Little League World Series

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L I T T L E   L E A G U E

W O R L D   S E R I E S

August 18-28, 2011

Champion:  Huntington Beach, California

Runner-Up:  Hamamatsu City, Japan

I’ve been wanting to come here for as long as I can remember.  The Little League World Series has been held in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania since 1959.  From 1947-1958, it was held across the river in Williamsport.  I came up here for a residency interview back in 2007, and it was covered in snow.  It looks a lot better in August.

The LLWS is currently a double-elimination tournament.  There is a U.S. pool and an international pool.  A champion comes from each, and they play for the world championship.  This year, it was the team from the West (Huntington Beach) and the team from Japan.

There were good games throughout the tournament, but there was one day in particular that stood out.  On Wednesday the 24th, Mexico beat Latin America 2-1 in 9 innings, and the Northwest beat the West 1-0 in 7 innings.  Those were the best two games I’d seen all summer.  Period.

The championship game was good, too.  It just wasn’t long enough.  The West won on a walk-off base hit in the bottom of the 6th, beating Japan 2-1.

 

Pick a summer and go sometime.  It’s some of the best baseball you can watch.  It’s free to go to.  Parking is even free if you get there early enough.  I should say more but I’m too tired to type.  Just pick an August and go...book early, because rooms fly!

L I T T L E   L E A G U E   W O R L D   S E R I E S

S O U T H   W I L L I A M S P O R T ,   P E N N S Y L V A N I A

Howard J. Lamade Stadium.  THE stadium for the world series.  There is Volunteer Stadium behind it, but it’s not the classic place this is.

They tag your bag when you go in each day.  Some people’s bags are covered with tags from previous years.

Mighty Casey stands beyond the outfield of Lamade Stadium.

Hurler from Rapid City.  Check out the shoes.  Slick.

Canada warming up before a game.

The dancing umpire.  Most of the umps are “forced” to dance with Dugout, the Little League mascot.  This guy was not.  He danced every time the music played between innings.  EVERY TIME.

Pitcher from Chinese-Taipei (Taiwan).

There he goes.  The LLWS is one of the few places where it is still socially acceptable to participate in the “YMCA”.

The team from Kentucky plays the team from Georgia.  The reporter covering the team from Warner Robins, GA stayed at the same B&B I did, so I was pulling for them.

The team from Keystone, PA taking on Lafayette, LA.

The hill is a popular place to sit during the game at Lamade.

They’re here for it all.

Kruk.  Perhaps best known for not exactly wanting to face Randy Johnson.

This is Volunteer Stadium.

The largest crowd ever to attend a Little League game. 41,848.

Better than 12 of the 15 MLB games that same day!

Dugout brings the kids out to dance before every game.

Former Traveler and Cardinal Brian Jordan throwing out an opening pitch.

It’s also a popular activity to slide down the hill when it’s wet.

The Japan coach to the right had just about been hit by a screaming foul ball.  The coaches started pointing towards fair territory...as in, “Hit it that way.”  They were laughing.  It was quite funny.  Guess you had to be there.

This was an unscheduled pick-up game after these 2 teams had been eliminated.  Just playing for the fun of it.

G.W. came to there Series a few years back.

Initial rule book.

The Scorekeeper’s job description.

Early scorebook.

The Mexicali parents were LOUD.

Dugout and the dancing umpire.

Japan prior to the International Championship.

The coach takes no prisoners in BP.  He hits ‘em hard and high.

#7 is Bruno.  The only kid on the team that spoke English.  There were a couple kids staying at the B&B, and they got to know him during one of their practices.

Japan’s pitcher was the only kid on the team over 100 lbs.

Orel and Brent on the left.

Strike 3.  Ballgame over.

The U.S. Championship Game.

Carl E. Stotz Field.  Original site for the World Series on Fourth Street in Williamsport.  They still play ball there.

Dancing before the big finale.  The Japan kids have no rhythm.  None.

He’s tiny, but he’s loud.

The Andy Pettitte look.

The U.S. won on a solid hit to right.

Happy family members.

The head of Howard J. Lamade sits in dead centerfield.  The moment the game ended, this guy went and took it away.  I thought it was permanently stuck out there.