CA wins the LLWS for the 7th time in LL history; they beat the most venerable, perhaps even the most memorable and competitive team that is Japan by a score of 2-1 today.
The young men from (Huntington Beach) California beat the young men from (Hamamatsu City) Japan via a walk off run by 12 year-old first baseman Nick Pratto who singled in the winning run with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth.
This win marks the World Series title return to the United States in the tournament which is in its 65th year of existence overall. A U.S. team has now won six out of the last seven World Series, with Japan's title last year being the exception. Both California and Japan own 7 overall LLWS titles; the most wins still belongs to Chinese Taipei with 17, though. Very impressive.
In a time when professional sports, and let's not overlook the collegiate spectrum either, seems to be even more lacking in the ethics and honesty department along comes the Little League World Series to refresh our hearts, our minds and our world. It (LLWS) rekindles our innocent love affair with the wide world of sports that they (sports) can still be regarded as a fun pastime. A nice reminder that not all sports and participants have gone sour; that sports still plays host to more honest participants than not. That more honest players and teams still abound. That more of them have managed to keep their honor and ethics intact by never having allowed themselves to go rogue by partaking in wayward monetary deals. That more players and teams have avoided the ugly world of cheating whether it does involve money, sex scandals or drugs or all the above. Indeed the Little League World Series is a nice refreshing experience full of excitement and stories of hope, glory, success and dreams come true. Some stories sad, some funny, but mostly the event is just a reminder that the world can come together to watch a bunch of young men play a sport that they love regardless of the outcome these young men are just so eager to be there and so happy. They danced and sung and kept the world entertained before, during and after the games. The world of professional (and college) sports should sit up and take notice or be reminded of what sports-involvement should really consist of:
1) Team work: teams should play together and have each others back despite being up or down. Individuals need to remember that what he/she does as a part of a team has an impact on all of his/her team-mates, the team and the entire organization. One bad decision reflects poorly on everyone associated with him.
2) Gratitude: players should be elated and humbled at the chance of doing something that few get to do in their lifetime. Playing sports at a professional (or collegiate) level is a privilege not an entitlement. The opportunity can be taken away as quickly as one earned it. The opportunity of being a part of the world of sports should never be taken for granted or allowed to be clouded or super-ceded by greed and scandal. Gratitude for being a part of it should be an unwritten rule which each team and player should carry inside of themselves embedded in their hearts and minds 24/7.
Good luck to all the participants and teams of this years Little League World Series. Thanks for reigniting our belief in sports and the innocence we all too often lose when a few bad apples try to rot the entire barrel. I won't soon forget this series and the light you all cast which was shiny and bright and so invigorating. Kudos to you all for the fun and laughter you provided and for keeping the fans on the edge of our seats, and for the entertainment you all provided during your battles both on and off the field. Indeed thanks for all the fond memories and for the reminder that sports are still good, but mostly for the reminder that people are still good.
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