Tournament starts in a week. Aug 20-29. I'm thinking about heading down to Williamsport.

I also want to bet on it but don't imagine lines can be found anywhere.

Discuss here.

5dimes carries lines on almost all games

small limit though, think its $100/game

they have tonights games listed. nor cal/so cal, hawaii/ari, george/fl

Thinking of heading to Williamsport for one of the days this year. Made a 10+ hour road-trip with a friend in 1993 to see Sean Burroughs win the championship game in the 6th for the USA. Haven't been back since. We live in Pittsburgh so the trip would be significantly less this time around.

In other news, thought the Georgia team looked decent in their dismantling of WV. Need an ace pitcher who can absolutely dominate and they have one. Not sure if they can compete at all with the Cal teams though.

LLWS is awesome.

I love it!

I still enjoy watching the LLWS, but it is absurd for 12-13 year olds to be playing on such small fields and without leadoffs. My 8 year old pitches from 46 feet, plays on 65 ft bases and 210 ft fields. Most 12 year olds are playing on 70 ft bases, 250 ft fields and pitching from 52 ft.

I can deal with the poor calls on balls and strikes from these volunteer umps, but i hate seeing pity calls depending on the flow of the game and it seems pretty damn common. As for the field size, i think it would be infinitely less watchable if the stretched the size out. Just a guess though.

It would make for better baseball, but I'm not sure the average viewer really cares about that. Watching the National Youth Baseball Championships last year on MLB network and then being involved with travel ball this year was an eye opener for me. The 12 year olds at the NYBC would run rule any of these LLWS teams and some of the 10 year olds would be able to compete.

I was on the allstar team of my hometown when I was this age.

Today the current crop of hometown allstars got one-hit and lost.

this. the best 12 year olds are playing usssa or another high level travel ball with 70' bases and major league rules. I was working at a tourney complex in cooperstown again this year and the best teams would mercy any of these little league teams.

exploitation

GO CANADA!!

Little Mountain team from BC is going and they will win!

I love the LLWS. I Hope Musberger and Hershiser are teaming up again to broadcast some games. It's in sports fans' nature to to complain about broadcasters and I think he is kind of unappreciated. The dude does so many different sports and does them all with a lot of knowledge and seemingly genuine enthusiasm.

little mountain crushed the nationals. will be good to see them do well in the llws. i think chinese taipei is looking pretty killer and they are in the same group. they should beat saudi arabia, and hopefully panama as well to advance.

You guys are getting me fired up for this. I definitely want to go. When I went in 1993 they still only had one stadium for pete's sake.

And the Hamilton, Ohio team qualified this year...and that was the same team I was following in 1993 when I made plans to go to the championship game then. Hamilton didn't make it to the finals but we decided to go see the championship game anyway.

Also, agree about Musberger. He just loves to call games and certainly has enthusiasm for the kids and this event in particular.

Yes, the field-size and the abilities of the kids are kind of a joke. But also remember that they aren't recruiting from outside their own region. It's 8 zillion different little towns and leagues and whichever makes it through gets to go even with a handful of scrubs on the squad.

You could make a similar argument that a travel AAU basketball squad could clean up on most of the college teams that make the NCAA tournament. So what?

It's just fun watching the different US and international regions compete. And the setting and fans make it worthwhile too. The Marlins can have a better baseball team than the Cubs...but there is still something far more special about a game at Wrigley Field even if the quality of play completely sucks.

If the announcers are talking about these kids being the most talented in the world then we know that's a joke. But if they are just talking about how great it is for these kids to make it through such a large field and get to compete on an international stage then that's correct and anyone who has a problem with that probably needs to chill.

The most important thing isnt the talent as much as it is the rules. These kids are old enough to play real baseball taking leads off the bases. Fences arent even a massive deal as long as the bases go to 70. Theyd probably get a similar audience showing a usssa championship tournament.

The whole volunteer ump concept is lol too. I dont think a single league actually holds to that. I got 40 a game for the plate and 25 for the bases when I umped in high school.

I umped LL in the early 90's and got $8/gm.

I run a youth select org and my 11 year old team is the bulk (core 7 players) from the team that won the NYBC last year. Our 11U team played all over the country against other great teams and I think many would be shocked out how good some of the kids are and how good the games are from 50 foot pitching distance and 65 foot basepaths with fences that range 225/240 down the lines and 250/275 to center.

The rare occasions they are subject to play on the "little league" fields the game is completely changed. All singles to RF are now 9-3 PO's. Many singles to CF are 8-3 PO's. Balls hit to the wall are singles unless down the lines and the outfielders are shaded off a little. These caliber players are big, strong, with exceptional arms. It is just ******ed to play on that kind of field.

I watch the LL games and it is kind of silly too, these kids aren't better players but they are too old. And anyone who thinks these kids are all from the same town are a little naive - our team had someone approach us about residency concerns and wanting us to play in the LLWS this year, but of course, that isn't the best baseball.

First moustache sighting of the LLWS in the Mid-Atlantic final. I mean, it was hardly Tom Selleck's, or anything - but noticeable facial hair.

P Seth Leuz on the PA team. Not a bad effort for a 13yo, tbh.

newtown PA 2 miles from me. I pitched against their 2005 WS team. rooting for these guys

Agree its not the best baseball and agree that 11-12 year olds should be playing on 50 ft mounds and 70 ft basepaths as in travel ball. Part of the appeal of the LLWS is the geographic breakdown of the teams that adds rooting interest and the small town cinderella story some years. No one wants to see the 12U Travel ball championship between the Bombers and Stealth.

+1 to that. LLWS would be even better if they had the same format in terms of the town teams etc. but had bigger field dimensions, lead-offs etc.

i dunno, i think a tourney put on by espn with teams like tomateros california and texas tri city would be nasty if properly hyped. the feeling that youre watching real baseball is significant.