The Little League World Series has been gracing TV screens across the nation with its innocence lately and it just seems so fantastically wonderful.
But, is it more wonderful than the College World Series? That is the age-old question. The eighth wonder of the world. OK, maybe not, but it’s been bugging me and it’s my column, so let me write what I want.
1. There’s so much innocence.
Face it, the LLWS is like the wholesome girl next door. You can’t deny its charm and purity. These are just kids, for Pete’s sake. You can’t help but pull out an “awww” when one of them cries after losing or jumps for joy (three inches off the ground, they are just 12 after all) after hitting a home run.
2. There’s no controversy.
Well, except for that one time. Stupid Danny Almonte. But hey, it’s not like there’s steroid controversy (and hopefully never will be) or issues with sexual assault (ahem, Ben Roethlisberger) or drunk driving (here’s looking at you, Tony LaRussa). So in that sense, that’s good. Not that the CWS has all kinds of controversy like that, but it could. And that’s the tipping point here. I mean, we’re talking about college dudes.
3. More people care.
Which is actually sad. More people do care. The LLWS is more highly profiled on ESPN and in the national sports world than a college athletic event. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament and NCAA football National Championship games are two of the biggest events in America. How does the sports world not care about the CWS? In a discussion recently with one of my friends, he brought up the point that it’s because college baseball players take a lot longer to reach the Major Leagues than do college basketball and football players. Those guys get to make immediate impacts while baseball players have to go through a series of 82 Minor League teams.
4. There’s just so much emotion.
You really start to feel for the kids. College guys are grown men in every sense of the word. They don’t typically cry after a win or a loss. Kids do. And that’s endearing. And it sucks you in emotionally. Damn kids making me cry along with them.
5. It takes you back to the good ole days.
Everybodyyyyy played Little League. Everybodyyyy played catch with their parent as a kid. (I realize here that not everybody did, but if you didn’t, I feel as bad for you as the 11-year-old who just made the error that cost his game for his team. Those were some of the best times of my childhood.) And watching kids play the game at the most competitive level on the biggest stage takes everybody back. It’s like those fans from Field of Dreams who will hand over their money without even thinking about it (thanks, Terrence Mann!).
6. These kids are damn good.
It would make me jelli (which apparently is a term the kids use for “jealous” nowadays) except I’m just in so much awe that I don’t even care. I mean, I was lucky if I could even hit the ball when I was 12, yet these kids are parking homers and utilizing the hit-and-run and bunting and stuff. Granted, I sucked. But still, they are elite.
7. It reminds you that baseball is America’s pastime.
It is the purest sport that has ever been made and will ever be invented. I love football. I love basketball. I can even appreciate a good badminton match. But to quote the great Tom Hanks from A League of Their Own, “baseball is what gets inside you. It’s what lights you up. You can’t deny that.” There truly is nothing better than the sun setting on a beautiful summer evening as the smell of grass and dirt and hot dogs flow surreptitiously into your nostrils. And the LLWS reminds you of that more so than the CWS. That’s a fact.
8. It’s nice to see such good teamwork and sportsmanship.
Don’t get me wrong, the CWS has had some great displays of teamwork over the years. And probably sportsmanship, too. But that’s expected to come easily from grown men. Have you ever tried coaching a bunch of 12-year-olds? It’s harder than you think to get them to all buy into one system and one frame of thinking. It’s hard to get them to all click in such a way that helps them out on the field. So, hats off to the coaches. Plus, it’s just nice to see kids do that stuff. It will help them become better people.
9. It promotes a nice sense of family.
Not that the CWS doesn’t. But a 20-year-old makes his own way, even if he has wonderful parents that pay his tuition. As a 12-year-old, you need your mommy and daddy to drive you around. To pay for your equipment. To support you. And the CWS has a million examples of that. Those parents should win awards. They take off work to travel across the world to support their children and invest loads and loads of time and money into their kid’s life. That’s just heartwarming to see.
10. They douse with Yoo-hoo and Mondos, not champagne.
Maybe not. But I would have when I was a kid. Remember Dunk-a-roos too? And having snacks at halftime of your soccer/football game? Or getting a Capri Sun after playing? Ahhh, really takes ya back, doesn’t it?
So there you have it. The Little League World Series is, in fact, better than the College World Series. That’s not to say the CWS wouldn’t hold its own in any category if it only got some more pub. Let’s get on that, ESPN.
Full disclosure: I’m a Canadian whose parents are from countries that used to be powerhouses in the Little League World Series, so there really isn’t any reason for me to watch the NCAA stuff.
Fantastic article. There’s something about the fact that it’s uncorrupted children playing that just makes it more than a simple game.
Agreed. Uncorrupted children, that’s good. I should have used that in my article!
I usually go to the CWS every year, and I have absolutely loved it. It was like having a college football crowd at a college baseball game, and the aura around the entire event was unbelieveable. When I went to the new stadium this year, all of that was gone-there wasn’t really much that was special about it anymore. I think the NCAA may be in some trouble with that event in the future, because they may have killed what they had.
Yeah, I agree. Which is such a shame. I admittedly don’t even follow it anywhere near as much as I should being the big baseball fan that I am. It’s just kind of the lost NCAA sport, which is sad.
What also hurts the NCAA is that college baseball isn’t on mainstream television. I bet if it were- people would follow it more…people would start to recognize players…and be more interested in the premiere matchups of the world series.
I’m not a big fan of the little league world series either…mainly because I’m so against throwing breaking balls at those ages.
I never actually played “little league”- was more in tune with travel ball….but with that being said- there are some damn good 11-12 year old players…for sure. Hitting a 75 mph fastball from 40 feet is not an easy task
I agree with you. College baseball gets buried deep in the 100s on channels like CBS College Sports, ESPNU, and Fox Regional and its on at inconvenient times. If we had more opportunity to check it out (even if we just got good Big 12, PAC-12, and SEC baseball to start), people would care more.
The biggest reason the LLWS works is because it happens in such a short time span, and its “us versus the world.” Believe it or not, I think it would matter less if it was simply a small town US team against another small town US team.