Why You Should Watch the Little League World Series

As you may know, I am a big baseball fan. In fact, I'm fairly positive you know. Anyway, during summer months of my more youthful youth, I would watch ESPN's Baseball Tonight for around-the-country baseball highlights. One of the analysts on the show was a man by the name of Harold Reynolds, whom no one outside of baseball fans will recognize. Reynolds played second base for several seasons in the 80's and early 90's, primarily with the Seattle Mariners. In addition to his analysis in ESPN's Bristol, CT studios, he would travel down the road to Williamsport, PA to be the color commentator for the Little League World Series, the championship game of which has been televised since 1963. The LLWS has seen its coverage expand since 1963, as for the third straight year, all games will be telecast, and in more recent years the tournament has expanded to actually be a global competition, unlike its big league counterpart.

As for Reynolds, I didn't particularly care for him as a commentator. I didn't agree with everything he said and he has had some especially asinine comments at times. He has since been unceremoniously fired from ESPN amid a sexual harassment complaint, something he has vehemently denied and sued ESPN for. He later took a job with MLB.com and eventually went back to being on TV covering baseball since the launch of MLB Network last January. Lucky me, I just can't shake him, but the one thing I did always like about him was that he loved the game of baseball so much, so it was something I could resonate with him. One thing in particular he loved was the Little League World Series, which I'm sure he requested to cover every summer he was working at ESPN. It escapes me to find or remember a direct quote, but about every game he covered he probably made a phrase to the effect of "This is what Baseball is all about."

Take whatever literal meaning you want out of that statement, but my interpretation is that at the LLWS, baseball is at its purest form. You could tell he really loved baseball, and so I believe that's what makes him drawn to the LLWS. I love the game and I've never played it competitively, and I've always been drawn to it. Outside of seeing the Dodgers in the playoffs, the LLWS is my favorite baseball event. Greater than the Home Run Derby or All-Star Game, greater than the still young World Baseball Classic (though that is probably third), and greater than the pennant races and playoff series that don't involve the Dodgers. The difference on the outside is that these are just 12 year old kids playing baseball instead of 30 year old adults. But it is much more than that.

I believe that the LLWS is baseball, nay all sports, at its finest and purest, because kids are playing. The kids don't care about multi-million dollar contracts. They don't have agents or scouts watching their every move (yet). There aren't and have never been steroids, amphetamines, or spitballs running rampant through the sport. Except for the Danny Almonte age-scandal in 2001, problems are hard to come by in this event. Many of the kids may want to grow up to be baseball players for their careers, and though several participants have, many will also not pick up a glove past high school, and not necessarily for a lack of ability. The point is, there is never a question about their motives. All they want to do is play baseball and win. And while you can say the same about some professional athletes, you never truly know whether or not they're fighting for that extra dollar or a new sponsorship. In fact, last offseason helped separate those who were, as many free agents were forced to accept much lesser deals than they wanted or expected just for a chance to play baseball, thanks to the impending recession. Some sat out and didn't take any deals because they were chasing the money, and some had money thrown at them (thank you very much, New York Yankees).

It's fun watching the LLWS because the kids that play really love that game. They want to succeed and play so badly that some cry after a loss, and sometimes even a strikeout. And I think you see more joy in the winner of the Little League World Series than you do the Major League World Series, because that's all the kids ever wanted. The whole thing is more emotional for them, and it makes it more emotional for the viewer. It's good that they have rules in place where every player must play a certain number of innings or have at least one at-bat, and it does teach good sportsmanship by the teams exchanging high fives afterwards, but it's the emotion and motivation that make it so great to watch.

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Two final thoughts: The LLWS is more than a baseball event because of the age of competition. So I don't particularly care if you don't like baseball or even sports, it is still fun to watch the kids compete, and I suggest you find a way to do so. It will harken you back to your more youthful youth in one way or another, I guarantee it. Also, I believe the coverage of the LLWS reaffirms baseball as the national past-time (as if it needs it [read:1920's]). It may not be the most popular sport now, but what other sport airs competition of pre-teens competing in it? I don't ever remember seeing pee-wee football on ESPN, or 12 year old basketball players. Baseball is the sport that most easily connects generations of this country together, and the LLWS is part of that reason.