Men LLWS - why Fairfield?

[Vowelguy]

In the last 15 years, a team from Fairfield has won the CT state title 9 times! Why/how?

 

[businesslawyer]

As someone who has lived in Fairfield since 1984, and had two children who did play LIttle League, the only credible theory I have is that the fathers’ who run the league and coach the teams take it way, way too seriously,. That squeezes a lot of fun out of it for the players, but maybe that leads to ultimate success? Other than that, I’ve got nothing.

 

[Vowelguy]

As someone who has lived in Fairfield since 1984, and had two children who did play LIttle League, the only credible theory I have is that the fathers’ who run the league and coach the teams take it way, way too seriously,. That squeezes a lot of fun out of it for the players, but maybe that leads to ultimate success? Other than that, I’ve got nothing.

If you look at other states, the representative tends to be from the upscale suburbs of places like Houston or NYC . I figure those areas have kids with individual pitch coaches and other $$ advantages.
I don’t think of Fairfield as that type place but don’t know that part of the state as well.

 

[Husky25]

As someone who has lived in Fairfield since 1984, and had two children who did play LIttle League, the only credible theory I have is that the fathers’ who run the league and coach the teams take it way, way too seriously,. That squeezes a lot of fun out of it for the players, but maybe that leads to ultimate success? Other than that, I’ve got nothing.

Some leagues choose to "bend" the rules a bit. Just shy of the breaking point.

For instance, there are numerous leagues in our district (towns and district will remain nameless), where the players making up the tournament team are rumored to have been playing on the same AAU team, year round, for four years. They get sprinkled among their town teams for the regular season, but "come back together" for the postseason. In other words, roughly 80% of the LLWS Tournament "All-Star" team is known by the previous January. This also allows them to get around the LLI practice and game/scrimmage rules, which aren't supposed to start prior to May15 and June 1, respectively.

 

[UConNick]

That’s just how it’s done for the most competitive teams. Same thing in Norwalk for my teams (although our Cal Ripken was FAR ahead of Norwalk LL. Back when Norwalk had as many as 6 different leagues across LL, Cal Ripken, and Pony, we had city-wide tournaments at the 12u and 10u levels that us Ripkenites always won). This was, shoot, almost 20 years ago, but we played travel ball in the fall together, then for the spring season played on our various house league teams within the actual league, before coming back together for the traditional all-stars season over the summer. Those house league games were a lot of fun, though, when we were all broken up and played against each other. Did it mean the roster for all-stars was more or less decided? Yes, although there were still of course formal tryouts in the spring, and it was somewhat common for kids to make the team then and become part of the “in-group,” or for kids who’d been on in the past to get cut. Though obviously once you’re in it’s harder to get left out.

As for Fairfield, I think it’s a combo of culture that’s developed over the last couple of decades (Norwalk has a comparable youth baseball culture, as do towns like Stamford, New Canaan, New Milford, Newtown, etc., down in SWCT), and numbers. Fairfield from what I understand between the two leagues in town gets hundreds of kids signed up to play. The larger the pool you’re pulling from then for your all-star teams, the more likely you’re going to find some good players.

 

[businesslawyer]

If you look at other states, the representative tends to be from the upscale suburbs of places like Houston or NYC . I figure those areas have kids with individual pitch coaches and other $$ advantages.
I don’t think of Fairfield as that type place but don’t know that part of the state as well.

There are wealthier towns in the State of Connecticut than Fairfield. But there are far, far more less wealthy towns.

 

[Vowelguy]

Fairfield from what I understand between the two leagues in town gets hundreds of kids signed up to play. The larger the pool you’re pulling from then for your all-star teams, the more likely you’re going to find some good players.

Don’t know how it works but was my impression that if you had a lot of kids you had to add more leagues so that you basically werent a class LL league vs class S from all the other towns. ?

 

[KryHavok]

In the last 15 years, a team from Fairfield has won the CT state title 9 times! Why/how?

They are like the SEC when it comes to baseball in CT...it just means more, ^_^.

 

[tiger8mush]

Don’t know how it works but was my impression that if you had a lot of kids you had to add more leagues so that you basically werent a class LL league vs class S from all the other towns. ?

Naw, Little League is structured by districts (basically neighboring towns). For All-Stars, the district champs advance to Sectionals, and then State. I believe the school population is used to determine class (S/M/L/LL) in High School.

 

[huskymedic]

Shortcut <<

 

[HookC22]

Naw, Little League is structured by districts (basically neighboring towns). For All-Stars, the district champs advance to Sectionals, and then State. I believe the school population is used to determine class (S/M/L/LL) in High School.

Isnt it partially correct? Which is why some towns have two little leagues. I remember playing Glastonbury National or Glastonbury American because they had so many kids. Is that still the case?

 

[Vowelguy]

Naw, Little League is structured by districts (basically neighboring towns). For All-Stars, the district champs advance to Sectionals, and then State. I believe the school population is used to determine class (S/M/L/LL) in High School.

Yes but some towns have multiple leagues — eg Fairfield American and Fairfield National. I recall East Hartford used to have 3. I presume the reason is to even out talent to , otherwise the big areas would have super teams.
And I recall the Philippines getting stripped of their title because they were drawing from too wide an area.
There absolutely is a population component.

 

[huskyblooz]

Isnt it partially correct? Which is why some towns have two little leagues. I remember playing Glastonbury National or Glastonbury American because they had so many kids. Is that still the case?

Milford used to have three. Then two. Now one. Some have switched over to Cal Ripken ball (where players can lead). Some switched to full-time travel ball. Lacrosse and video games are also factors.

Fairfield has a huge 'travel ball' community. Many play baseball year round. I heard a rumor that this particular team went to Cuba this year to play. Success breeds success. Fairfield is now considered a baseball town. Their HS teams are consistently near the top of the FCIAC.

 

[Husky25]

That’s just how it’s done for the most competitive teams.

Sure. I understand that, but it sort of goes against the spirit of the LLI rules, IMO.

It is what it is. The question was Why/how has the CT Champion come out of Fairfield county 9 out of the last 15 years. I provided a possible reason.

 

[JeannoCT]

Why is Fairfield in the Metro Division and not New England Division?

 

[Drumguy]

Fairfiled is a very large town - and was required a while ago to split into 2 LL leagues I believe.

I brought my kids up in Wesport, which was competitively in there for a while after we started playing year round against other towns, that was back in the '90s ( I started the fall league, winter skills and summer travel teams back then) and then the latest run, but so many kids play other sports now in town - rowing, lacrosse, golf, football and soccer, some of which will give them a leg up when they apply to college.

 

[huskymedic]

Why is Fairfield in the Metro Division and not New England Division?

A few years back CT and RI were moved to a new Metro Region with New York and New Jersey leaving Maine, Massachusets, New Hampshire and Vermont in the New England Region.

Braintree Massachusetts is the New England Region rep this year.

 

[Vowelguy]

Why is Fairfield in the Metro Division and not New England Division?

Previously there were 8 US divisions, now there are 9. To do that some of the divisions got smaller .

 

[Vowelguy]

Fairfield surprises Texas 1-0 to win opening game.

One set of odds I saw had Texas 3rd and Conn 8th.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Vowelguy]

Next up — favorite Hawaii on Friday.