Comments on: Little League World Series TV: Baseball 36; Softball 3

By: Nancy L

Nancy L — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:01:20 +0000

I am a “woman of a certain age”, have watched less than 10 Major League baseball games in my entire lifetime and cheered the Little Leaguers
only when my state made it to the L.L. World Series. It seems that this year all forms of media gave the games a good deal of exposure and coverage which leads me to a question of curiosity:

Why does there seem to be such a pausity of racial diversity among most (especially in the North East)kids who join and play Little League?
Would love to stop wondering.

By: Bob

Bob — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:36:45 +0000

With all due respect to the liberating of female potential that is now an ongoing and healthy reality in American life, young kids and men are simply better built than most young girls and women for playing hardball with overhand pitching. When an exception occurs, as in the case of the girl who plays third base for Canada’s team, it appears that Little League encourages female inclusion without discrimination
So until we see the first female get signed to play in the Majors, let’s let Little Leaguers be Little Leaguers and help keep the stink of gender politics out of the ‘wonder years’ (How about letting concerned political activists form a hardball league for girls and see how that works out?)

By: Kelly Rivera

Kelly Rivera — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:05:06 +0000

Little league has given the boys of summer everything and the girls of summer barely anything. Softball is becoming very popular even amoung men. I think as parents and coaches of softball players we need to look at the little league and whats important to the league. It’s not the girls. ASA is more supportive of our girls. This is one example of many 3 games to 36 games. Come on if this is not discrimination what is.

By: Tim Jackson

Tim Jackson — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:26:02 +0000

The LOCAL group of volunteers in Portland for the Little League Softball World Series is doing what we can to help you watch the games. It won’t measure up the ESPN, but it will dramatically surpass the webcam service LLI HQ has contracted with YouthSports for to cover other World Series tournaments.
We will have 3 cameras, and professional broadcasters to call the play-by-play at http://www.softballworldseries.com. Examples of last year’s broadcasts are at http://www.softballworldseries.com/videos/index.html. We update box scores for every game every 2 minutes. This is all done by amateurs and volunteers at our own expense, and with the help of LOCAL sponsors. It is the ultimate in outsourcing, but we love doing it.
To the bigger issue: Thank you for speaking out. We got the ball rolling on ESPN when Williamsport realized that viewers were not watching to see superior baseball/softball skills, but to wax nostalgic about their own youth, and to see real life competition among small town teams. It takes us back to how life was, and ought to be.
We now have young women who played the game themselves watching with fond memories, and ESPN has indicated the softball games have among their best ratings. But having fought the battles at all levels, I can assure you that the problem is local, not with headquarters. Indifference by Little League Presidents everywhere to softball is caused by willingness to allow ASA to have the girls, so they can focus on the boys. Mothers and fathers of daughters will have to get more involved if local officials are to take notice. HQ will follow.