Baseball - The Little League World Series

An Americon institution is what many refer to the Little League World Series as. The championship of boys 9-12 is one of many Little League Championships but is the one that garners the most attention.

The Little League World Series - History

In 1938, Williamsport, Pa., resident Carl E. Stotz gathers neighborhood children during the summer and devises the first rules and field dimensions for his planned boys baseball program. This results in the founding of Little League Baseball in 1939, with Mr. Stotz, George Bebble and Bert Bebble being the first 3 team managers. The first season is played in a vacant lot near the outfield fence of Bowman Field. By 1946 there was 12 leagues all operating in Pennsylvania, and in 1947, Hammonton, N.J becomes the first non Pensnsylvania league. This results in the National Little League Tournament being played to determine a champion. Ultimatly this would become the Little League World Series that we know today. By 1948 Little League had grown to 94 leagues, in 1949 to 307 leagues and in 1951 with 776 leagues goes international with the addition of British Columbia, Canada. In 1953 the Little League World Series is televised for the first time. In 1975 teams from Taiwan and Japan had won seven of eight previous Little League World Series, and teams from outside the United States were banned from advancing beyond regional play. There was such an outcry about that move, though, that the ban was lifted after one year.

Currently, there are more than 3 million Little League Baseball players in more than 100 countries. The World Series format has been expanded to include 16 teams. The World Series is played in Williamsport Pennsylvania and although there has been disqualifications and contreversy, to this day remains a unique sporting event.

 

The Little League World Series - Winners

 

Year	Winner	Score	Runner-Up
1947	Williamsport, PA	16–7	Lock Haven, PA
1948	Lock Haven, PA	6–5	St. Petersburg, FL
1949	Hammonton, NJ	5–0	Pensacola, FL
1950	Houston, TX	2–1	Bridgeport, CT
1951	Stamford, CT	3–0	Austin, TX
1952	Norwalk, CT	4–3	Monongahela, PA
1953	Birmingham, AL	1–0	Schenectady, NY
1954	Schenectady, NY	7–5	Colton, CA
1955	Morrisville, PA	4–3	Merchantville, NJ
1956	Roswell, NM	3–1	Merchantville, NJ
1957	Monterrey, NL, Mex.	4–0	La Mesa, CA
1958	Monterrey, NL, Mex.	10–1	Kankakee, IL
1959	Hamtramck, MI	12–0	Auburn, CA
1960	Levittown, PA	5–0	Ft. Worth, TX
1961	El Cajon, CA	4–2	El Campo, TX
1962	San Jose, CA	3–0	Kankakee, IL
1963	Granada Hills, CA	2–1	Stratford, CT
1964	Staten Island, NY	4–0	Monterrey, NL, Mex.
1965	Windsor Locks, CT	3–1	Stoney Creek, Ontario
1966	Houston, TX	8–2	W. New York, NJ
1967	West Tokyo, Japan	4–1	Chicago, IL
1968	Wakayama, Osaka, Japan	1–0	Richmond, VA
1969	Taichung, Taiwan	5–0	Santa Clara, CA
1970	Wayne, NJ	2–0	Campbell, CA
1971	Tainan, Taiwan	12–3 (F/9)	Gary, IN
1972	Taipei, Taiwan	6–0	Hammond, IN
1973	Tainan, Taiwan	12–0	Tucson, AZ
1974	Kaohsiung, Taiwan	12–1	Red Bluff, CA
1975*	Lakewood, NJ	4–3	Tampa, FL
1976	Chofu, Tokyo, Japan	10–3	Campbell, CA
1977	Kaohsiung, Taiwan	7–2	El Cajon, CA
1978	Pingtung, Taiwan	11–1	Danville, CA
1979	Chiayi County, Taiwan	2–1 (F/8)	Campbell, CA
1980	Hua-Lien, Taiwan	4–3	Tampa, FL
1981	Taichung, Taiwan	4–2	Tampa, FL
1982	Kirkland, WA	6–0	Chiayi, Taiwan
1983	Marietta, GA	3–1	Barahona, Dom. Rep.
1984	Seoul, S. Korea	6–2	Altamonte Springs, FL
1985	Seoul, S. Korea	7–1	Calexico, California
1986	Tainan, Taiwan	12–0	Tucson, AZ
1987	Hua-Lien, Taiwan	21–1	Irvine, CA
1988	Taichung, Taiwan	10–0	Pearl City, HI
1989	Trumbull, CT	5–2	Kaohsiung, Taiwan
1990	Tainan County, Taiwan	9–0	Shippensburg, PA
1991	Taichung, Taiwan	11–0	San Ramon Valley, CA
1992	Long Beach, CA	6–0‡	‡Zamboanga City, Phil.
1993	Long Beach, CA	3–2	David, Chiriquí, Pan.
1994	Maracaibo, Venezuela	4–3	Northridge, CA
1995	Tainan, Taiwan	17–3 (F/5)	Spring, TX
1996	Kaohsiung, Taiwan	13–3 (F/5)	Cranston, RI
1997	Guadalupe, NL, Mex.	5–4	South Mission Viejo, CA
1998	Toms River, NJ	12–9	Kashima, Japan
1999	Hirakata, Osaka, Japan	5–0	Phenix City, AL
2000	Maracaibo, Venezuela	3–2	Bellaire, TX
2001	Tokyo Kitasuna, Tokyo, Japan	2–1	Apopka, FL
2002	Louisville, KY	1–0	Sendai, Japan
2003	Musashi-Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan	10–1	East Boynton Beach, FL
2004	Willemstad, Curaçao	5–2	Thousand Oaks, CA
2005	Ewa Beach, HI	7–6 (F/7)	Willemstad, Curaçao
2006	Columbus, GA	2–1	Kawaguchi City, Japan
2007	Warner Robins, GA	3–2 (F/8)	Tokyo, Japan
2008	Waipahu, HI	12–3	Matamoros, TM, Mexico
2009	Chula Vista, CA	6–3	Taoyuan County, Taiwan
2010	Edogawa Minami, Tokyo, Japan	4–1	Waipahu, HI
2011	Huntington Beach, CA	2–1	Hamamatsu City, Japan
2012	Tokyo Kitasuna, Tokyo, Japan	12–2 (F/5)	Goodlettsville, Tennessee
2013	Musashi Fuchu,Tokyo, Japan	6–4	Chula Vista, California
2014	Seoul, South Korea	8-4	Chicago, Illinois
2015	Tokyo Kitasuna, Tokyo, Japan	18-11	Red Land, Lewisberry, Pennsylvania
2016	Maine-Endwell, Endwell, N.	2-1	East Seoul, Seoul, South Korea
2017	Tokyo Kitasuna, Tokyo, Japan	12-2	Lufkin, Lufkin, Texas
2018	Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawai	3-0	South Seoul, Seoul, South Korea
2019	Eastbank, River Ridge, Louisiana	8-0	Pabao, Willemstad, Curaçao
2020	Cancelled Covid 19 Pandemic
2021	Taylor, Michigan	5-2	Ohio
2022	Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawai	13-3	Pabao, Willemstad, Curaçao
2023	El Segundo, S. California	6-5	Pabao, Willemstad, Curaçao
2024	Lake Mary, Florida	2-1	Chinese Taipei