Today was the final day of this great tournament where the Asia-Pacific representative Seoul, South Korea, defeated the U.S., Great Lakes, and Illinois state champion Jackie Robinson West Little League from the South side of Chicago. Chi-Town fell to Korea in a valiant effort 8-4 after a late game comeback. This was the 6th game Chicago played in the tournament and the victory also marked the 3rd LLWS Championship for the Seoul Little League. What made this team from the Great Lakes Region extra unique was that they were a Urban Initiative Little League team. The UI is a program started by Little league International to help grow the game of baseball in inner cities. You could call them an underdog but they were just a good group of players who exemplified the Little League motto of "Courage, Loyalty, and Honesty".
Chicago wasn't the only inner city team to compete in the tourney this year. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Champion Taney Dragons from Philadelphia led by female fireballer Mo'ne Davis were looking really good in their first two games, but lost two straight to Las Vegas (West) and Chicago to get knocked out of championship contention. The team gained more attention then any other because of Mo. Why? 1. Because she's a good looking kid 2. She is a good player 3. She's a girl. The story was so easy to write about that the media went crazy. More press passes were issued through Taney's third game against Vegas than the ENTIRE TOURNAMENT last year. The way ESPN was reporting on her during the games, it made her sound like she was a baseball pioneer. Don't get me wrong, she is an important figure in Little League baseball, but the inflated stats was too much icing on the cake. Mo'ne Davis was the best pitcher this tournament saw even though she wasn't her usual shut-out self on Wednesday against the West. Her 70 mph fastball and wicked curve makes her an incredible baseball player. Isn't that what this tournament is about, baseball players?
The reason why each year brings more and more fans to Bill Town is because more and more people understand the beauty of this event. There is an argument that having 13-year old kids on ESPN for a week is a joke, but tell that to the over 40 thousand including myself who sit up on the hill to see competitive baseball every year.
Chicago wasn't the only inner city team to compete in the tourney this year. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Champion Taney Dragons from Philadelphia led by female fireballer Mo'ne Davis were looking really good in their first two games, but lost two straight to Las Vegas (West) and Chicago to get knocked out of championship contention. The team gained more attention then any other because of Mo. Why? 1. Because she's a good looking kid 2. She is a good player 3. She's a girl. The story was so easy to write about that the media went crazy. More press passes were issued through Taney's third game against Vegas than the ENTIRE TOURNAMENT last year. The way ESPN was reporting on her during the games, it made her sound like she was a baseball pioneer. Don't get me wrong, she is an important figure in Little League baseball, but the inflated stats was too much icing on the cake. Mo'ne Davis was the best pitcher this tournament saw even though she wasn't her usual shut-out self on Wednesday against the West. Her 70 mph fastball and wicked curve makes her an incredible baseball player. Isn't that what this tournament is about, baseball players?
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| Mo'ne Davis returns to the dugout after warmups before game 16 of the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Sunday, Aug. 17, 2014. Philadelphia defeated Pearland, Texas, 7-6. Elizabeth Frantz, PennLive (PennLive/The Patriot-News) |
The reason why each year brings more and more fans to Bill Town is because more and more people understand the beauty of this event. There is an argument that having 13-year old kids on ESPN for a week is a joke, but tell that to the over 40 thousand including myself who sit up on the hill to see competitive baseball every year.
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