Most parents will remember the moment of their child’s first few Christmas experiences. Their anticipation, excitement, and pure wide-eye joy when they awoke and saw the treasures Santa Claus had left under the tree.
As they grew older, Christmas was still a special occasion, but it didn’t have that magic aura of their younger years.
That is the analogy brought about each August in our neck-of-the-woods with the annual arrival of the Little League World Series. Yes, it is a great event, bringing worldwide attention to our backyard. But everyone’s perception may not be the same. It provides an economic shot-in-the-arm, produces a Lycoming County definition of a ‘traffic jam’ discouraging some fans from attending the games, and for Little League staff employees, it creates 12 to 18-hour days.
But any of those circumstances matter little when it comes to the reason the 76 replays of the LLBWS hold relevance. Since that 1947, Maynard Midgets’ triumph put Carl Stotz and Williamsport, PA, on the map. To all those Little Leaguers players who have climbed the youth baseball summit, Williamsport, PA, is the ultimate Christmas morning experience.
Little League Baseball has been a part of my life since the first game I played as an eight-year-old. I’ve played, coached, broadcast, written about the game, and served as the organization’s Central Region Director for 14 years. While the repetitive nature of each year’s World Series may be a bit ‘old hat’ for some, the joy on the faces of the pre-teens that come year each summer never gets old to me.
During the Penn College hosted a picnic for the Little League teams before the Grand Slam Parade, I shared a visit with Cole Warken, the manager of the Canadian champion from the North Regina LL, Saskatchewan. Over the years, he is the 64th manager to bring the Canadian champion to Williamsport, but just like those before him, he was relishing the moment before him.
Warken and his coaches, Cole Paquin and Kyle Carson own a baseball academy back in Regina and work together in the off-season. This year, the league approached them about coaching their kids, and they thought it would be a great opportunity.
“That’s worked out because now we’re here we are in Williamsport,” a smiling Warkin revealed.
“This Williamsport experience has been incredible since we got the plane ride to get here. It is hard to describe how this opportunity to live amongst our guys and really get to know them better on a personal level has been like. It has been fun to share this whole experience with them and see their excitement. The amount of gear they have received and the memories they are making is amazing.”
For Warken and his Canadian kids, the mere fact that they are here seems a bit improbable as the team lost the first three games it played in the national tournament.
“This year we hosted the Canadian National Tournament. We played six games in a round-robin format,” Warken explained. “We got off to a rough start, and our first three games were against teams that were supposed to be the best teams. We lost all three of those games, and in our fourth game, we were trailing going to the bottom of the sixth inning. We then won our next two games to qualify for the semi-final round.
“In the semi-finals, we beat Quebec 3-2 with another walk-off win. In the finals, we played British Columbia, who had beaten us 1-0 in our first game. Our pitching staff was short-staffed for the entire game, but we got an early lead and hung on to win 4-3. I couldn’t be prouder of the guys for the way they played and battled back after those first three losses.
“I think those first three games could be attributed to a little bit of nerves, especially since we were the host team. Throughout the entire tournament, this team has continued to battle and compete. They never really got too rattled and continued to compete from the first pitch to the last.”
Like the Canadians, each team has its own story carved on the wonderous journey to Williamsport.
The Chinese Taipei champion lost the final game of the Asia Pacific tournament 6-0 to South Korea. Still, it was awarded the game via a forfeit when it was discovered illegal players had been used. For the first time, Cuba has a representative playing in the series. It’s just the opposite for Nolensville, Tennessee, whose league has now represented the Southeast Region for three consecutive years.
Coming from different backgrounds, all 20 teams have one thing in common: they are playing in the first World Series using a new continuous batting order (CBO) rule.
Instituted by Little League prior to this year’s tournament play, the rule requires all players on a team’s roster must bat in a continuous order throughout the game. Since some series teams have chosen to have between 12 and 14 players on their rosters, the playing field is not always level.
Manager’s opinions regarding the new rule vary, but Warken has taken the new rule in stride.
“It brings challenges in certain ways, but I think it is also a good thing as all the guys have to contribute and find a way to help us win a ball game.”
As is the case after Christmas, the decorative trimmings encasing the Little League Complex will soon be packed away for another year. While they are here, take the time to enjoy the sight; fall is on its way!
