Guest Author - David Landry
2004 was the year my baseball dreams came true. The Red Sox, source of so much heartache and disappointment, engineered the greatest playoff comeback in baseball history against the Yankees and then swept St. Louis to win the World Series. That said, some of the most enjoyable baseball for me prior to that had involved a team from 20 miles north of Boston – the 2003 Saugus, MA little leaguers. As Saugus advanced through the Little League World Series tournament, my family followed every game with excited anticipation.
I think the fundamental difference between following a team through the Little League World Series (LLWS) and its Major League equivalent is that you form a more emotional bond with your favorites. From that perspective, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat is magnified as you empathize with the mostly twelve year old players.
Contrary to popular opinion, the MLB World Series was not established as a world championship of baseball. It was originally sponsored in 1903 by the New York World, one of the leading newspapers of its day. In contrast, the Little League World Series does feature competition from every region of the world and has been won by many international competitors. When I was young, it seemed that Taiwan won every year. In fact, in the twenty year period from 1969 to 1988, Taiwan won thirteen times and was the runner-up twice. The presence of teams from so many countries makes the experience much richer. This is truly a world championship.
There are two brackets in the LLWS – America and International. The teams that qualify for these brackets are actually all star teams from their respective home towns. These teams compete in tournaments that culminate in either a state championship, for US teams, or a national championship for international teams. These teams compete for regional championships in order to travel to Williamsport, PA, the home of the LLWS. The winners for each bracket go on to face each other in the LLWS final.
Over the years, several future Major League stars have competed in the Little League World Series, including Gary Sheffield, Sean Burroughs and the Mets’ rookie Lastings Milledge. In the 2004 MLB World Series, both teams featured former Little League World Series players – Jason Varitek (1984 LLWS) of the Red Sox and Jason Marquis(1991 LLWS) of the Cardinals.
The Saugus, MA team that my family and I followed so closely ultimately made it to the US finals and lost. We felt really bad for these local boys who had played so well over the course of the tournament. That wasn’t the end for them. They came home heroes and were treated to a raucous homecoming and a series of congratulatory celebrations. Even the Red Sox welcomed them home.
Go to the Little League World Series link below for the schedule. Most of the games are broadcasted on ESPN or ESPN2. The games run through August 27th. Pick a team to root for and enjoy the rest of the tournament!
