LLWS & Some Other Thoughts

WOW! Warner Robins, GA wins the Little League World Series with a walk-off homerun in extra innings. This was probably the best game of baseball at any level I have seen all year long.

I have to say one of the highlights of my summer every year is the Little League World Series. It's just a week of great baseball with no agendas like contracts, endorsement deals, or who's getting the most playing time. It's about baseball and nothing else.

I absolutely love the new 85 pitch count rule which basically says no pitcher can throw more than 85 pitches in any given outing. This is probably the smartest thing the LLWS has done in its existence. So many of these kids, especially the pitchers, are never heard from again because they have completely destroyed their arms by the time they are able to drive a car. Great move by the higher-ups of the LLWS to put a limit on these kids to try and save some arms.

Despite getting sent home relatively early, the boys from Walpole deserve a ton of credit. They had an amazing year. And I can tell you right now, the highlight of the Walpole CF robbing a homerun to end the game will be in LLWS highlight reels for years to come. That kid has become a legend at age 12. Unbelievable.

Garrett Williams from Lubbock, Texas had the most dominant LLWS I have ever seen (well at least most dominant and LEGAL as Danny Almonte was just ridiculous 6 years ago). This kid would have ended up with 2 no-hitters if it wasn't for the new 85-pitch limit. He was throwing in the mid-to-high 70s, which is the MLB equivalent of high 90s. This kid was untouchable throughout the LLWS. He finished with 42 K's, two shy of the LLWS record which was set before the pitch limit was put in place. He gave up 0 earned runs all week. His 17 strikeout performance was undoubtedly the most impressive performance of the entire LLWS. I think it's safe to say that if the limit wasn't set this year, Garrett Williams would have shattered the strikeout record.

One of the biggest things I notice every year during the LLWS is the Japanese teams style of play. If you really sit and watch their mechanics, every hitter models after Ichiro and every pitcher seems to model something similar to Daisuke Matsuzaka. I even noticed this with the Japanese team in the World Baseball Classic last Spring. There must be a Japanese baseball mechanics video set that every Japanese baseball player is shown when they're 8 years old because they all have the exact same mechanics. And I am in no way mocking this or degrading it; Japan is always one of the most fundamentally sound programs in the LLWS. There's a reason that they're always playing on the last weekend of the LLWS. It's definitely not luck.

I think my favorite part of the LLWS has to be just the pure emotion of the games. These guys are all in on every at-bat, every play in the field, every pitch. There's no loafing, there's no complaining, there's no taking it easy. These kids give 110% every second they're on the field. It's just great to watch baseball that has no motive other than playing the game. And I know I already said that, I just felt the need to hammer that point home.

I do quickly have to say, the LLWS isn't quite the same without Harold Reynolds. Any chance we can get ESPN and H.R. to settle their differences every August for just one week?? Please???

Since I know you are all curious, here are Danny Mac's top memories of the LLWS:

5. The pitcher from Texas, Zack Ansell (?) blocking the plate on a passed ball and ending up with a broken ankle. Despite his leg being bent in a way that no leg should bend, the youngster held on to the ball and recorded the out. The epitome of toughness right there.

4. Japan's back-to-back walk-off wins to get to the finals. Not since the Red Sox of 2004 have I seen such drama.

3. Georgia hits a walk-off homerun to win the LLWS. This would be higher, but let me explain. We've all see walk-off homeruns. Hell, David Ortiz made the term "walk-off homerun" part of Boston's everyday vocabulary.

2. Walpole robs what would have been a game-winning homerun in the last inning. Maybe it's because it's a Massachusetts team, I'm not 100% sure. But how many times have you seen a game end on a homerun being pulled back over the fence? That's what I thought.

1. The defining moment of this and every LLWS. After hitting a walk-off homer and celebrating for about 30 seconds, the Warner Robins, GA team re-definited the word sportsmanship by going back onto the field to console the Japanese team. Have you ever seen this anywhere?? Would you ever expect to see a professional team stop postpone their celebration to go out and exchange hugs with the team they just beat? Just an all around class act. Thank you LLWS for reminding us what sports should be about.


Now, some quick thoughts:

-For those keeping track at home, that's now a 7.5 game lead for the Sox in the AL East. And NY has to face Dice-K, Beckett, and Schill in a 3-game set this week. For those that spent the last month having a heart attack, it's time to calm down a little. Worse case scenario, we get swept and STILL have a 4.5 game lead.

-Dustin Pedroia wins the AL Rookie of the Year Award. If this doesn't happen then I lose all faith in MLB. He's earned it. I don't care about Reggie Willits or even Dice-K himself. Give the damn award to Dustin.

-Tim Wakefield, 16-10, 4.16 ERA, 98 K. The 16 wins is tied for best in all of baseball. I vaguely remember...didn't I...yup, here it is.

-So, Wily Mo Pena is tearing it up in Washington. You know, he's finally getting the playing time and he's taking advantage. Still plenty of spots on the WMP 2008 All-Star Bandwagon. I'll still be driving though.

-The Dodgers signed David Wells for the rest of the year. Hate to say it, but it's going to be too little too late for L.A. They're 6.5 out of the NL West, and 4 out of the Wild Card. It would be nice to see Boomer end his career in October though, where he's really defined his career as a big game pitcher.

-JD Drew hit his first homerun since June 20 over the weekend. That brings him to a whopping 7 dingers on the season. And now it looks like he'll be platooning with the newly acquired Bobby Kielty. $14 million a year to do exactly what Trot Nixon has done the last few years only with shittier numbers than Trot. Awesome business decision.

-The Patriots are coming. Should be an unreal fall and winter for Belichick and the boys. I'm ready, how 'bout you?

-Non-sports note here: GO SEE SUPERBAD! Absolutely hilarious.

As always, send along any comments to thesportshub@gmail.com