The problem isn't the Little League World Series, it's that we watch it

atlnon posted:

TX-GA game. Speechless. How can you not love watching these boys give their all?Was worried about the GA closer after he gave up that game winning homerun to Hawaii in the 11th inning. He came back to close this game and get the game winning sac fly. A bunch of these kids are on my son's travel team. So stinking proud of them. 

Great game.  My older daughter was so annoyed we were watching LL.  By the end of the game she was cheering and had long turned off the Netflix show she was watching on her phone.

Wow, unbelievable finish last night again.  My son played on a top level travel team at that age....and yes, they had fun and loved winning, but I can't imagine what it would be like to win  a game like that with your friends from your hometown playing with you....and so many hometown fans cheering you on.  I've said it before....if you've never been to Williamsport, you owe it to yourself to make the trip, even if it's only for a couple days.  Unbelievable atmosphere.

Agree with all the comments above. It must really be an exciting atmosphere.  

I too watch and enjoy some of the games. I Just wished the coaching staff would do a better job of teaching the boys proper  mechanics, throwing/hitting.   My son played on that size fields when he was 8-9. At 10 he moved into the 50/70 fields and at 13 he played on the regulation sized field.

I tried to watch and the umpiring drove me up the wall.  They were calling strikes 12 inches off the plate.  No way you can hit some of the pitches they are calling strikes.  Why don't they just call the strike zone like it is supposed to be called?

PitchingFan posted:

I tried to watch and the umpiring drove me up the wall.  They were calling strikes 12 inches off the plate.  No way you can hit some of the pitches they are calling strikes.  Why don't they just call the strike zone like it is supposed to be called?

Some of it has been worse than others....but I do agree that when the catcher blatantly sets up a foot outside that just hitting the glove isn't close to a strike.   Maybe LL needs to do away with volunteer umps....at least behind the plate to help that situation...and bring in guys that they know can call a consistent strike zone

"The problem isn't the Little League World Series, it's that we watch it......."

Absolutely correct RJM.   I have not watched one pitch of the LLWS and I've not had a problem with it at all!

I caught most of the TX-GA game and was great.  Being from Oklahoma it's tough to feel bad for TX but the RF umpire cost them that game...well, and the bad decision to go to 3B on a slow come-backer to the mound.  How many umps do they have on the field?  Why did the ump not get out of the stinking way.  The RF had to take at least 5 steps to get around the umpire and I just think that there would have been a play at the plate had he not been in the way.  I could see the look of disgust on coaches face as he rounded his players up to encourage them. 

First season I've not watched ONE pitch in the LLWS.  

Buckeye 2015 posted:

PitchingFan posted:

I tried to watch and the umpiring drove me up the wall.  They were calling strikes 12 inches off the plate.  No way you can hit some of the pitches they are calling strikes.  Why don't they just call the strike zone like it is supposed to be called?

Some of it has been worse than others....but I do agree that when the catcher blatantly sets up a foot outside that just hitting the glove isn't close to a strike.   Maybe LL needs to do away with volunteer umps....at least behind the plate to help that situation...and bring in guys that they know can call a consistent strike zone

Umpires are not selected on merit. It’s a tenure and good ole boy network decision. A LL lifer from our league has done every level of the tournament including Williamsport. He’s a horrible umpire.

When my son was playing LL this umpire called him out for not sliding at home when there wasn’t a throw on a wild pitch. The pitcher ran in front of him. They collided. You’re out! 

I can’t imagine how this guy could handle the speed and decision making of some of the plays at regionals and the LLWS. 

fenwaysouth posted:

"The problem isn't the Little League World Series, it's that we watch it......."

Absolutely correct RJM.   I have not watched one pitch of the LLWS and I've not had a problem with it at all!

If I want to watch boring baseball with too many strikeouts I’ll watch MLB. 

OB1 posted:

I caught most of the TX-GA game and was great.  Being from Oklahoma it's tough to feel bad for TX but the RF umpire cost them that game...well, and the bad decision to go to 3B on a slow come-backer to the mound.  How many umps do they have on the field?  Why did the ump not get out of the stinking way.  The RF had to take at least 5 steps to get around the umpire and I just think that there would have been a play at the plate had he not been in the way.  I could see the look of disgust on coaches face as he rounded his players up to encourage them. 

I watched the replay again focusing on the RF umpire.  I saw him trying to get out of the way by taking 3 or 4 steps to the foul line not realizing that the RF also was going that way to get a clear shot towards home plate.  I don't know what the protocol is for this situation, but the ump was trying to get out of the way and unfortunately got himself more in the way.  I do think runner would still have been safe, but it would have been a closer play.

PitchingFan posted:

I tried to watch and the umpiring drove me up the wall.  They were calling strikes 12 inches off the plate.  No way you can hit some of the pitches they are calling strikes.  Why don't they just call the strike zone like it is supposed to be called?

I've seen some of maybe 4-5 LLWS games, and I, for once, was pleased to see the infamous "LLWS strike zone" was not nearly as much of an issue as it usually is. Looks like I spoke too soon.

The Mexico-Canada game I thought the Mexican pitcher was going to pass-out when he was not getting pitches 6" off the plate (but he still most 3-4").  I've seen some "pretty-looking"
pitches called strikes up to a foot off the plate. I think the Japanese teams capitalize the most and start with somewhat outside pitches and keep expanding, deliberately, until pitches are ludicrously unhittable, maybe "unfoul-able". Even the announcers, who by rule are rah-rah LL and volunteer umpires, start chirping a bit.

But again, it seemed noticeably better this year.

atlnon posted:

OB1 posted:

I caught most of the TX-GA game and was great.  Being from Oklahoma it's tough to feel bad for TX but the RF umpire cost them that game...well, and the bad decision to go to 3B on a slow come-backer to the mound.  How many umps do they have on the field?  Why did the ump not get out of the stinking way.  The RF had to take at least 5 steps to get around the umpire and I just think that there would have been a play at the plate had he not been in the way.  I could see the look of disgust on coaches face as he rounded his players up to encourage them. 

I watched the replay again focusing on the RF umpire.  I saw him trying to get out of the way by taking 3 or 4 steps to the foul line not realizing that the RF also was going that way to get a clear shot towards home plate.  I don't know what the protocol is for this situation, but the ump was trying to get out of the way and unfortunately got himself more in the way.  I do think runner would still have been safe, but it would have been a closer play.

I don't think in a 220 ft field "outfield" umpires are needed.  He would have had a chance at the runner, but by no means a certain out.

PitchingFan posted:

I tried to watch and the umpiring drove me up the wall.  They were calling strikes 12 inches off the plate.  No way you can hit some of the pitches they are calling strikes.  Why don't they just call the strike zone like it is supposed to be called?

Since we've stepped foot on the baseball field that's been the case. Draw a line through the opposite side batters box and anything plate side of that can be and will be called a strike.  Super NIT, Jupiter, FT Mayers, every TB tournament, HS....

Below college level most pitchers don't have command of the offspeed or the velo on the FB to call the strike zone. Games would take to long. You got 100+ teams and four days to get a tournament in. You have a HS game on a school night.

You think it's frustrating to watch on TV? Try having a kid that college/pro scouts are there to see and the ump is ringing him up on pitches well off the plate and below the knees. It is what it is.  

I would disagree with the premise that it is everywhere.  I know we come from two different sides of the plate since my son is LHP and hits and yours is a hitter but I don't think PG at the big tournaments stretches it very little except a rare umpire who has no clue.  I thought they did a good job and every now and then got too tight with pitchers who deserved/earned the right to have it stretched a little.  Our high school umpires here were overly tight to the point that they made a good umpire look wide.  I think you call it legit plate wise at the bottom of the knees and then it needs to expand to a ball off and inside at the waist and then back to plate wide at numbers.  When I umpired all the time, it was amazing the umpires who said they didn't care what the rules said, they were calling their strike zone.

It’s fun to watch although it’s not real baseball. 

Shoveit4Ks posted:

It’s fun to watch although it’s not real baseball. 

It’s not real baseball. Baseball on a 50/70 field isn’t real baseball either. It’s kids playing baseball. Even kids who play 50/70 ball want to play in the LLWS. Given everyone used to play LL the LLWS is still a piece of Americana.

It will be interesting to see what happens to the LLWS popularity after two generations of a lot of kids didn’t play baseball and have the attention span of a gnat. It’s a concern of MLB. The average age of a regular MLB tv viewer is 55.

Just don't get  some of the negative perspective on LL Baseball.  The baseball world would be a better place if everyone still played LL.  9-12 year olds should play ball within their communities with their friends.  They can still play on tournament teams, play a combined total of approx. 40 games each spring/summer, a few more if playing all-stars.  That is more than enough baseball for a 9-12 year old to develop significant baseball skills if that is their passion.  There will be plenty of time/opportunity after that to submerse themselves in the athletically and competitively superior "travel" baseball world.  There will be bad coaches and over zealous parents in both places but they are truly the minority, the overwhelming majority of the coaches and parents in both places are doing things the right way.  Very little gets sorted out in the athletic world before high school anyway.  Enjoy your commumity, enjoy the time with friends/classmates, enjoy playing baseball as long as you can....the improve or perish part is coming soon enough.....just doesn't have to be as soon as some think....

The thing people don't understand is that these same kids play travel ball all summer....some of them on the top name travel teams we've all heard of for years.   A few years ago, my son heard one of the town names, forget which one and knew it was in the area of one of the top level travel teams.  He went on USSSA site and found 4 kids from that travel team on the LL team.  Sure, the field is small, but some of the plays being made (3rd baseman from Michigan) would be great plays on a 50-70 or 54-80 field too.  I would really like to see LL go to lead offs and steals, but it would be a huge detriment to the local leagues....as most kids playing LL aren't nearly the level of players you're seeing during the LLWS.   I started a new Little League when my son was 11.  I was the President of the league.  We had a hard time picking 13 "All-Stars" for the 3 age groups that had a district tournament out of a league with approximately 120 kids.  The first 8-9 on each team were easy...but by the time we got to 13 we were looking for kids who could catch a fly ball and hopefully at least make contact if they had to bat. 

I think the dream of the LLWS is a key pole holding up LL in general, and at least for 11-12 YOs. I knew of many top pre-teens who played in the spring for the chance for a deep run in All-Stars. My son played travel ball at 11 (and I made it happen) simply because he liked playing with and against talented baseball players. That's it.