Where were we? Oh yeah, the Little league World Series? Anybody else lived in a city that won the title?
50 years ago in Little League
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Oh, THAT boss. Woops.
You can't read Lebron's #2's Twitters in the newspaper.
You're not quite as 'old school' as you thought, are you? Yeah, your kids won't be playing video games...
Sandra
When I was a kid playing basketball our team was so good that we would tear up the teams in town. There were 7 grade schools and the other 6 were no competition. I wasn't even a starter but was told that I could have started for any of the other teams had I not lived where I was. We didn't get any competition until the after regular season when the tournaments started. We once beat a team 127-10 and they had a 7th grader on their team. It was a scrimage so we didn't care and he sucked anyway.
Good luck with that. BTW, do you play video games? I understand what your intentions are, but VG's are a part of society. I limit my son's time on the PS3. I'm sure he'll be playing less VG's when he gets older and can play outside unsupervised with other children.
Recalling My Little League Championship
Not the national Little League World Series in Kitty Bunkport that you might be talking about, but I was apart of a local city league that won a title when I was about 12. It was a league composed of about 20-25 teams.
The team I was on was like the Bad News Bears. We had a team compiled of a bunch of misfits. One was a foreign kid who wore dress shoes to practice. We also had 2 girls on our team (only two in the entire league). What we lacked in talent we made up in moxy.
Anyways, we ended up making it to the playoffs that year and went all the way to the Championship against a team everyone in the city hated. This team was accused of stacking their roster on draft day by snatching all the good players instead of them being equally disbursed. They didn't lose a game that year.
Then, in an unparalleled set of events, our team made it to the Championship to face them. We played on a Saturday night underneath the lights with what seemed like the whole city in attendance. Another kid started the game, but I came in later in relief. Pitchers were allowed to bat in this league.
We progressed to the last inning. We were the home team, but found ourselves down by 3 runs with our last at-bat. It was rally time! Everyone had their hats turned inside out and were chanting "Rally, Rally, Rally".....
3 kids on base and 2 outs later, I found myself up to bat. We were still down by 3. I remember vividly being overcome with excitement and anxiety in knowing what was at stake. Just before I stepped up to bat, I spit out the wad of Big-League Chew I had stuffed in my cheek. It was time to get serious!
The opposing pitcher was throwing some heat. Even though he was 12, it seemed like those pitches were coming in at 90mph (which they obviously weren't). Anyways, I ended up really getting a hold of one and I ran my ass off. Around first, I was being waved. I rounded 2nd without hesitation. As I approached 3rd, the coach gave me the GO sign!. I rounded 3rd and headed to home with a slide. A GRAND SLAM in the bottom of the 9th to win the Championship! I was mobbed at the plate by teammates, coaches and fans!
It was an unreal experience and I still enjoy talking about it today. They say everyone in life has their 15 minutes of fame. That day under the summer lights was mine.
Not the national Little League World Series in Kitty Bunkport that you might be talking about, but I was apart of a local city league that won a title when I was about 12. It was a league composed of about 20-25 teams.
The team I was on was like the Bad News Bears. We had a team compiled of a bunch of misfits. One was a foreign kid who wore dress shoes to practice. We also had 2 girls on our team (only two in the entire league). What we lacked in talent we made up in moxy.
Anyways, we ended up making it to the playoffs that year and went all the way to the Championship against a team everyone in the city hated. This team was accused of stacking their roster on draft day by snatching all the good players instead of them being equally disbursed. They didn't lose a game that year.
Then, in an unparalleled set of events, our team made it to the Championship to face them. We played on a Saturday night underneath the lights with what seemed like the whole city in attendance. Another kid started the game, but I came in later in relief. Pitchers were allowed to bat in this league.
We progressed to the last inning. We were the home team, but found ourselves down by 3 runs with our last at-bat. It was rally time! Everyone had their hats turned inside out and were chanting "Rally, Rally, Rally".....
3 kids on base and 2 outs later, I found myself up to bat. We were still down by 3. I remember vividly being overcome with excitement and anxiety in knowing what was at stake. Just before I stepped up to bat, I spit out the wad of Big-League Chew I had stuffed in my cheek. It was time to get serious!
The opposing pitcher was throwing some heat. Even though he was 12, it seemed like those pitches were coming in at 90mph (which they obviously weren't). Anyways, I ended up really getting a hold of one and I ran my ass off. Around first, I was being waved. I rounded 2nd without hesitation. As I approached 3rd, the coach gave me the GO sign!. I rounded 3rd and headed to home with a slide. A GRAND SLAM in the bottom of the 9th to win the Championship! I was mobbed at the plate by teammates, coaches and fans!
It was an unreal experience and I still enjoy talking about it today. They say everyone in life has their 15 minutes of fame. That day under the summer lights was mine.
I do own a PS3. Mostly for Blu-Rays though. I'm just being tough speaking like this now. I'll prolly soften up once I have kids.
Look how bad it has gotten for a WHOLE island. 10 Years ago, the little island of Puerto Rico had the most major leaguers playing from any latin american country....this year, the have 5 LESS than they did 10 years ago? It was SO BAD in Puerto Rico that a couple of years ago, they CANCELLED the ENTIRE winter league season due to "lack of interest"!! They were only averaging 400 fans a game. The winter leagues in Puerto Rico have such a HUGE, RICH tradition...that it was a major shock to the system.
I just think that baseball as a whole has lost alot of fans for all kinds of reasons. Hell, I have seen and read that the inner city high schools throughout the country are having all kinds of problems getting black kids to play. Some so bad that they cannot even field a team.
I just think that baseball as a whole has lost alot of fans for all kinds of reasons. Hell, I have seen and read that the inner city high schools throughout the country are having all kinds of problems getting black kids to play. Some so bad that they cannot even field a team.
...white kids too. My nephew is a perfect example. He's a baseball star, dominant even, but he'd rather play basketball, football or soccer, because of the excitement of the sport. He's done with baseball.
And he's NOT a video game kid, not in the least. Many top young athletes aren't. They don't play Wii Fit to stay in shape, thay actually play the sports!
Sandra
Not the national Little League World Series in Kitty Bunkport that you might be talking about, but I was apart of a local city league that won a title when I was about 12. It was a league composed of about 20-25 teams.
The team I was on was like the Bad News Bears. We had a team compiled of a bunch of misfits. One was a foreign kid who wore dress shoes to practice. We also had 2 girls on our team (only two in the entire league). What we lacked in talent we made up in moxy.
Anyways, we ended up making it to the playoffs that year and went all the way to the Championship against a team everyone in the city hated. This team was accused of stacking their roster on draft day by snatching all the good players instead of them being equally disbursed. They didn't lose a game that year.
Then, in an unparalleled set of events, our team made it to the Championship to face them. We played on a Saturday night underneath the lights with what seemed like the whole city in attendance. Another kid started the game, but I came in later in relief. Pitchers were allowed to bat in this league.
We progressed to the last inning. We were the home team, but found ourselves down by 3 runs with our last at-bat. It was rally time! Everyone had their hats turned inside out and were chanting "Rally, Rally, Rally".....
3 kids on base and 2 outs later, I found myself up to bat. We were still down by 3. I remember vividly being overcome with excitement and anxiety in knowing what was at stake. Just before I stepped up to bat, I spit out the wad of Big-League Chew I had stuffed in my cheek. It was time to get serious!
The opposing pitcher was throwing some heat. Even though he was 12, it seemed like those pitches were coming in at 90mph (which they obviously weren't). Anyways, I ended up really getting a hold of one and I ran my ass off. Around first, I was being waved. I rounded 2nd without hesitation. As I approached 3rd, the coach gave me the GO sign!. I rounded 3rd and headed to home with a slide. A GRAND SLAM in the bottom of the 9th to win the Championship! I was mobbed at the plate by teammates, coaches and fans!
It was an unreal experience and I still enjoy talking about it today. They say everyone in life has their 15 minutes of fame. That day under the summer lights was mine.
That is an incredible story.
Playing a powerhouse team, down 3 runs with 1 out left, hitting a grand salmi to win- that is the stuff of movies- "The Little Natural."
The people in the stands that day felt like you did when you saw Lebron hit that miracle shot.
Look how bad it has gotten for a WHOLE island. 10 Years ago, the little island of Puerto Rico had the most major leaguers playing from any latin american country....this year, the have 5 LESS than they did 10 years ago? It was SO BAD in Puerto Rico that a couple of years ago, they CANCELLED the ENTIRE winter league season due to "lack of interest"!! They were only averaging 400 fans a game. The winter leagues in Puerto Rico have such a HUGE, RICH tradition...that it was a major shock to the system.
I just think that baseball as a whole has lost alot of fans for all kinds of reasons. Hell, I have seen and read that the inner city high schools throughout the country are having all kinds of problems getting black kids to play. Some so bad that they cannot even field a team.
Really? I thought baseball was a religion there.
Yep...and for a long time...so did everyon else. Then suddenly, they just stop playing AND going to games....it was really....when my uncle told me this I litterally cried. The einter league that use to have Clemente, Mays, Snyder, Monte Irvin, Satchel Paige, Ricky Henderson, Cepeda....and suddenly, no one shows up?
I use to play what was little league baseball at Roberto Clemente Sports City. There use to be a LINE to get into the beautiful complex.....now, barely a trickle.
When we moved into our Northern Virginia home in early 2002, I noticed several older folks walking each day. The ones we met had retired from places like Massachusetts and Long Island, NY when the subdivision was built in the mid-90s due to milder winters, more affordable housing, and less taxes. We assumed each home was occupied by an elderly couple because we rarely saw anyone under 50 taking a stroll in the evenings and we never saw any kids.
We moved into the neighborhood thinking it would be a great place for our 1-year old daughter...ideal for kids: 2-4 acre lots, woods in the back of almost every yard, and the subdivision was gates and backed-up to a county reservoir. Back when I was a kid we did a lot of our playing and bike riding in the residential streets of Detroit City (mid-60s to early-70s). Every year we knew a kid or two at school who got pancaked by a driver (mostly broken bones, but two lost limbs and one death), but nothing was going to keep us from our outdoor adventures. Heck, other than the Mike Douglas Show and Matchgame, there wasn't a who lot to watch during the summers between ABC, CBS, NBC, one UHF channel (channel 50) and channel 9 (CKLW in Windsor Ontario).
Imagine my surprise when I went into work late one morning after having lived in the house for more than three years only to see a gaggle of fatso kids standing in front of 80% of the homes. Why haven't we seen these kids before? First, with the average lot being 3-acres it was impossible to see any of the kids since they didn't actually play out side in any form or fashion. Based on the fact more than 50% of the kids were obese, I can only conclude they spent their lives playing video games, surfing the web, watching 250+ channels of television, and eating chips and drinking soda-pop all day and all night. What a shame! Most kids had a baseball/football/soccer field right in the backyards, 2 1/2 miles of private roads in which to ride their bikes and skateboards and play kick-the-can, 200-300 acres of private woods in which to play Cowboys and Indians, and a reservoir in which to fish and skip stones. Go figure!
Anyway, the following year I actually saw two of the fat-fingered little monsters passing by the house on their way to visit friends living at the top of the street about a quarter a mile away. Were they walking or riding a bike? Heck no! They were driving a golf cart their parent bought them so their chunky little legs didn't have to strain by having to walk 5-minutes each way.
And people ask me why I drink? :rant:
When I was growing up (mid 70's-early 80's) I was on the baseball field from 10 am to 9 pm EVERY day in the summer. Half an hour break for lunch and an hour break for dinner.
In the fall and winter it was street hockey (a favorite in my neighborhood) or football after all homework was complete. Basketball we usually played in the spring.
In the fall and winter it was street hockey (a favorite in my neighborhood) or football after all homework was complete. Basketball we usually played in the spring.
Bill W. Your city was also home to the late great wrestler,Killer Kowolski if my old memory serves. HD MM: Cherish those wonderful memories-great story. I can relate to some of these other comments since I used to play baseball from early am till dark on 3 different teams. My Mom would pack me a lunch! I also played these other 3 major sports in season-my favorite was baseball. Played until knee gave out at age 47-now it's golf only. Good reading here. thanks to all, Paul
When I was a kid, we played sports outside everyday all summer. Kids nowadays don't know what they're missing.
We have a Wii in the house, but my son can't play more than around 3 hours a week. I feel bad for him, though, because there just arn't many kids his age playing on our street. Everything (including playing) has to be organized for kids....its a shame.
My son does play organized baseball in the Summer and he absolutely loves it. Some of the parents in the league, however, show worse sportsmanship than the kids....its astonishing.
We have a Wii in the house, but my son can't play more than around 3 hours a week. I feel bad for him, though, because there just arn't many kids his age playing on our street. Everything (including playing) has to be organized for kids....its a shame.
My son does play organized baseball in the Summer and he absolutely loves it. Some of the parents in the league, however, show worse sportsmanship than the kids....its astonishing.
Yep. It truly was the perfect scenario to be in that all kids playing ball dream of. I will certainly cherish that "one shining moment" for the rest of my life. I still to this day bump into old members of that team and we reminisce that game. What a night!
I grew up just south of Williamsport and remember in 1956 Monterry Mexico winning the LLWS. Had a pitcher named Angel Macias who threw both left and right handed. One player from that team, Hector Torres, made it to the majors. Baseball was what we lived for in the summer. Now I drive by ball fields and they are vacant. Times change,but memories live forever.
Rudy T, of Houston Rockets fame, was also from Hamtramck. Biggest "Pole" in the city.
Glad you enjoyed this thread!
In order to play baseball, you need to have eighteen kids available and willing to do the same thing at the same time and at the same place. When I was a kid, we played baseball every day. In order to aggregate eighteen kids, you need to have kids who are older than you and younger, richer than you and poorer, and almost as smart as you or dummer. Basically, you have to gather together a bunch of people who will only socialize together when there is nothing else for them to do.
In the 1960s, we had no air conditioning, no video games or computers, and no cable TV. If we wanted to stay home and watch TV while sweltering, we could choose between watching twenty year old Bing Crosby/Bob Hope/Gene Kelly/Fred Astaire movies, or thirty year old Crazy Cat, Heckel and Jeckel, and Popeye the Sailor cartoons, or we could play Monopoly. I had a "real" Monopoly set with wooden pieces. I preferred playing baseball to watching old movies or playing boardgames.
The last time I saw kids without uniforms on playing baseball was the last time I played in a pick-up baseball game, which was in either 1968 or 1969. Kids who don't play baseball don't know what they are missing. The are missing having such dull and uncomfortable lives that playing baseball is an improvement. And as Siskel and Hebert have pointed out, young people watching epic movies about long hot summers will never understand why the characters in those movies felt the way they did. Kids today don't know why their parents drag them to amusement parks, either.
I am amazed that baseball even continues to have the popularity that it does. Last week, I saw a rust belt sob story about some families whose kids might not be able to play in Little League because they can't afford the $200 enrollment fee, and other who will have no place to play because the community is having trouble coming up with $1.5 million for a new Little League "stadium". If that is what it costs to have a kid play baseball today, then baseball deserves to die out. The fact that soccer can't make any inroads into the baseball player and fan base shows you how sucky a sport soccer is.
In the 1960s, we had no air conditioning, no video games or computers, and no cable TV. If we wanted to stay home and watch TV while sweltering, we could choose between watching twenty year old Bing Crosby/Bob Hope/Gene Kelly/Fred Astaire movies, or thirty year old Crazy Cat, Heckel and Jeckel, and Popeye the Sailor cartoons, or we could play Monopoly. I had a "real" Monopoly set with wooden pieces. I preferred playing baseball to watching old movies or playing boardgames.
The last time I saw kids without uniforms on playing baseball was the last time I played in a pick-up baseball game, which was in either 1968 or 1969. Kids who don't play baseball don't know what they are missing. The are missing having such dull and uncomfortable lives that playing baseball is an improvement. And as Siskel and Hebert have pointed out, young people watching epic movies about long hot summers will never understand why the characters in those movies felt the way they did. Kids today don't know why their parents drag them to amusement parks, either.
I am amazed that baseball even continues to have the popularity that it does. Last week, I saw a rust belt sob story about some families whose kids might not be able to play in Little League because they can't afford the $200 enrollment fee, and other who will have no place to play because the community is having trouble coming up with $1.5 million for a new Little League "stadium". If that is what it costs to have a kid play baseball today, then baseball deserves to die out. The fact that soccer can't make any inroads into the baseball player and fan base shows you how sucky a sport soccer is.
