Little League

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Little League

Little League Baseball is the name of a non-profit organization in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
which organizes local children's leagues of baseball

Amateur baseball in the United States

Amateur baseball is a form of baseball in which the players either are not paid for playing, or receive only a modest stipend or employment arranged by the team's boosters....
and softball

Softball

Softball is a Team sport sport popular especially in the United States. It is a direct descendant of baseball and the rules of both sports are substantially similar....
throughout the USA and the rest of the world.

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Encyclopedia

Little League Baseball is the name of a non-profit organization in the United States

United States

Amateur baseball in the United States

Amateur baseball is a form of baseball in which the players either are not paid for playing, or receive only a modest stipend or employment arranged by the team's boosters....
and softball

Softball

Carl Stotz

Carl E. Stotz was the United States founder of Little League Baseball.Stotz was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania. He got a job as a lumberyard clerk....
in 1939 as a three-team league in Williamsport

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Williamsport is a List of municipalities in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania in the United States....
, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
. The Little League Museum

Little League Museum

The Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum is located on the Little League International Complex on Route 15 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States....
is also located on the Little League International Complex in South Williamsport. It provides a history of Little League Baseball and interactive exhibits for children.

The organization now has its headquarters in South Williamsport, directly across the Susquehanna River

Susquehanna River

The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At approximately 444 mi long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the United States and the 16th longest in the United States....
from the site of the original league; however, it continues to have a Williamsport postal address. South Williamsport also hosts the Little League World Series at Howard J. Lamade Stadium

Howard J. Lamade Stadium

Howard J. Lamade Stadium is a baseball stadium in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Each year, it hosts the Little League World Series, one of the few sports events where children 12 years old and younger take the center stage....
and Little League Volunteer Stadium

Little League Volunteer Stadium

Little League Volunteer Stadium is a baseball stadium in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Along with Howard J. Lamade Stadium, it annually hosts the Little League World Series, one of the few sports events where children 12 years old and younger take the center stage....
. Little League Baseball encourages volunteers to run Little League programs.

The group holds a congressional charter

Congressional charter

A congressional charter is a law passed by the United States Congress that states the mission, authority and activities of a group. Congress issued federal charters from 1791 until 1992....
under Title 36 of the United States Code

Title 36 of the United States Code

Title 36 of the United States Code outlines the role of Patriotic Societies and Observances in the United States Code.*Subtitle I?Patriotic and National Observances and Ceremonies...
.

A provision of the official national Little League rules holds that “[a]t no time should payment of any fee be a prerequisite for participation in any level of the Little League program.” This stipulation stems from Stotz's personal experience of poverty in the Great Depression .

Rules

The official rules of Little League Baseball are not made available to the general public, though copies are provided to each team. The playing rules for the baseball divisions essentially follow the Official Baseball Rules, especially with respect to the upper divisions (Junior, Senior, and Big League). Some major exceptions are outlined below; these apply to Little League (Minor and Major, ages 7-12) except as otherwise noted.

Length of Game

A regulation game is six innings

Innings

An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring....
. If the game is called prior to the completion of six innings, it is considered an official game if four innings have been completed (three and a half, if the home team leads); otherwise, if at least one inning has been completed, it is a suspended game.

In the Junior, Senior, and Big League levels (ages 13-18), a game is seven innings and is official if five innings have been completed.

Mandatory Play Rule

In all divisions except Senior and Big League, every player on the team roster must have at least one plate appearance and play six consecutive outs on defense in each game. The penalty for a manager violating the rule is a two-game suspension. This rule is waived if the game is completed prior to six innings.

Playing Field

The size of the field is dependent on the division of play .

Tee Ball

The distance between the bases is generally 45 feet.

Minor League and Little League

The distance between the bases is 60 feet and the distance from the pitcher’s mound to home plate is 46 feet. Outfield fences must be at least 165 feet from home plate

Home Plate

Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 ....
, but are usually 200 feet or more (the fields at the Williamsport complex have fences 225 feet away). The bases and pitching rubber are also slightly smaller than in standard baseball. Also, unlike fields at almost all levels of competitive baseball for teenagers and adults, the distance between home plate and the outfield fence is constant throughout fair territory.

Junior League, Senior League, and Big League

The distance between the bases is 90 feet, the same as for regulation Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of play in American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between them since 1903 ....
fields. The distance between the pitcher's mound to home plate is 60.6 feet. The minimum outfield distance in the upper divisions is 300 feet, while the maximum for Big League is 420 feet.

Equipment

Bats

Baseball bat

A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal Club used in the game of baseball to hit the Baseball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher . It is no more than 2.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches in length....
(all levels) may be made from material other than wood (such as aluminum or composite materials) and must be approved for use in Little League Baseball. The maximum bat length is thirty-three (33) inches and maximum barrel diameter may not exceed 2 1/4 inches. Beginning in 2009 all Little League bats must be labeled with a Bat Performance Factor (BPF) of 1.15 or lower.

Bats for the Junior League level may have a maximum length of thirty-four (34) inches and a maximum barrel diameter of 2 5/8 inches. Bats for the Big and Senior League levels may have a maximum length of thirty-six (36) inches and a maximum barrel diameter of 2 3/4 inches for wood bats and 2 5/8 inches for non-wood bats. Big and Senior League bats must meet the Ball Exit Speed Ratio (BESR) testing standards that are currently used in the NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and University in the United States ....
and NFHS

National Federation of State High School Associations

The National Federation of State High School Associations is the body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States....
(high school).

Base running

A base runner may not leave his time-of-pitch base until the pitch reaches the batter.

If a fielder is waiting at the base with the ball, an advancing runner must attempt to avoid contact. A runner may not slide head-first except when retreating to a previously held base.

In the upper levels, runners must still make an attempt to avoid contact if possible, and may not maliciously initiate contact with a fielder.

Batting

The upper limit of the strike zone

Strike zone

file:Strike zone en.JPGIn baseball, the strike zone is a conceptual three dimensional right angle pentagonal prism over home plate which defines the boundaries through which a Pitch must pass in order to count as a strike when the Batting does not swing....
extends to the batter's armpits. A batter is out after the third strike

Strikeout

In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike out occurs when a batter receives three strike during his time at bat. Strikeouts are associated with dominance on the part of the pitcher , although it is recognized that the style of swing that generates home runs also leaves the batter somewhat susceptible to striking out....
regardless of whether the pitched ball is held by the catcher. The "Dropped third strike" rule does apply for the upper levels.

Substitution

Players who have been substituted for may return to the game under certain conditions, though a pitcher who has left the game may not return to pitch.

Pitchers

Pitchers in all divisions are limited to a specific pitch count per game and a mandatory rest period between outings. These vary with age and the rest period also depends on the number of pitches thrown.

Local options

Local leagues have a certain amount of flexibility. For example, a league may opt to use the "continuous batting order" rule, under which each player on the team’s roster bats, even when not in the defensive lineup. Leagues may also adopt a "mercy rule

Mercy rule

A mercy rule, also well known by the slightly less polite term slaughter rule , brings a sports event to an early end when one team has a very large and presumably insurmountable lead over the other team....
" allowing the game to be called if one team is ahead by ten or more runs

Run (baseball)

In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third baseball field and returns out to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three out are recorded....
after five innings.

Divisions

Little League affiliated programs are divided into six divisions based on the ages of the children playing: Tee Ball

Tee Ball

Tee Ball or T-Ball is a sport based on baseball and is intended as an introduction for young players to develop baseball skills and have fun....
(ages 5-8), Minors (7-12), Little (or Majors) (9-12), Junior (13-14), Senior (14-16 baseball, 13-16 softball) and Big (16-18 baseball, 14-18 softball). The age-cutoffs vary between Little League affiliated programs as Little League provides flexibility to the local league to do what best suits their program. For example, a typical league may have a Minor division for 7 and 8 year olds in which pitching is by coach or machine, and a separate "player pitch" division for 9 and 10 year olds, and certain players near the age boundaries may be allowed to play up or down. Little League welcomes both boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 18.

Another division of Little League is the "Challenger Division" which is designed for children with disabilities. One of the aims of Little League, other than simply to have fun, is to teach children about team

Team

A team comprises a groups of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks....
work, sportsmanship

Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is conformance to the rules, spirit, and etiquette of sport. More grandly, it may be considered the ethos of sport. It is interesting that the motivation for sport is often an elusive element....
and fair play. Their watchwords are Character
Moral character

Moral character or character is an evaluation of a particular individual's Morality qualities. The concept of character can imply a variety of attributes including the existence or lack of virtues such as integrity, courage, fortitude, honesty, and loyalty, or of good behaviors or Habit ....
, Courage
Courage

Courage, also known as bravery, will, intrepidity, and fortitude, is the ability to confront fear, pain, Risk, uncertainty, or intimidation....
, Loyalty
Loyalty

Loyalty is faithfulness or a devotion to a person or cause....
. Little League has developed many equipment changes over the years to protect young ball players including the introduction of the full batting helmet and the use of the throat guard for catchers. In recent years, Little League has developed rules to assist young ball players. Little League Baseball has instituted a pitch count

Pitch count

In baseball baseball statistics, pitch count is the number of Pitch thrown by a pitcher in a game.Pitch counts are a concern for young pitchers, pitchers recovering from injury, or pitchers who have a history of injuries....
to protect young pitchers' arms.

Little League World Series

The best-known event in the Little League calendar is the annual Little League Baseball World Series

Little League World Series

The Little League World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11, 12 and 13 years old. Named for the World Series in Major League Baseball, it was first held in 1947 in baseball and is held every August in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania in the United States....
, which is held every August in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania

South Williamsport, Pennsylvania

South Williamsport is a List of municipalities in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,412 at the United States Census 2000....
. Tournaments leading up to the World Series are held throughout the USA, including the territories of the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands

Northern Mariana Islands

The Northern Mariana Islands , officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean....
, and Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a Autonomy Territories of the United States of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands....
, and also across the rest of the world. In 2003 for example, there were tournaments in Canada

Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, Europe

Europe

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
and Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
), Latin America

Latin America

Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages ? particularly Spanish language and Portuguese language, and variably French language ? are primarily spoken....
(Mexico

Mexico

Panama

Panama, officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America and, in turn, North America. Situated on an isthmus connecting North and South America, some categorize it as a transcontinental nation....
, Curaçao

Curaçao

Cura?ao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The island area of Cura?ao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Cura?ao , is one of five islands of the Netherlands Antilles of the Netherlands Antilles, and as such, is a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands....
, Aruba

Aruba

Aruba is a -long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, north of the Paraguan? Peninsula, Falc?n State, Venezuela. Together with Bonaire and Cura?ao it forms a group referred to as the ABC islands of the Leeward Antilles, the southern island chain of the Lesser Antilles....
, Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela , officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a country on the northern coast of South America.The country comprises a continental mainland and numerous islands located off the Venezuelan coastline in the Caribbean Sea....
), and in Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
(Japan

Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
, Philippines

Philippines

South Korea

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea , ), often referred to as Korea and the "names of Korea#Revival of the names", is a Semi-presidential system republic in East Asia, located in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula....
, Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
). The Little League Baseball World Series is just one of eight World Series every year. There are series for baseball and softball in Little, Junior, Senior and Big Leagues, each one held in a different location.

History

Carl Stotz, a resident of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, he found the Little League Baseball in 1939. He began experimenting with his idea in the summer of 1938 when he gathered his nephews, Jimmy and Major Gehron and their neighborhood friends. They tried different field dimensions over the course of the summer and played several informal games. The following summer Stotz felt that he was ready to establish what became Little League Baseball. The first league in Williamsport had just three teams, each sponsored by a different business. The first teams, Jumbo Pretzel, Lycoming Dairy and Lundy Lumber were managed by Carl Stotz and two of his friends George and Bert Bebble. The men, joined by their wives and another couple, formed the first-ever Little League Board of Directors. Stotz's dream of establishing a baseball league for boys to teach fair play and teamwork

Teamwork

Teamwork "a joint action by 2 or more people' or a group, in which each person subordinates his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group."...
had come true.

The first Little League game took place on June 6, 1939. Lundy Lumber defeated Lycoming Dairy 23-8. Lycoming Dairy came back to claim the league championship. They, the first-half-season champions, defeated Lundy Lumber, the second-half champs, in a best-of-three season-ending series. The following year a second league was formed in Williamsport and from there Little League Baseball grew from three teams in a small Pennsylvania town to an international organization of nearly 200,000 teams in every U.S. state and over 80 countries all around the world.

According to the Little League Baseball in 2007, there are more than 2.3 million players in Little League Baseball worldwide, including 400,000 girls registered in Girl's Softball. For tournament purposes, official Little League is divided into 16 geographic regions; 8 National and 8 international. The National regions are:

New England
Great Lakes
Mid-Atlantic
Midwest
Southeast
Southwest
Northwest (including Alaska)
West (including Hawaii)

The international regions are:

Canada
Mexico
Caribbean
Latin America (Central America and South America)
Europe
MEA (Middle East and Africa)

Japan
Asia-Pacific (all other countries in Asia and the Pacific)

Timeline

Early years

1939 - Little League is established by Carl Stotz

Carl Stotz

Carl E. Stotz was the United States founder of Little League Baseball.Stotz was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania. He got a job as a lumberyard clerk....
. The first season is played in a lot near Bowman Field. Lycoming Dairy is the first season champion.

1946 - Little League has expanded to 12 leagues all of which are in Pennsylvania.

1947 - The first league outside of Pennsylvania is founded in Hammonton, New Jersey

Hammonton, New Jersey

Hammonton, founded by Charles K. Landis, is a Town in Atlantic County, New Jersey, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 12,604....
. Maynard League of Williamsport defeats a team from Lock Haven

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania

Lock Haven is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Pennsylvania, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Near the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Creek , it is the principal city of and is included in the Lock Haven, Pennsylvania Micropolitan Statistical Area, part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania-Lock H...
, Pennsylvania to win the first Little League World Series. Allen Yearick is the first Little League graduate to play professional baseball when he is signed by the Boston Braves

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the National League East of Major League Baseball's National League....
.

1948 - Little League has grown to include 94 leagues. Lock Haven returns to the LLWS and defeats a league from St. Petersburg, Florida

St. Petersburg, Florida

St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The city is known as a vacation destination for North American and European vacationers, as well as a politically important swing state in U.S....
. The first corporate sponsor, U.S. Rubber, is announced, who donate Pro-Keds

Pro-Keds

In 1949, Keds introduced a line of athletic shoes called Pro-Keds, which were intended for more serious use, specifically for basketball. Over the years many basketball players and teams wore Pro-Keds shoes while playing....
shoes to teams at the LLWS. amy wolfe was ere

1949 - Little League is featured in the Saturday Evening Post and on Newsreels. Carl Stotz gets hundreds of requests for information on how to form leagues at the local level from all over the United States. Little League incorporates in New York

New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
.

1951 - A league is formed in British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
, Canada

Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
making it the first league outside the United States.

1953 - The Little League World Series is televised for the first time. Jim McKay

Jim McKay

James Kenneth McManus , better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an United States television sports journalist.McKay is best known for hosting American Broadcasting Company's Wide World of Sports ....
provides the play by play for CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American radio network and television network. The name is derived from the initials of Columbia Broadcasting System, its former legal name....
. Howard Cosell

Howard Cosell

Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist....
provides play by play for ABC Radio

ABC Radio

ABC Radio Networks, known as ABC Radio for short, is an radio in the United States radio network. The network syndicates some of the most famous personalities in American radio, like Sean Hannity and Don Imus....
. Joey Jay

Joey Jay

Joseph Richard Jay is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1953 through 1966, Jay played for the Atlanta Braves , Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves ....
of Middletown, Connecticut

Middletown, Connecticut

Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the south-central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford, Connecticut....
and the Milwaukee Braves is the first Little League graduate to play in the Major Leagues

Major League Baseball

Boog Powell

John Wesley Powell is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Baltimore Orioles , Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers ....
, who later played for the Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball based in Baltimore. They are a member of the American League East of Major League Baseball's American League....
plays in the Little League World Series for Lakeland, Florida

Lakeland, Florida

Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa, Florida and Orlando, Florida along Interstate 4....
. Ken Hubbs

Ken Hubbs

Kenneth Douglass Hubbs was an United States second baseman who played from to for the Chicago Cubs in the National League. He was killed in a plane crash near Provo, Utah prior to the 1964 in baseball....
, who later played for the Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball franchise based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members and currently the two-time defending champions of the National League Central of Major League Baseball's National League....
, plays in the LLWS for Colton

Colton, California

Colton is a city in San Bernardino County, California, California, United States. The population was 47,662 at the 2000 census.Colton is the site of Colton Crossing, one of the busiest at-grade railroad crossings in the United States....
, California

California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
. Little League has expanded to more than 3,300 leagues.

1955 - There is a Little League organization in each of the 48 U.S. States. George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States from 2001 to 2009. He was the 46th List of Governors of Texas from 1995 to 2000 before being United States presidential inauguration as President on January 20, 2001....
begins playing Little League as a catcher

Catcher

Catcher is a Baseball positions played in baseball. The catcher crouches behind home plate and receives the ball from the pitcher. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the catcher is assigned the number 2 ....
for the Cubs of the Central Little League in Midland

Midland, Texas

Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, located on the Great Plains of the western area of the U.S. state of Texas. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County, Texas....
, Texas

Texas

Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
. He is the first Little League graduate to be elected President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
.

1956 - Carl Stotz severs his ties with Little League Baseball in a dispute over the direction and control of Little League. Stotz remains active in youth baseball with the "Original League" in Williamsport. Fred Shapiro throws a perfect game in the Little League World Series.

International era

1957 - Angel Marcias throws a perfect game and Monterrey, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
becomes the first team from outside the United States to win the Little League World Series.

1959 - The Little League World Series moves from Williamsport to the newly built Little League Headquarters in South Williamsport

South Williamsport, Pennsylvania

South Williamsport is a List of municipalities in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,412 at the United States Census 2000....
. The protective baseball helmet is developed by Dr. Creighton Hale.

1960 - A team from West Berlin

West Berlin

West Berlin was the name given to the western part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors established in 1945....
, West Germany

West Germany

West Germany was the common English name for the Germany , from its formation in May 1949 to German reunification in October 1990, when East Germany was dissolved and its States of Germany became part of the Federal Republic, ending the more than 40-year division of Germany....
is the first team from Europe

Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
to play in the Little League World Series. The series is broadcast live for the first time on ABC. Little League has grown to 27,400 teams in more than 5,500 leagues.

1961 - Brian Sipe

Brian Sipe

Brian Winfield Sipe is a former professional American Football quarterback who played in the National Football League between 1974-83 and the United States Football League in 1984-85....
, future quarterback

Quarterback

Quarterback is a position in American football and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the center , in the middle of the Lineman ....
for the Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio, Ohio. They play in the AFC North division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, plays for the series champions from El Cajon

El Cajon, California

El Cajon is a city in San Diego County, California, California, United States. The population was 94,869 at the 2000 census. El Caj?n is Spanish for "The Box", relating to it being surrounded by mountains in a nestled valley....
, California

California

Jackie Robinson

Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first African-American Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Although not the first African-American professional baseball player in United States history, Robinson's 1947 Major League debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers ended approximately 60 years of baseball Racial_segregation#United_States_...
attends the Little League World Series. President John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States, serving from 1961 until John F....
proclaims National Little League Week.

1963 - Central Little League, of Duluth, Minnesota wins the third place game, beating Turkey.

1967 - A team from West Tokyo

Tokyo

, officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshu. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the Tokyo City in the eastern part of the prefecture, and total over 8 million people....
, Japan

Japan

Asia

Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
begins a dominant and controversial era that would see them win 17 Little League World Series titles.

1971 - The aluminum baseball bat is first used. It was partly developed by Little League Baseball. Lloyd McClendon

Lloyd McClendon

Lloyd Glenn McClendon is a former left fielder and right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball, and the current hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers, serving under Jim Leyland....
of Gary

Gary, Indiana

Gary is the largest city in Lake County, Indiana, Indiana, United States. The city is located in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is approximately 25 miles from downtown Chicago....
, Indiana

Indiana

The State of Indiana was the 19th U.S. state admitted into the union. It is located in the Midwestern United States of the United States of America....
dominates the Little League World Series, hitting five home run

Home run

In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batting is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring run for himself and each baserunning who was already on base, with no error by the defensive team on the play....
s in five at-bats. He later played in the Major Leagues and become the first Little League graduate to manage an MLB club with the Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania. They play in the National League Central of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions and played in the first one....
.

1973 - Ed Vosberg

Ed Vosberg

Edward John Vosberg is a former left-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who had a 10-year career . He played with the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Florida Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals in the National League, and the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers in the American Le...
plays in the Little League World Series for Tucson

Tucson, Arizona

Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, Arizona, United States, located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix, Arizona and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border....
, Arizona

Arizona

The State of Arizona is a U.S. state located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix, Arizona....
. He later played in the College World Series

College World Series

The College World Series or CWS is a baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion....
for the University of Arizona

University of Arizona

The University of Arizona is a land-grant and Space grant colleges Public university institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States....
in 1980 and the World Series

World Series

The World Series is the championship series of Major League Baseball, the culmination of the sport's playoff each October. Since the Series takes place in mid-autumn, sportswriters many years ago dubbed the event the Fall Classic, a usage reflected in the logo for the 2008 World Series; it is also sometimes known as the October Clas...
in 1997 for the Florida Marlins

Florida Marlins

The Florida Marlins are a professional baseball based in Miami Gardens, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise, the Marlins are a member of the National League East of Major League Baseball's National League....
. Vosberg is the first person to have played in all three world series.

1975 - In a controversial decision, all foreign teams are banned from the Little League World Series. International play is restored the following year.

1980 - A team from Tampa

Tampa, Florida

Tampa is a United States city in Hillsborough County, Florida, on the west coast of the state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County....
, Florida

Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
representing Belmont Heights Little League is led by two future major leaguers Derek Bell

Derek Bell (baseball player)

Derek Nathaniel Bell is a former Major League Baseball player. Primarily a right fielder and center fielder, Bell batted from the right side and threw with his right hand....
and Gary Sheffield

Gary Sheffield

Gary Antonian Sheffield is a Major League Baseball player for the Detroit Tigers. During his career, he has played for seven major league ball clubs....
. Bell returns the following year and Belmont Heights again loses in the finals to a team from Taiwan.

1982 - The Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum opens. Cody Webster leads a team from Kirkland

Kirkland, Washington

Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Seattle, Washington located on the Eastside . The population was 45,054 at the 2000 United States Census; its estimated 2006 population of 46,476 makes it the ninth largest city in King County and the nineteenth largest city in the state....
, Washington

Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
in an upset victory of a powerful team from Taiwan. It was Taiwan's first loss in 31 games.

1984 - Seoul

Seoul

Seoul is the Capital and largest city of South Korea. With a population of over 10 million, It is one of the world's List of cities proper by population.The Seoul National Capital Area - which includes the major port city of Incheon and satellite towns in Gyeonggi-do, has 24.5 million inhabitants and is the world's second largest List of me...
, South Korea

South Korea

Altamonte Springs, Florida

Altamonte Springs is a city in Orange County, Florida and Seminole County, Florida counties in the U.S. state of Florida. Located primarily in Seminole County, the city is a northern suburb of the Orlando, Florida–Kissimmee, Florida, Florida Greater Orlando, which the United States Census Bureau estimated had a population of 2,032,496 i...
, Florida

Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
led by future Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in . The Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball?s American League East. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park....
catcher, Jason Varitek

Jason Varitek

Jason Andrew Varitek is an United States baseball catcher for the Boston Red Sox. After being traded as a minor league prospect by the Seattle Mariners, Varitek has played his entire major league career for the Red Sox....
.

1988 - Tom Seaver

Tom Seaver

George Thomas Seaver is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the major leagues in and retired in . He played for four different teams in his career, but is primarily associated with the New York Mets....
is the first former Little Leaguer to be enshrined in the Peter J. McGovern Museum Hall of Excellence.

1989 - Poland

Poland

Warsaw Pact

The Warsaw Pact was an organization of communist states in Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The treaty was signed in Warsaw, Poland on May 14, 1955 and official copies were made in Russian language, Polish language, Czech language and German language....
nation to receive a Little League charter. Trumbull

Trumbull, Connecticut

Trumbull is a New England town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Connecticut, United States. The population was 34,243 at the 2000 United States Census....
, Connecticut, led by future NHL star Chris Drury

Chris Drury

Christopher Drury is an United States professional ice hockey player who is currently the Captain of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League ....
, wins the Little League World Series.

1992 - Carl Stotz, the founder of Little League, dies. Lights are installed at Lamade Stadium allowing for the first night games to be played. The series is expanded from single elimination to round robin format.

1992 - Long Beach

Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a large city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific Ocean coast. It is situated in Los Angeles County, about south of downtown Los Angeles....
, California managed by former Major Leaguer Jeff Burroughs

Jeff Burroughs

Jeffrey Alan Burroughs is a former player in Major League Baseball. From through , he played for the Texas Rangers , Texas Rangers , Atlanta Braves , Seattle Mariners , Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays ....
and led by his son future Major Leaguer Sean Burroughs

Sean Burroughs

Sean Patrick Burroughs is a free agent third baseman in Major League Baseball who has played for the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays.Burroughs, who stands 6'2" tall and weighs 200 pounds , bats left-handed, but throws right-handed....
is named series champion after Zamboanga City

Zamboanga City

The City of Zamboanga is a highly-urbanized Philippine city located on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. It is one of the first Chartered city city, 6th most populated city and the 3rd largest city in the country in terms of land area....
, Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
is forced to forfeit for playing with ineligible players.

1993 - Long Beach repeats as champions, defeating Coquivacoa Little League of Maracaibo, Venezuela

Venezuela

ESPN2

ESPN2 debuted on October 1, 1993, as a sister station of ESPN. Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was to be branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross, snowboarding, and BMX racing....
broadcasts regional play for the first time. Taiwan's baseball association withdraws from Little League Baseball. Bradenton, FL and Pottsville, PA play at Lamade Stadium before the largest crowd ever to attend a non-championship game. The crowd was estimated at over 35,000 fans.

1999 - Burkina-Faso becomes the 100th nation with a Little League organization. Hirkata Little League of Osaka

Osaka

is a Cities of Japan in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshu.Osaka is a City designated by government ordinance under the Local Autonomy Law and the capital city of Osaka Prefecture....
, Japan becomes the first Japanese team to win a title since 1976.

2000 - An expansion project begins at Little League World Series Headquarters. Volunteer Stadium is built. This allows the pool of participants to be doubled from 8 to 16 the following year.

2001 - The LLWS expands from 8 to 16 teams, with the following changes to regional lineups (post-2000 regions in bold):

US regions:

The East Region splits into the New England and Mid-Atlantic Regions.
The Central Region splits into the Great Lakes and Midwest Regions.
The South Region splits into the Southeast and Southwest Regions.
The West Region spins off the Northwest Region.

International regions:

Canada remains intact as a region.
The Latin America Region spins off new regions for the Caribbean and Mexico.
The Far East Region splits into the Asia and Pacific Regions.
The Europe Region spins off the TransAtlantic Region.

These two regions were geographically identical, differing in the required composition of playing rosters. TransAtlantic teams were required to consist of a majority of players who were nationals of the USA, Canada, or Japan. Europe teams could have no more than three nationals of those countries.

In other news, Volunteer Stadium is opened. George W. Bush

George W. Bush

Danny Almonte

Danny Almonte Rojas is a former Little League baseball pitcher, the subject of a media circus in 2001. Considered a phenom as he led his Bronx, New York team to third place in the 2001 Little League World Series, Almonte was revealed to have actually been two years too old to play Little League baseball....
, pitching the first perfect game since 1957, the Rolando Paulino

Rolando Paulino

Rolando Paulino is a Dominican American Little League Baseball coach in the Bronx, New York. His team, The Rolando Paulino All-Stars, which received third place in the Little League World Series in 2001, was the subject of a scandal because one of its stars, Danny Almonte, was revealed to be born in 1987 instead of 1989, thus too old to play...
All Stars (Bronx

The Bronx

The Bronx is the northernmost of the Five Boroughs of New York City and the newest of the 62 Administrative divisions of New York#county of New York State....
, NY

New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
) finish third in the series. The team's entire postseason, however, is wiped from the books when it is found that Almonte was 14 years old.

2004 – Effective with the 2004 LLWS, the Europe Region is renamed EMEA, for Europe, Middle East, Africa.

2007 - Little League expands into Australia for the first time. Effective with the 2007 LLWS, the Asia and Pacific regions are merged to form the Asia-Pacific Region, with Japan being split into its own region.

2008 - Effective with this year's LLWS, the TransAtlantic and EMEA regions are reorganized into the Europe and MEA regions. The previous nationality restrictions for players from these regions are abolished. Hawai'i wins the 2008 Little League World Series beating Mexico in the Final.

External links

- Little League Baseball Group on LinkedIn.
- by the artist Kathleen B. Bonnell.
- by the artist Kathleen B. Bonnell.

Little League

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See also

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