Back to back LLWS titles for the US

[JonInMiddleGA]

Warner Robins, Georgia beats Japan 3-2 with another walk-off home run, this time in extra innings. That's back-to-back for Georgia teams, as Columbus won the world championship last year (after beating this same WR team in the regional final to get to Williamsport).

5th walk-off homer finish of the LLWS, which included a pair for Japan earlier in the tournament.

And, while it's on my mind, the coach of Lubbock, TX who lost to Georgia in the US final yesterday can now shove his "we're the better team" and Japan will definitely beat them post-game speech squarely up his ass.

[gstelmack]

And, while it's on my mind, the coach of Lubbock, TX who lost to Georgia in the US final yesterday can now shove his "we're the better team" and Japan will definitely beat them post-game speech squarely up his ass.

Did he really say that? I'd love to see Little League fine him like all the Big Leagues do. He's a fine example of what's wrong with youth sports in this country.

I love watching LLWS action. Saw Japan's win over Curacao yesterday, 'twas a fun game.

[miami_fan]

It was a great game to watch. As much of a joy as is was to see the GA team win, it was heartbreaken to see the reaction of the Japanese team. Congrats to both teams for a great game.

[rowech]

Did he really say that? I'd love to see Little League fine him like all the Big Leagues do. He's a fine example of what's wrong with youth sports in this country.

I love watching LLWS action. Saw Japan's win over Curacao yesterday, 'twas a fun game.

Great game. Good heart and spirit all the way around. Not sure how sporting it was for the crowd to chant USA after the game was over, especially given the fact the Japanese kids were busy crying their eyes out.

[Radii]

great game.

What do ya'll think about the 85 pitch limit? If it had been just 95 pitches many of the games I watched could have ended differently. The texas starter today in the consolation game had a no hitter with double digit K's and couldn't finish his game, which looks like complete horseshit to me.

[gstelmack]

I think it's there to protect the kids, which is a good thing. There is already concern that coaches are destroying kids' pro careers to win titles at this level, so I'm fine with it. It goes hand-in-hand with the "everyone must play" rule, so when your pitcher is kicked out the other team is bringing in bench players to bat as well. That's a key reason the last 2 innings go so differently than the first four so much at the LLWS.

[JonInMiddleGA]

re: the Texas coach -- yeah, those comments have circulated pretty widely, I think they're even over on ESPN.com

http://www.macon.com/523/story/121536.html
"... the Texas manager, asked in a news conference if he would leave Williamsport thinking his team was the best Saturday, said, "Yes, sir, I will."
..."I think we will always feel like we were one of the best teams here," Thorne said. "Like I say, Southwest region, there's three teams that could have been here at this tournament. No doubt in my mind. I will still say that until the day I die. ... We saw better pitching in the Southwest region."

Asked to predict the winner of today's title game between the Warner Robins squad and Japan, Thorne said, "Japan will win that ballgame."

He also bitched about his team having to wait under the stadium in the heat and about his team's lack of plate discipline. Elsewhere I've seen it mentioned that it was already determined that he would not be returning as their all-star coach next season.

[Atocep]

great game.

What do ya'll think about the 85 pitch limit? If it had been just 95 pitches many of the games I watched could have ended differently. The texas starter today in the consolation game had a no hitter with double digit K's and couldn't finish his game, which looks like complete horseshit to me.

Its a very good thing. The number wasn't just pulled out of the air. They had two specialists come up with a baseline for preventing injuries. These kids are still growing and a lot are going to be afraid to complain about arm soreness or fatigue.

There was a report of a kid thowing 190 pitches in a travel team tourney a few weeks ago. This isn't about winning games, its about keeping these kids healthy. No hitter or not, its good he was pulled because coaches want to win and there's too many that don't care about the kid's health.

[JonInMiddleGA]

re: the 85 pitch limit -- I'm split on it at this point, although I think I do like it better than the IP rule that used to be in place. I'd have to see the research that was used to decide on 85 before I could say whether I thought it ought to be higher. One thing I don't like though is what seems to be the too restrictive rule that says you can't pitch the following day if you throw more than 20 pitches in a game. I recall zero serious arm injuries in my youth and it wasn't odd for serious pitchers to be throwing a lot more often at much higher pitch counts. Just seems to me that the resilience of younger arms isn't being given enough consideration on the 20 = out for a day rule.

[k0ruptr]

The Us has been winning as of late. interesting.

[rowech]

I think the 85 pitch rule is right on. It's been due for a long time now to be honest and I think it tests a team's depth a heck of a lot more than ever before which is always good in my opinion.

[MrBug708]

Shouldn't this title read Back to back LLWS titles for georgia? Unless we aren't counting Hawaii anymore...

And there wasn't anything wrong with that coaches comments. It was more a comment towards the region he came from then a slap on anyone else.

[Radii]

re: the 85 pitch limit -- I'm split on it at this point, although I think I do like it better than the IP rule that used to be in place. I'd have to see the research that was used to decide on 85 before I could say whether I thought it ought to be higher.


Yeah, I guess this is where i stand. Some teams that only have one good pitcher will run him into the ground and I understand that travel leagues are very, very serious and you need limitations in there to protect the kids. I am just surprised to see the limit exactly where it is.

[Barkeep49]

great game.

What do ya'll think about the 85 pitch limit? If it had been just 95 pitches many of the games I watched could have ended differently. The texas starter today in the consolation game had a no hitter with double digit K's and couldn't finish his game, which looks like complete horseshit to me.
I really like the rule and am hoping that my park district will consider this, rather than the inning rule, going forward. The incidence of Tommy John surgery among high schoolers is alarming. However, I do wonder how it is that old time pitchers used to be able to throw so much more than modern pitchers. Considering how few will make it to the pros protecting them is the right thing, I still feel, but I just wonder sometimes.

[k0ruptr]

the Hawaii LLWS was the greatest man

[Atocep]

I really like the rule and am hoping that my park district will consider this, rather than the inning rule, going forward. The incidence of Tommy John surgery among high schoolers is alarming. However, I do wonder how it is that old time pitchers used to be able to throw so much more than modern pitchers. Considering how few will make it to the pros protecting them is the right thing, I still feel, but I just wonder sometimes.

I played little league up until about '90 and I know that then pitchers didn't throw many breaking balls. Even the ones that could throw a good curve threw at least 90% fastballs.

Today kids are throwing a very high percentage of curveballs, sliders, and even splitters. Little league has sponsored 2 studies that have shown that kids should start thowing fastballs at around age 8, changeups around 10, and breaking pitches at 14. They actually have a 3rd study going now and if it comes back the same then they may ban breaking pitches altogether in little league.

Also, a lot of injuries just went undiagnosed. If they didn't know what it was they'd just call it "dead arm" and would hold the pitcher out for awhile.

[HerRealName]

I was glad to see the US team win but it made me cringe when the "U-S-A" chant started immediately after the game with Japanese kids crying their guts out on the diamond. Is the outcome of a game between 12 year olds really a source of national pride?

[rowech]

I was glad to see the US team win but it made me cringe when the "U-S-A" chant started immediately after the game with Japanese kids crying their guts out on the diamond. Is the outcome of a game between 12 year olds really a source of national pride?

I said that earlier in the thread...I found it disgusting.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Is the outcome of a game between 12 year olds really a source of national pride?

Absolutely.

And it's a damned disgrace on the occasions when we let this particular title slip away.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Shouldn't this title read Back to back LLWS titles for georgia? Unless we aren't counting Hawaii anymore...

Actually, it was just a "my bad" for me. I was thinking there was a year between Hawaii's win and last year's Columbus victory, just plain ol' got mixed up & got that one wrong.

[spleen1015]

Absolutely.

And it's a damned disgrace on the occasions when we let this particular title slip away.

Without a doubt. You can bet that all of the foreign teams look at it that way.

[HerRealName]

I said that earlier in the thread...I found it disgusting.

Oops, I missed that one. You win this time...:)

[JonInMiddleGA]

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20070827/D8R9CUDO0.html

Little Leaguers Escape From Burning Bus
Aug 27, 9:16 AM (ET)

LEWISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A bus carrying two Asian teams leaving the Little League World Series caught fire early Monday, but the children escaped safely.

The bus was carrying the second-place team from Japan and a team from Taipei when it caught fire near Bucknell University after leaving South Williamsport at 6 a.m., Susquehanna Trailways spokeswoman Amy Brooks said.

The teams and their chaperones got off the bus on U.S. Route 15 and the driver called the fire department, Brooks said.

She said she did not know where the fire started. Another Susquehanna Trailways bus arrived to take the teams to Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Brooks said.

[dime]

for some reason the LLWS was more enjoyable to me when the US was the plucky underdogs going up against the tapei kids with moustaches...kind of how the olympics were better with the doped up east german and soviet countries looming over everything.

now, the US seems to be the machine.

[Cringer]

Maybe the Georgia team's coach should come out and say perhaps Texas could have won if they didn't have such a horses ass for a manager. Too bad for those kids on that team, they were the second best team from this country (I missed the 3rd place game so don't know how they did there), and should have a coach who is letting them take some pride in that despite their disappointment of not making the Championship.