OT: LLWS

[JSM1970]

Be nice to see TX win especially with what is happening close by

I honestly find the USA chants insulting. These are 11-13 year old kids. It's not about us vs. them. These aren't pros.

 

[Jerry1714]

I opened this with trepidation expecting you to be insulting a 12 year old, Williamsport, or little league baseball in general. Phew.

 

[Bezzz]

I don't hear any USA chanting but holy krap the Japanese chanting is super annoying.

 

[JSM1970]

Heard it in 1st and saw a special from last year on NY-S Korea game and highlights and it was crazy

I think the LL should be embarrassed by it. This isn't USMNT vs. Mexico

I don't hear any USA chanting but holy krap the Japanese chanting is super annoying.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Be nice to see TX win especially with what is happening close by

Overnight, Lufkin, TX is forecast to get another 8+ inches of rain

 

[champs99and04]

This is a really weird thing to be offended about, especially given some of the things you have posted in the past.

Also, I'll be that guy and admit to hating the LLWS. It's awesome for the kids, obviously. But it's just so ESPN to spend more time on that than hockey. Yes I'm bitter.

 

[JSM1970]

Just chant "Let's go Lutkin"

Hockey is unwatchable. 6 foot 180 LB white dudes from Canada & Sweden

Brutally bad

Dump-n-chase, repeat.....

This is a really weird thing to be offended about, especially given some of the things you have posted in the past.

Also, I'll be that guy and admit to hating the LLWS. It's awesome for the kids, obviously. But it's just so ESPN to spend more time on that than hockey. Yes I'm bitter.

 

[Bezzz]

This is a really weird thing to be offended about, especially given some of the things you have posted in the past.

Also, I'll be that guy and admit to hating the LLWS. It's awesome for the kids, obviously. But it's just so ESPN to spend more time on that than hockey. Yes I'm bitter.

I'm guessing you never played Little League or Senior League or any other high level baseball. To us old-timers with long gone glory days these games are fun to watch. Little guys playing baseball at a high level, throwing hard, making tough plays.

 

[JSM1970]

I played. Was really fun. Got pretty far 1 year.

Not surprising seeing Japan crush them. That team was loaded.

The one thing the LL should figure out is how Japan, Steven Krajewski, Taiwan create. Are they really legal age and live in same district.

I'm guessing you never played Little League or Senior League or any other high level baseball. To us old-timers with long gone glory days these games are fun to watch. Little guys playing baseball at a high level, throwing hard, making tough plays.
View attachment 24407

 

[superjohn]

I saw a little of Japan the other day and they were incredible. Their infielders played like major leaguers.

 

[Leebo]

The one thing the LL should figure out is how Japan, Steven Krajewski, Taiwan create. Are they really legal age and live in same district.

I work at a middle school in Japan. Every sport practices 7 days a week most of the year.

Summer vacation ended recently, and I had to go into school during that time and they were practicing even then.

 

[JSM1970]

Sure, but do they create a LL AAU team? Imagine if greater, NYC, LA or Chicago could do the same?

Those teams are total frauds.

I work at a middle school in Japan. Every sport practices 7 days a week most of the year.

Summer vacation ended recently, and I had to go into school during that time and they were practicing even then.

 

[Leebo]

Sure, but do they create a LL AAU team? Imagine if greater, NYC, LA or Chicago could do the same?

Those teams are total frauds.

I'm not claiming to know anything about how LL districts work anywhere, are you? I'm just saying they have different expectations for how hard to work kids from what I've seen.

 

[HooperScooper]

Sure, but do they create a LL AAU team? Imagine if greater, NYC, LA or Chicago could do the same?

Those teams are total frauds.

The announcers said during the game that the team practices 10 hours every Saturday. I thought it was not legal for teams to practice together before the team is announced in mid-June?

I'm with you though. I suspect that some of the international teams cheat and take players from outside their league and/or older players. The Chicago team a couple years ago cheated and didn't get caught until after the LLWS. I would think it would be easier for teams outside the U.S. to do something like this. Who would stop them or tell on them?

But you have to hand it to the teams in the Far East. They take it very seriously and put in a lot of hard work. Too much emphasis for 12 year olds? You could argue that.

 

[the Q]

I'm guessing you never played Little League or Senior League or any other high level baseball. To us old-timers with long gone glory days these games are fun to watch. Little guys playing baseball at a high level, throwing hard, making tough plays.
View attachment 24407

my team won the state tournament for Senior League many years ago now.

ended up finishing like 4th in the region.

Probably the best summer of my life.

What a run.

Funny thing was it was easily the weakest team we fielded during our entire run (ages 12-16) yet it was the only one who made it past districts.

 

[AreBee1969]

I'm guessing you never played Little League or Senior League or any other high level baseball. To us old-timers with long gone glory days these games are fun to watch. Little guys playing baseball at a high level, throwing hard, making tough plays.
View attachment 24407

I remember playing in the Wolcott SLL tournament back in the early '80s. Night games under the lights! Coming from Podunk New Hartford, it was like magic. Only the pros did that! Played against Rico Brogna for the first time there.

 

[the Q]

I remember playing in the Wolcott SLL tournament back in the early '80s. Night games under the lights! Coming from Podunk New Hartford, it was like magic. Only the pros did that! Played against Rico Brogna for the first time there.

Yeah, your first night game under the lights is special.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I work at a middle school in Japan. Every sport practices 7 days a week most of the year.

Summer vacation ended recently, and I had to go into school during that time and they were practicing even then.

There are very strict LL rules about team formation and practice
Do people cheat? Of course The Japanese and Taiwanese have both been suspended for recruiting players outside of their jurisdiction
Kind of like having a single team represent Connecticut.
Obviously very unfair.u
If my memory is correct you can't assemble a team or have a practice until after July 1st
I recall a Fairfield county team that was dumb enough to have a team picture in a local newspaper before that date and were promptly suspended.

 

[dogfan96]

The announcers said during the game that the team practices 10 hours every Saturday. I thought it was not legal for teams to practice together before the team is announced in mid-June?

I'm with you though. I suspect that some of the international teams cheat and take players from outside their league and/or older players. The Chicago team a couple years ago cheated and didn't get caught until after the LLWS. I would think it would be easier for teams outside the U.S. to do something like this. Who would stop them or tell on them?

But you have to hand it to the teams in the Far East. They take it very seriously and put in a lot of hard work. Too much emphasis for 12 year olds? You could argue that.

I think he said they practice Saturday AND Sunday, 10 hours a day.. plus holidays or something like that. But you can tell they put a lot of work into their defense. There are better leagues that play higher level baseball than those kids though. No slight to them though. The field dimensions need to be re-examined for my money.

 

[HooperScooper]

I think he said they practice Saturday AND Sunday, 10 hours a day.. plus holidays or something like that. But you can tell they put a lot of work into their defense. There are better leagues that play higher level baseball than those kids though. No slight to them though. The field dimensions need to be re-examined for my money.

The title marks the 11th time a team from Japan has won the Little League World Series, five of which have come in the past eight years. Tokyo Kitasuna, the club representing Japan this season, has won three of the past six.

With thousands of Little League teams the probability of one league winning it all in 50% of the last 6 seasons is very, very small. I understand the hard work and their emphasis on being successful but you also need innate talent and some luck to get that far. I say there's something fishy going on with the Tokyo Kitasuna Little League.

When our town won the Massachusetts state title a few years ago they played West Peabody for the title. West Peabody had a really good run for a few years in a row and people told us that the town was notorious for getting false documentation that the families of the best kids in town were renting apartments on the one side of the town so they could play in the West Peabody Little League. So essentially they were choosing the best kids from 20 teams and not just 10 teams (the maximum amount of teams that Little League allows in one league). You can't tell me stuff like this, and probably worse, doesn't happen around the world.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

The title marks the 11th time a team from Japan has won the Little League World Series, five of which have come in the past eight years. Tokyo Kitasuna, the club representing Japan this season, has won three of the past six.

With thousands of Little League teams the probability of one league winning it all in 50% of the last 6 seasons is very, very small. I understand the hard work and their emphasis on being successful but you also need innate talent and some luck to get that far. I say there's something fishy going on with the Tokyo Kitasuna Little League.

When our town won the Massachusetts state title a few years ago they played West Peabody for the title. West Peabody had a really good run for a few years in a row and people told us that the town was notorious for getting false documentation that the families of the best kids in town were renting apartments on the one side of the town so they could play in the West Peabody Little League. So essentially they were choosing the best kids from 20 teams and not just 10 teams (the maximum amount of teams that Little League allows in one league). You can't tell me stuff like this, and probably worse, doesn't happen around the world.

I understand it is normal to question the other team every time an American team loses, but those are 12 years old and pretty much same rule applies to everyone. How about give the other team some credit too? I watched enough LL games to see the Japanese team's defense was simply amazing.

The announcers said many times the Japanese team can only practice on Sat, Sun, and Holidays. They didn't have access to the field rest of the week, which was why they had to practice long hours on those days. At least I thought that's what he said.

You got to give the 5'1" under 100 lbs Japanese kid who pitched the final. Other than giving up 2 HRs in the first inning, he pretty much dominated the rest of the game with something like 9 strike outs. That's just pure talent.

LLWS matters. Many kids play everywhere. USA farm system started young. My kid had to try out for the 7 years old team. Teams here start very very young. LLWS matters to all the kids that play LL across the country.

 

[JSM1970]

We were talking about it at the CM-Floyd fight. It's interesting. Major thing is only sport at that age that changes dimensions of field. Makes it more interesting, and keeps integrity of game.

I understand it is normal to question the other team every time an American team loses, but those are 12 years old and pretty much same rule applies to everyone. How about give the other team some credit too? I watched enough LL games to see the Japanese team's defense was simply amazing.

The announcers said many times the Japanese team can only practice on Sat, Sun, and Holidays. They didn't have access to the field rest of the week, which was why they had to practice long hours on those days. At least I thought that's what he said.

You got to give the 5'1" under 100 lbs Japanese kid who pitched the final. Other than giving up 2 HRs in the first inning, he pretty much dominated the rest of the game with something like 9 strike outs. That's just pure talent.

LLWS matters. Many kids play everywhere. USA farm system started young. My kid had to try out for the 7 years old team. Teams here start very very young. LLWS matters to all the kids that play LL across the country.

 

[superjohn]

The title marks the 11th time a team from Japan has won the Little League World Series, five of which have come in the past eight years. Tokyo Kitasuna, the club representing Japan this season, has won three of the past six.

With thousands of Little League teams the probability of one league winning it all in 50% of the last 6 seasons is very, very small. I understand the hard work and their emphasis on being successful but you also need innate talent and some luck to get that far. I say there's something fishy going on with the Tokyo Kitasuna Little League.

When our town won the Massachusetts state title a few years ago they played West Peabody for the title. West Peabody had a really good run for a few years in a row and people told us that the town was notorious for getting false documentation that the families of the best kids in town were renting apartments on the one side of the town so they could play in the West Peabody Little League. So essentially they were choosing the best kids from 20 teams and not just 10 teams (the maximum amount of teams that Little League allows in one league). You can't tell me stuff like this, and probably worse, doesn't happen around the world.

You should go over to Japan to investigate.

 

[HooperScooper]

You should go over to Japan to investigate.

Maybe I will.

 

[whaler11]

When you see multiple HRs a game that are 75 feet over the fence I think the natural question is - is the field big enough?

Pushing the fences way back doesn't cut back scoring much though because most of those home runs just become triples - it's not like they are going to make the plays on those drives. If they play back they get singled to death.

Restrict the bats further. That would make amature and college baseball safer and a better game.