NW vs. TX
Starting pitcher for TX throws 80 (!!!) mph. From that distance, that’s freaking UNREAL!!!
I don’t care, I love the LLWS. It’s great.
who wants to bet he’s atleast 14…
I have to say, I’m less thrilled with the LLWS each year. I’m seeing a lot of curveballs on young pitchers, and other stuff that I won’t ramble on about, especially national pressure on 12yo kids (too young to handle being a hero, some fame, or being the goat, IMO).
I’m happy to see that many of the guys like and play other sports. I worry that we are approaching (or already at depending on region) youth sports where one must choose a specific sport and play/train for it year-round (or be on a travelling team that plays 60+ games per year over the summer).
I still remember watching a Lloyd McClendon (played for cubs, managed the pirates), go 5-for-5 with 5 dingers in one game in the LLWS.
I wonder, for how many players, does success in the LLWS result in unrealistic expectations and an abundance of pressure for success in the upcoming years. I say that as one who has heard parents going on and about the 8-9yo team here that won the state title and are now fresh-soph in high school. Unrealistic expectations to say the least. But, it’s a one sport town.
There are aspects of the LLWS that I can’t stand, but overall it’s entertaining, and it’s fun (to watch). I hope the road to the LLWS and the years that follow are fun for the athletes.
I have two expressions I use about youth sports, “He who grows first … wins” and “Nothng before puberty matters.” … of course youngsters are experiencing puberty at increasingly early ages … so, it’s likely that many of the “big kids” already have hairy armpits. grin I’m reminded of a good buddy that grew to 5’7 by 6th grade and had some muscle and dominated everything. He stayed 5’7 and the rest of us didn’t. I can’t imagine his frustration as so many caught up to and eventually passed him in performance.
EDIT: In the end, when observing the rapidly increasing numbers of 8-9, 10-12, 13-14, etc state and national (Yes, national championships), I often ask myself “What’s the point?”, and I hope the answers to that question are positive and worthwhile. My concern is they’re not, and it’s more about the 30-32 age group than the 10-12, and it bothers me even more to see “travelling teams” at younger ages where the expense and exclusivity of the team has negative effects later on. I guess I did ramble about some stuff. Yeah, that’s shocking. grin