⚾ 🥎 ⚾ LLWS. If you missed that, Little League World Series. One of my top sports seasons in every year.

[TerryP]

I'm locked in, now. Been a fun, and a bit of a "damn that was rough," day watching. (See the top of the 7th, Nebraska vs Hawaii. WOW!)

I'll disagree with "sprinting," but this?

 

[mando]

One of my favorite events to watch also @TerryP but somehow it has slipped by me this year. Is this streaming somewhere or on broadcast TV?

 

[rick4bama]

It one of the thing I like watching.

 

[252BAMA]

I have always enjoyed it, but the quality of play has been seriously diluted by travel ball. Little League just does not get the best players any longer.

 

[TerryP]

One of my favorite events to watch also @TerryP but somehow it has slipped by me this year. Is this streaming somewhere or on broadcast TV?

Yesterday, the Nebraska/Hawaii game was on ABC. It's been on linear and streaming TV

 

[BamaFan334]

I have always enjoyed it, but the quality of play has been seriously diluted by travel ball. Little League just does not get the best players any longer.

They should have two separate leagues. Travel ball kids and rec league kids. We played in the Dixie Youth 8U State Tournament a couple of months back and held our own, but we were no match for these travel ball teams. They had been playing together for two straight years, while we were a team of rec league kids that had four weeks of practice together. Our kids being moved around position wise from where they played all year, and off a season that was cancelled by the virus while the travel ball teams practiced and played in tournaments. I'd rather see teams play each other that are matched up on a similar front, not a teams from different ends of the spectrum when considering preparation. What kind of accomplishment is it for rec league and travel ball teams to be combined in a tournament?

 

[NickelDoubleDog]

Yesterday, the Nebraska/Hawaii game was on ABC. It's been on linear and streaming TV

My son's 12u select team played the Nebraska team (Hastings) this year in USSSA select ball. Great group of kids

 

[Crimson&WhiteGecko]

@TerryP should you make you way down to Warner Robins for the SE regional, you got a place to kick back if you want.

We've had the SE regional field here for about 10 years now. I used to set up shop behind the 3rd base line as a national sponsor with New York Life. Got to know the Fromm's when his team made it to finals that year.

Just an excellent venue & whole hell of a lot more fun than MLB.

 

[252BAMA]

@TerryP should you make you way down to Warner Robins for the SE regional, you got a place to kick back if you want.

We've had the SE regional field here for about 10 years now. I used to set up shop behind the 3rd base line as a national sponsor with New York Life. Got to know the Fromm's when his team made it to finals that year.

Just an excellent venue & whole hell of a lot more fun than MLB.

Fromm could have gotten a helluva NIL from State Farm.

 

[252BAMA]

They should have two separate leagues. Travel ball kids and rec league kids. We played in the Dixie Youth 8U State Tournament a couple of months back and held our own, but we were no match for these travel ball teams. They had been playing together for two straight years, while we were a team of rec league kids that had four weeks of practice together. Our kids being moved around position wise from where they played all year, and off a season that was cancelled by the virus while the travel ball teams practiced and played in tournaments. I'd rather see teams play each other that are matched up on a similar front, not a teams from different ends of the spectrum when considering preparation. What kind of accomplishment is it for rec league and travel ball teams to be combined in a tournament?

I wasn't aware that they had travel teams in Little League. I am surprised that is happening in Dixie Youth.

OT, my father was instrumental in setting up the Dixie Youth predecessor, Little Boy's League, in Alabama. Coached the 1958 Central Park LBL Champion. Would have been one of the coaches on the 1959 Central Park team that repeated as Champion, but was medically unable to do so. His team won both halves of the regular season which determined who coached the All Star team.

http://www.dixie.org/Assets/dixie+youth+baseball/pdf/World+Series+Hosts+$!26+Champions+6-1-2013.pdf

 

[BamaFan334]

I wasn't aware that they had travel teams in Little League. I am surprised that is happening in Dixie Youth.

OT, my father was instrumental in setting up the Dixie Youth predecessor, Little Boy's League, in Alabama. Coached the 1958 Central Park LBL Champion.

http://www.dixie.org/Assets/dixie+youth+baseball/pdf/World+Series+Hosts+$!26+Champions+6-1-2013.pdf

That's pretty cool!

Yes, it was pretty crazy, because they were beating all of the other teams 20-2 and by those kinds of scores. We managed to only lose 15-8, 18-14, and 17-7 in the three games between District and State that we played against the travel ball teams, but they were so much better. Using $300 team bought USA bats, walkup music with their own surround sound speakers in the stands, and obviously the years of continued prep time. It was pretty crazy, albeit pretty cool as well.

They just started a travel team in our county, so hopefully we can start combatting that crap with some level playing field type changes. Then if they beat us, they're just the better players, not bringing a knife to a gun fight like we were. Hoping my lone son can really start to build a great foundation for our county. He had a great first year, and was asked to be on this travel team, so we'll see if he has what it takes!

 

[252BAMA]

The 1959 Central Park win was one for the ages. They faced the South Carolina team from North Augusta in the double elimination finals having lost to them 1-0 earlier. The kids from North Augusta were unbeaten and unscored on at that point throughout the tournaments, District-State-World. Central Park beat them 2-0 and 1-0 in the finals!

Bunch of those kids on the '58 and '59 Central Park teams played collegiately either football or baseball. Jimmy Whitten (Alabama football), Jimmy Fuller(Alabama football), Clarence Culpepper(Virginia Tech football), and Marvin Stringfellow (Florida State baseball) to name a few.

Marv Stringfellow

 

[alabama mike]

Love Little League from Williamsport, PA. I was involved with LL at the local, district and state level for a number of years.

 

[252BAMA]

In 1961, as Midfield Colt Leaguers, the '58 Central Park boys had an opportunity to prove they were better than the 1958 Little League Champion from Monterrey, Mexico. But within one out of doing so, the Colt League officials apparently decided they needed Monterrey in their World Series to be held next in Abilene, Texas more than they needed a team from Birmingham. With one on and two out with Midfield leading by a run and Marvin Stringfellow pitching, who never threw 16 straight pitches in his life without one of them being a strike, the ump proceeded to call 16 straight balls giving Monterrey the win.

How good were they? In the Alabama-NW Florida Tournament, they beat Pensacola with Don Sutton pitching. Twice!

 

[TerryP]