokes off the field and are still able to remain all business on the field.
6. Beanballs at the LLWS never happen in the batter’s box, only in the cafeteria when young Billy is playing with his food.
Major league pitchers — who rarely set foot in a batter’s box — feel that the best payback for an opposing pitcher’s plunking or an opposing hitter’s homer is to plant a four-seamer into the next hitter’s earflap. Payback for a Little Leaguer often comes in the more innocent form of stretching a single into a double, diving for a low liner or stealing third base.
5. Fans are fans, not fanatical misfits.
No one ”sucks” when two LLWS teams square off. Security can be found in the Williamsport stands in case someone stubs a toe, gets a splinter, catches a foul off the noggin or just wants to know where the bathroom is. If someone is wearing an opponent’s uniform or colors, they are peppered with friendly questions, not profanity. But as we all know, there will be the occasional loud, inappropriate parent.
4. Big skill can come in a small package.
Some of these kids are firing 70-plus-mph darts, but at 46 feet, that ball’s coming in hard, heavy and nearly unhittable. Due to the short distance (compared to the big diamond’s 60 feet, six inches), the rock is flying in at the MLB equivalent of a 100-plus-mph heater. Also, is there anything more remarkable than a 12-year-old kid (A) robbing a homer, (B) turning a smooth double play or (C) sprawling out in the hole and firing someone out at first? Heck, you can’t do half these things, and you’re twice their size.
3. The tears.
It’s never easy to watch someone cry, especially a young kid. But as we see every year, these kids lay it all on the line. And when things don’t go their way, the waterworks are a-flowing. But let’s be clear, the tears aren’t a sign of weakness. They’re a sign of passion, love, respect and enthusiasm for America’s pastime. Sorry, Jimmy Dugan, you were wrong.
2. Howard J. Lamade Stadium.
Fenway has the Monster, Wrigley has the ivy and Camden Yards has the warehouse. In Williamsport — the Little League Mecca and the site of the LLWS — Lamade Stadium has the hill. The grassy slope leading down to the outfield fence is packed with picnickers, fans, home run ball-hounds and families, all with the best seat in the game. The stadium also features concourse menus stacked with burgers, dogs, popcorn and more. And the best part? It won’t cost the family a week’s worth of groceries.
1. The game is as pure as pure can be.
The only supplements are found in miniature, chewable forms of the Flintstones. There’s no clear, cream, andro, three-letter acronyms, greenies, juice, sauce or anything else found in Jose Canseco’s carry-on. These kids are only hopped up on Gatorade, Big League Chew or mom’s iced tea. And the only advantage in this game is an early growth spurt.
