Little League Annouces 2009 World Series Dates
Little League announced the dates and locations for all division’s World Series events for the 2009 season. Click here to view the entire announcement.
Of note is the fact that the 2009 Big League Softball and Big League Baseball World Series tournament championship games will be televised live in prime time on the ESPN family of networks and all eight World Series finals in softball and baseball will be televised nationally for the third consecutive year.
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2008 Little League Championship Weekend Television Schedule
Found this information at Little League’s site and though you would be interested in it. I was surprised about all of the extra coverage ESPN is offering. This tournament is out of control! Awesome!
SATURDAY (AUGUST 23)
12:30 p.m. (ABC): International Championship – Japan (Edogawa Minami Little League,Tokyo) vs. Mexico (Matamoros Little League, Matamoros, Tamaulipas)
3:30 p.m. (ABC): United States Championship – U.S. West (Waipio Little League, Waipahu, Hawaii) vs. Southwest (South Lake Charles Little League, Lake Charles, Louisiana)
SUNDAY (AUGUST 24)
Noon, ESPN: Consolation Game
2 p.m., ESPN: Little League Webgems Show
2:30 p.m., ESPN: Little League Baseball World Series Preview Show
3:30 p.m., ABC: Little League Baseball World Series Championship
Word to the wise! When Hawaii won the world series a couple of years back I Tivo’d it and was smart enough to extend it for 3 hours beyond the time it was scheduled to end. The game went into extra innings, no problemo right? Ummm….WRONG.
At the end of the sixth inning they moved it over to ESPN for the seventh and final walk off home run. I missed it. Don’t know the answer for this, other than maybe record ESPN as well? What if they move it to ESPN2? Trouble, trouble, trouble.
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Unaccepable Behavior
Today I saw a couple of things I didn’t like on ESPN in the tournaments.
First, in the Senior Girls Softball tournament a girl from Puero Rico came around third and a play was being made on her at the plate. The rule reads that when a play is being made on a runner, the runner must "slide or avoid conflict". She lowered her shoulder and initiated contact. She should have been called out and ejected from the game. No doubt about it.
Second, the behavior of the boy during the Indiana vs. Ohio game was disgusting. Slamming bats into the ground, throwing bats around, showing up the umpires, showing up their teammates, acting disgusted when a teammate made a mistake, unacceptable, but understandable.
In a pressure situation such as this how else would we expect the kids to react? They are only 12! I blame this on the adults! The umpires should have stopped it at first instance, and the managers and coaches should have stepped in as well. It seemed nobody seem to care. This is the first time I have seen this behavior, but it is absolutely unacceptable.
Finally, know why Indiana won? Ohio ran out of pitching. They used 4 tonight, at least 2 last night, that means their number 6 was in the game! Possibly their number 7. It’s all about the pitching!
Do you think the behavior of the teams playing tonight was acceptable?
Little League to Use Replay!???
Image by M@nnie via FlickrI Hate Replay!
First, let me got on the record as a HUGE hater of instant replay! I hate it in football because it slows the pace of the game, it often kills momentum, and it makes referees change the way they make their calls.
The Great Debate
Of course there is a huge debate about whether to use replay in baseball or not. I was watching a Yankees game a while back and I forgot who it was, but they pulled a hook down the third base line. The ball appeared to be foul. The UMP called it a home run! Every camera angle had the ball hooking around in front of the foul poll, it was obviously not a home run! Or so we thought!
There was one guy who was sitting next to the foul poll. He ended up w/ the ball. He was swearing up and down through his body language that it was a home run. They sent their roving reporter out there w/ a camera and on the very far left (foul side) of the poll was an obvious ball mark. The ump got it right! Replay got it wrong!
Absorb It
I don’t really care if the call is right or wrong. Whatever the ump says it is, it is. Move on. Mike Soccia, manager of the Angels, said it best when the ball obviously hit the dirt when they were playing the White Sox in the championship game a few years back, "We didn’t play good enough to absorb it." One bad call does not a game lose, why would you want your momentum killed right after you hit a home run?
The pitcher is shaken, the next batter has a huge advantage, why do you want to stop the game to painstakingly review whether it was a home run or not? The ump called it what he saw it to be. That’s what it is, move on and play through it!
From the Pres.
From the Little League Website I copied this quote from the Little League International President:
“We are able to do this because all 32 games are televised on the ESPN family of networks,” Stephen D. Keener, President and Chief Executive Officer of Little League Baseball and Softball, said. “As we have seen even in the professional ranks, these calls are among the most difficult for umpires to make, for a variety of reasons. Using video replay, in very limited situations and on an experimental basis for one year, simply gives us a better chance to get these calls right. In 2009, we will evaluate the program and decide if it will be used again.”
Do you smell a fish? I do! If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, probably a duck!
I have been watching the Little League World Series since I was a kid. For those of you counting, that makes about 40 years now. I cannot remember one single controversy over a home run in the Little League World Series.
The fence is so short, there are not strange angles or areas as there are in the major leagues, and the 5th and 6th umpires are right on top of the plays. Why do we need this?
The Cynic in Me
hmmmmm….The cynic in me remembers that last year ESPN gave Little League Millions of Dollars to cover their World Series. In exchange, Little League demanded they cover every division. A great deal for both parties!
But, who covers more Major League games than any other network? ESPN, of course, might it be in their best interest to have instant replay in the major leagues? What does that mean for them? An additional commercial spot! The "Chevy instant replay challenge" maybe? Do you think Little League decided on replay or do you think that ESPN sold the idea to them? My money is on the latter.
All for Making Money
Most of you know I make my money in the advertising business. I understand why both parties would do this. Again, win-win for everyone. I just hate replay, it isn’t natural, it doesn’t belong in any games, ESPECIALLY LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL GAMES!
I already have my concerns about 11/12 year olds playing in front of 50,000 people. Talk about pressure! Now you are going to subject them to the excruciating painstaking wait of whether a ball was a home run or not? What about the kid on the mound? What if this is to decide the game? An instant call is devistating, but kids get over it quickly, but are you telling me that if there is a foul ball in the bottom of the 6th of the championship game in a 1-1 tie you are going to stop the game for 5 minutes and review the shot?
He’s Just a Little Boy
Then what if you determine it is a home run? The image of that kid breaking down will be capture for a lifetime! After standing out there in the middle of 50,000 people on national television waiting for what must seem an eternity you are going tell this kid "no that wasn’t a foul ball, that was a home run and you lost the game". He will be devistated! Tarnished for life! And what if the call is so close that it could have gone either way? This is just wrong! Have we forgotten that these are little boys out there? They are not grown men.
I am all about teaching life lesson and building character. But instant replay is not the way to do it. Let the kids play, the umps ump, the coaches coach, and the parents have heart failure. Last year instant replay showed that umpires were consistantly calling strikes 6" off the plate on the outside corner. That’s what we need to fix! BUT NOT WITH REPLAY!
Do you think replay belongs in sports?
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2008 Little League Tournament Schedule
Image by capn madd matt via FlickrI found this schedule on the Little League Baseball website and thought I would share it w/ you. I recommend printing it out and following every game! Baseball does not get better than this:
2008 Little League International Tournament Events on TV
(All times listed are U.S. Eastern Time. Consult your local listings.)
August 2
• Big League Baseball World Series Championship Game, 2 p.m., ESPN
August 6
• Little League Baseball New England Region Tournament, New Hampshire vs. Rhode Island, 11 a.m., NESN/MSG
• Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament, Maryland vs. New Jersey, 2 p.m., NESN/MSG
• Little League Baseball New England Region Tournament, Connecticut vs. Massachusetts 5 p.m., NESN/MSG
• Little League Baseball Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament, New York vs. Pennsylvania, 8 p.m., MSG
August 7
• Little League Baseball Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament, Teams TBD, 4 p.m., NESN/MSG
• Little League Baseball New England Region Tournament, Teams TBD, 7 p.m., NESN/MSG
• Little League Baseball Southwest Region Championship Game, 9 p.m., ESPN2
August 8
• Little League Baseball New England Region Tournament, Teams TBD, 3 p.m., NESN
• Little League Baseball Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament, Teams TBD, 6 p.m., MSG
• Little League Baseball Southeast Region Championship Game, 8 p.m., ESPN
August 9
• Little League Baseball Midwest Region Championship Game, Noon, ESPN
• Little League Baseball New England Region Championship Game, 2 p.m., ESPN
• Senior League Softball World Series Championship Game, 4 p.m., ESPN2
• Little League Baseball Great Lakes Region Championship Game, 7 p.m., ESPN
• Little League Baseball Northwest Region Championship Game, 9 p.m., ESPN
August 10
• Little League Baseball West Region Championship Game: 10 p.m., ESPN2
August 11
• Little League Baseball Mid-Atlantic Region Championship Game, 8 p.m., ESPN2
August 12
• Little League Softball World Series Semifinal Game, 7: 30 p.m., ESPN2
• Little League Softball World Series Semifinal Game, 9:30 p.m., ESPN2
August 13
• Little League Softball World Series Championship Game, 7 p.m., ESPN2
August 15
• Little League Baseball World Series, Midwest vs. Southeast, 2 p.m., ESPN HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, Canada vs. Latin America, 4 p.m., Lamade ESPN2 HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, New England vs. West, 6 p.m., ESPN2 HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, Mid-Atlantic vs. Great Lakes, 8 p.m., ESPN HD
August. 16
• Little League Baseball World Series, Caribbean vs. Mexico, 11 a.m., ESPN HD
• Big League Softball World Series Championship Game, 1 p.m., ESPNU (see Aug 25 for replay)
• Little League Baseball World Series, Europe vs. Asia-Pacific, 1 p.m., ESPN HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, Midwest vs. New England, 3 p.m., ABC HD
• Senior League Baseball World Series Championship Game, 3 p.m., ESPNU (see Aug. 27 for replay)
• Junior League Baseball World Series Championship Game, 5 p.m., ESPNU (see Aug 26 for replay)
• Little League Baseball World Series, Japan vs. Middle East and Africa, 6 p.m., ESPN HD
• Junior League Softball World Series Championship Game, 7 p.m., ESPNU (see Aug. 28 for replay)
• Little League Baseball World Series, Southwest vs. Northwest, 8 p.m., ESPN HD
August 17
• Little League Baseball World Series, Europe vs. Mexico, Noon, ESPN Classic (see Aug. 18 for replay)
• Little League Baseball World Series, Canada vs. Japan, 1 p.m., ESPN2 HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, Great Lakes vs. Southwest, 3:30 p.m., ABC HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, Latin America vs. Middle East and Africa, 6 p.m., ESPN2 HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, Southeast vs. West, 8 p.m., ESPN2 HD
August 18
• Little League Baseball World Series, Europe vs. Mexico, 2 a.m., ESPN2 (replay of Aug. 17 game)
• Little League Baseball World Series, Northwest vs. Mid-Atlantic, Noon, ESPN2 HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, Asia-Pacific vs. Mexico, 1 p.m., ESPN HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, Midwest vs. West, 3 p.m., ESPN2 HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, Caribbean vs. Europe, 4 p.m., ESPN HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, Southeast vs. New England, 6 p.m., ESPN2 HD
August 19
• Little League Baseball World Series, Latin America vs. Japan, Noon, ESPN2 HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, Northwest vs. Great Lakes, 2 p.m., ESPN HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, Canada vs. Middle East and Africa, 4 p.m., ESPN HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, Caribbean vs. Asia-Pacific, 6 p.m., ESPN2 HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, Southwest vs. Mid-Atlantic, 8 p.m. ESPN2 HD
August 20
• Little League Baseball World Series, International Semifinal, 4 p.m., ESPN HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, U.S. Semifinal, 8 p.m., ESPN HD
August 21
• Little League Baseball World Series, International Semifinal, 4 p.m., ESPN HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, U.S. Semifinal, 8 p.m., ESPN HD
August 23
• Little League Baseball World Series, International Championship, 12:30 p.m., ABC HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, United States Championship, 3:30 p.m., ABC HD
August 24
• Little League Baseball World Series, Consolation Game, Noon, ESPN HD
• Little League Webgems Show, 2 p.m., ESPN HD
• Little League Baseball World Series Preview Show, 2:30 p.m., ESPN HD
• Little League Baseball World Series, World Series Championship, 3:30 p.m., ABC HD
August 25
• Big League Softball World Series Championship Game, 2 p m., ESPN2 (replay of Aug. 16 game)
August 26
• Junior League Baseball World Series Championship Game, 2 p.m., ESPN2 (replay of Aug. 16 game)
August 27
• Senior League Baseball World Series Championship Game, 2 p.m., ESPN2 (replay of Aug. 16 game)
August 28
• Junior League Softball World Series Championship Game, 2 p.m., ESPN2 (replay of Aug. 16 game)
What is your best Little League tournament memory?
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Little League Embracing Internet
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
Little League has really embraced the electronic age. I personally think the new deal with ESPN has allowed them to allocate resources beyond their belief to this. They have all forms online and the greatest of all they have an online affidavit that can be filled out and saved! With my handwriting, this is a Godsend!
Click here for the tournament resource page.
What do you think the future of Little League is?
New Pitching Rules have Changed the World Series Dynamic
Image via Wikipedia
The Good ‘Ole Days
Gone are the days in Little League where you could dominate a tournament with 2 pitchers. You might get away w/ 2, 3 or 4 in the district double elimination rounds where you only play one game a day, but you don’t have a shot in the sectionals or states w/ 2 games in the same day.
The States
Let’s assume that you make it to the states. When we hosted them a few years back, they played two divisions of four teams w/ a three game round robin . Then the top 2 went to a single elimination tournament. This all happened in 4 days! You need to have all pitchers on your team!
Here is how it set up:
Day 1: 2 Games/Team
Day 2: 1 Game/Team
Day 3: Semis
Day 4: Championship
Stack Your Team w/ Pitchers
You absolutely have to have 6 pitchers minimum, and preferably 8. I don’t know how the Regionals work but I imagine they are the same format as the states. At least once you get to the World Series you only play 1 game a day I think. You might play 2 in the round robins. It really doesn’t matter, you have to have lots of pitchers!
This really changes the entire dynamic of the tournament. It puts things on even ground, but it greatly favors the teams that can hit and the leagues that can develop pitchers. In addition, it puts more emphasis on defense as more balls will be put in play than normal.
Less Strike Outs
My oldest son used to say he didn’t like watching the Little League World Series because it was just one strike out after another. He was right. The other change they made last year that had a major effect was moving the fences back to 225′. Home runs turned into routine outs. It will be very interesting to watch this year.
Will ESPN Learn the New Rules?
I wonder how much the announcers will butcher it this year? They really have no clue about how the pitching works or the substitution rules. It is frustrating to hear them make comments that you KNOW are wrong! Very misleading to the layman. My dad always loved watching the Little League World Series, but I had to point out things that they covered wrong so he knew what was going on.
Father’s Love of the Game
Speaking of my dad, he used to come w/ me every night to watch tournament games when he was in town. Those times were very fun. I don’t know why he went, I think he just loved watching a game. Whenever we traveled we always had to visit the local stadium for a game, but who wants to watch other people’s kids? The answer? Me, and I guess him too.
I am sure other’s share this love. The new pitching rules will certainly change the game, but I think for the better. It will go from 18 strike outs to hitting, fielding, and throwing. As it should be.
Do you have any great All-Star stories? Please share them.
Ozzy Ozbourne Butchers Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Image via Wikipedia
I will admit it. I had every ozzy album, every sabbath album, and I loved "the Ozbourne’s" TV show. Some of the greatest music ever created! No doubt about it. But the guy is nuts! Of course we all knew that.
On my way into my day job today I was listening to Mike and Mike in the morning on ESPN . They were playing the worst renditions of the song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at Wrigley field. I was shocked at Ozzy’s! You will be too!
Click here to watch it on Utube.
Unbelievable!
Anyone have any other great renditions of this song?
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