LLWS Thread 2009

They just showed the favorite actor of a 12-year-old batter -- Will Farrell.

Why is a 12-yo's favorite actor a guy who has been in almosst nothing but R-rated movies?

 

No, you are right. My kids, who are 14 and 11, have played Cal Ripken in our town, and there is absolutely no comparison to the kiddie ball they're playing in Williamsport and 50/70 ball my kids have played, which uses virtually every 60/90 rule. Ripken is a completely different game -- much more fun to play and watch. My older son is in Babe Ruth now, but my younger son is a lefthander who has become proficient at holding on and picking off runners, and pitchers don't have to worry about that at all in Little League. Also, many more balls are put into play in 50/70, since batters have more time to look at the ball. At first, catchers have a hard time throwing out runners at second, but I've noticed they become better at their footwork and calling pitchouts. It can be a tight and exciting game. Watch a LLWS game, and you'll see a ton of strikeouts by pitchers who are too big for 46 feet. Also, the fences in Ripken 50/70 are at least 25 feet farther out, so a kid has to drive the ball to hit it out instead of chipping one out with a check swing. Many L-L teams in my area are moving over to Ripken.

 

I am watching the Senior League WS right now on ESPN2. The starting pitcher on the West team is throwing his fastball at 75 mph.

So the starting pitcher in the biggest game of the year for his team is barely touching 75. During the LLWS, I've seen at least four pitchers hit that mark. More proof that the talent pool draws from a lot less.

 

Now I KNOW that Senior League fucking sucks. I played senior league baseball. I sucked. Nothing's changed decades later. Senior League is the bathtub drain to collect all the other kids who aren't any good, and have no other place to play.

Who in Little League Inc. sucked ESPN's dick to get all this exposure?

 

We have Dixie Youth around here, and while most kids play travel ball (unless a state tournament or world Series is in the area), one higher-up said LL gets all the exposure because it's been the most well-known for the longest. Like Coca-cola over Chek Cola, etc.

I enjoy watching the LLWS, even though when I was playing Dixie Youth, those kids weren't even born yet and I'm still believing some of those California kids are 14-15, it's clear the talent has gone down over the years.

The Great Lakes and Midwest usually produce crappy products in the LLWS.

 

Dude, they're 12 years old. "Crappy products"? Yikes. The issue isn't that Little League shouldn't be on TV because the kids suck. It's that 11- and 12-year-olds should NOT be on TV AT ALL.

 

yes, the Kentucky team was pretty crappy compared to the rest of them.

If you don't like it, don't watch it. I've got no problem with them being on TV. it's a worldwide competition

 

The Express-News is doing a good job at the LLWS.
Here are thumbnails sketches of each player on the McAllister Park team that's advanced to the U.S. finals at Williamsport.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/slideshows/Meet_the_McAllisters.html?c=y&page=1

 

FWIW:

California squad facing Chinese Taipei for the overall No. 1 title.

Mexico beat San Antonio squad in an earlier consolation

 

If anyone's wondering, the Chula Vista boys beat Taiwan (Chinese-Taipei, Taiwan, whatever) 6-3.

I caught the last two batters of the game. CV has two outs and two strikes and the pitcher hits the Taiwanese kid in the arm. The batter glares at the pitcher before the big dude Luke Ramirez, playing first, tells him to just get his butt to first. Loved the batter's reaction, like the pitcher actually hit him on purpose one strike away from winning the whole darn thing.

Then after, the next batter struck out, they showed a replay of Ramirez's reaction at first after the out, and you could see the Taiwanese kid in the background about ready to slam down his helmet.

So, some of those Asian Pacific kids can show emotion and bad attitude, who knew?

 

What's the deal with AP calling it Taiwan ... should it be that or Chinese Taipei? This is bugging me.