| Current season or competition: 2011 Little League World Series |
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| Founded | 1939 in Williamsport, Pa. |
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| Claim to fame | Largest organized youth sports organization in the world |
| Motto | Courage, Character and Loyalty |
| Inaugural season | 1939 |
| Qualification | Little League International Tournament |
| Founder | Carl E. Stotz |
| Official website | www.LittleLeague.org |
Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball, Incorporated) is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world.
Founded by Carl Stotz in 1939 as a three-team league in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Little League Baseball encourages local volunteers to organize and operate Little League programs that are annually chartered through Little League International. Each league can structure itself to best serve the children in the area in which the league operates. Several specific divisions of Little League baseball and softball are available to children ages 5 to 18. The organization holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code.[1]
The organization's administrative office is located in South Williamsport. The first Little League Baseball World Series was played in Williamsport in 1947. The Little League International Complex hosts the annual Little League Baseball World Series at Howard J. Lamade Stadium and Little League Volunteer Stadium, and is also the site of the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum, which provides a history of Little League Baseball and Softball through interactive exhibits for children.
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Carl Stotz, a resident of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, founded Little League Baseball in 1939. He began experimenting with his idea in the summer of 1938 when he gathered his nephews, Jimmy and Major Gehron and their neighborhood friends. They tried different field dimensions over the course of the summer and played several informal games. The following summer Stotz felt that he was ready to establish what later became Little League Baseball. The first league in Williamsport had just three teams, each sponsored by a different business. The first teams, Jumbo Pretzel, Lycoming Dairy, and Lundy Lumber were managed by Carl Stotz and two of his friends, George and Bert Bebble. The men, joined by their wives and another couple, formed the first-ever Little League Board of Directors. Stotz' dream of establishing a baseball league for boys to teach fair play and teamwork had come true.[2]
The first League game took place on June 6, 1939. Lundy Lumber defeated Lycoming Dairy, 23-8. Lycoming Dairy came back to claim the league championship. They, the first-half-season champions, defeated Lundy Lumber, the second-half champs, in a best-of-three season-ending series. The following year a second league was formed in Williamsport, and from there Little League Baseball grew to become an international organization of nearly 200,000 teams in every U.S. state and over 80 countries around the world.[2]
From 1951 through 1974, Little League was for boys only. In 1974, Little League rules were revised to allow participation by girls in the baseball program following the result of a lawsuit filed by the National Organization for Women on behalf of Maria Pepe.[3][4]
According to the Little League Baseball and Softball participation statistics following the 2008 season, there were nearly 2.6 million players in Little League Baseball worldwide, including both boys and girls, including 400,000 registered in Softball (also including both boys and girls). For tournament purposes, Little League Baseball is divided into 16 geographic regions; eight National and eight international. Each summer, Little League operates seven World Series tournaments at various locations throughout the U.S. (Little League softball and Junior, Senior, and Big League baseball and softball).
1939: Little League is established by Carl E. Stotz. The first season is played in a lot near Bowman Field. Lycoming Dairy is the first season champion.[2]
1946: Little League has expanded to 12 leagues, all in Pennsylvania.[2]
1947: The first league outside of Pennsylvania is founded in Hammonton, New Jersey. Maynard League of Williamsport defeats a team from Lock Haven, Pennsylvania to win the first Little League World Series. Allen Yearick is the first Little League graduate to play professional baseball when he is signed by the Boston Braves.[2]
1948: Little League has grown to include 94 leagues. Lock Haven returns to the LLWS and defeats a league from St. Petersburg, Florida. The first corporate sponsor, U.S. Rubber, is announced,[2] who donate Pro-Keds shoes to teams at the LLWS.[5]
1949: Little League is featured in the Saturday Evening Post and on Newsreels. Carl Stotz gets hundreds of requests for information on how to form leagues at the local level from all over the United States. Little League incorporates in New York.[2]
1950: Kathryn Johnston became the first girl to play Little League baseball in 1950, when she tucked her hair under her hat, adopted the nickname "Tubby," and joined the Kings Dairy Little League team in Corning, N.Y., posing as a boy.[6] After a few weeks, she told her coach she was a girl, but he said "That's O.K., you're a darned good player." Kathryn played at first base for the season, but then had to stop because of her age (she turned 13.) After that, a rule known as the Tubby Rule prohibited girls from playing in Little League; this was in force until 1974.[7]
1951: Leagues are formed in British Columbia, Canada and near the Panama Canal making them the first leagues outside the United States.[2]
1953: The Little League World Series is televised for the first time. Jim McKay provides the play by play for CBS. Howard Cosell provides play by play for ABC Radio. Joey Jay of Middletown, Connecticut and the Milwaukee Braves is the first Little League graduate to play in the Major Leagues.[2]
1954: Boog Powell, who later played for the Baltimore Orioles plays in the Little League World Series for Lakeland, Florida. Ken Hubbs, who later played for the Chicago Cubs, plays in the LLWS for Colton, California. Little League has expanded to more than 3,300 leagues.[2]
1955: There is a Little League organization in each of the 48 U.S. States. George W. Bush begins playing Little League as a catcher for the Cubs of the Central Little League in Midland, Texas. He is the first Little League graduate to be elected President of the United States.[2]
1956: Carl Stotz severs his ties with Little League Baseball in a dispute over the direction and control of Little League. Stotz remains active in youth baseball with the "Original League" in Williamsport.[2] Little League records its first on-field death in Garland, Texas as 12-year-old Richard "Rick" Oden is hit in the head by a pitch thrown by Jerry Armstrong. The city park location of the incident is renamed "Rick Oden Field." As batting helmets are yet to be developed, Garland teams finish the season wearing youth football helmets over their baseball caps when batting. Later that year, Fred Shapiro throws a perfect game in the Little League World Series.
1957: Angel Macias throws a perfect game and Monterrey, Mexico becomes the first team from outside the United States to win the Little League World Series.[2]
1959: The Little League World Series moves from Williamsport to the newly built Little League Headquarters in South Williamsport. The protective baseball helmet is developed by Dr. Creighton J. Hale.[2]
1960: A team from West Berlin, West Germany is the first team from Europe to play in the Little League World Series. The series is broadcast live for the first time on ABC. Little League has grown to 27,400 teams in more than 5,500 leagues.[2]
1961: Brian Sipe, future quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, plays for the series champions from El Cajon, California.[2]
1962: Jackie Robinson attends the Little League World Series. President John F. Kennedy proclaims National Little League Week.[2]
1967: A team from West Tokyo, Japan is the first team from Asia to win the Little League World Series.[2]
1969: Taiwan begins a dominant era that would see them win 17 Little League World Series titles.[2]
1971: The aluminum baseball bat is first used. It was partly developed by Little League Baseball. Lloyd McClendon of Gary, Indiana dominates the Little League World Series, hitting five home runs in five at-bats. He later played in the Major Leagues and become the first Little League graduate to manage an MLB club with the Pittsburgh Pirates.[2]
1973: Ed Vosberg plays in the Little League World Series for Tucson, Arizona. He later played in the College World Series for the University of Arizona in 1980 and the World Series in 1997 for the Florida Marlins. Vosberg is the first person to have played in all three world series.[2]
1974: Girls are formally permitted to play in the Little League Baseball program, and a Little League Softball program for both boys and girls is created. Bunny Taylor becomes the first girl to pitch a no-hitter.[8]
1975: In a controversial decision, all foreign teams are banned from the Little League World Series. International play is restored the following year.[2]
1980: A team from Tampa, Florida representing Belmont Heights Little League is led by two future major leaguers Derek Bell and Gary Sheffield. Bell returns the following year and Belmont Heights again loses in the finals to a team from Taiwan.[2]
1982: The Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum opens. Cody Webster leads a team from Kirkland, Washington in an upset victory of a powerful team from Taiwan. It was Taiwan's first loss in 31 games.[2] This game was later featured on ESPN's 30 for 30 series Little Big Men.
1984: Seoul, South Korea wins the first title for a South Korean team. They defeat a team from Altamonte Springs, Florida led by future Boston Red Sox catcher, Jason Varitek.[2]
1988: Tom Seaver is the first former Little Leaguer to be enshrined in the Peter J. McGovern Museum Hall of Excellence.[2]
1989: Poland becomes the first former Warsaw Pact nation to receive a Little League charter. Trumbull, Connecticut, led by future NHL star Chris Drury, wins the Little League World Series.[2]
1991: Future NL All Star Jason Marquis pitches the Staten Island South Shore Little League team to third place in the Little League World Series over Canada, throwing a no-hitter.[9]
1992: Carl Stotz, the founder of Little League, dies. Lights are installed at Lamade Stadium allowing for the first night games to be played. The series is expanded from single elimination to round robin format. Long Beach, California, managed by former Major Leaguer Jeff Burroughs and led by his son, future Major Leaguer Sean Burroughs, is named series champion after Zamboanga City, Philippines is forced to forfeit for playing with ineligible players.[2]
1993: Long Beach repeats as champions, defeating Coquivacoa Little League of Maracaibo, Venezuela. They are the first U.S. team to successfully defend their title.[2]
1997: ESPN2 broadcasts regional play for the first time. Taiwan's baseball association withdraws from Little League Baseball (they would rejoin in 2003). Bradenton, FL and Pottsville, PA play at Lamade Stadium before the largest crowd ever to attend a non-championship game. The crowd was estimated at over 35,000 fans.[2]
1999: Burkina-Faso becomes the 100th nation with a Little League organization. Hirkata Little League of Osaka, Japan becomes the first Japanese team to win a title since 1976.[2]
2000: An expansion project begins at Little League International. Volunteer Stadium is built. This allows the [2] pool of participants to be doubled from 8 to 16 the following year.
2001: The LLWS expands from 8 to 16 teams, with the following changes to regional lineups (post-2000 regions in bold):
In other news, Volunteer Stadium is opened. George W. Bush becomes the first U.S. President to visit the Little League World Series.[2] Led by phenom Danny Almonte, pitching the first perfect game since 1957, the Rolando Paulino All Stars (Bronx, NY) finish third in the series. The team's entire postseason, however, is wiped from the books when it is found that Almonte was 14 years old.
2004: Effective with the 2004 LLWS, the Europe Region is renamed EMEA, for Europe, Middle East, Africa.
2007: Little League expands into Australia for the first time. Effective with the 2007 LLWS, the Asia and Pacific regions are merged to form the Asia-Pacific Region, with Japan being split into its own region.
2007: Little League expands into Kyrgyzstan for the first time
2008: Effective with this year's LLWS, the Transatlantic and EMEA regions are reorganized into the Europe and MEA regions. The previous nationality restrictions for players from these regions are abolished. Hawai'i wins the 2008 Little League World Series beating Mexico in the Final.
2008: Little League International relocates the Southeast Region Headquarters From Gulfport, Fla., to Warner Robins, Ga. Little League International completes renovation of its Administration building in South Williamsport, Pa.
2010: The World Series tournament is reorganised, eliminating pool play and adopting double-elimination until the bracket winners are determined. Little League announces plans to add a "pilot" division in baseball for ages 12–13, to help baseball Little Leaguers make the transition to regulation-size fields in Junior League Baseball.Bartlett, Illinois becomes biggest little league.[10]
2011: The World Series officially eliminates the two four-team brackets and puts all eight teams in the United States bracket and all eight teams in the International bracket, with a SEC Baseball Tournament style flipped bracket on the loser's bracket to prevent rematches, but does not require the loser to defeat the winner's bracket team twice in either Saturday championship game where the winner advances to the Sunday final.
The national regions represented in the annual Little League Baseball World Series are:
The international regions are:
The best-known event in the Little League calendar is the annual Little League Baseball World Series, which is held every August in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Tournaments leading up to the World Series are held in the U.S. insular areas of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and throughout the world. In 2003, for example, there were tournaments in Canada, Latin America (Mexico, Aruba, Curaçao, Panama, Peru and Venezuela), Europe (Germany and Poland), and Asia (Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan).
The Little League Baseball World Series is just one of eleven World Series every year, each one held in a different location.
Little League Baseball has several baseball divisions for boys and girls, based on age.[25]
"Tee Ball Baseball is for boys and girls 5-6 years old (with a local option for 7- and/or 8-year-olds) who want to learn the fundamentals of hitting and fielding. In Tee Ball, players hit a ball off a batting tee. Rules of the game may be varied to accommodate the need for teaching. The primary goals of Tee Ball are to instruct children in the fundamentals of baseball and to allow them to experience the value of teamwork. Rosters may be composed of between 12 and 20 players, but most leagues have rosters in the 12-15 range. No live pitching is permitted in this division. Generally, the diamond used is a 60-foot diamond, but the league has the option to use a 50-foot diamond."[25]
Minor League Baseball programs for boys and girls may be operated within each division for younger players with less experience. The minor league may be players ages 7-12. Divisions may be established within the Minor League targeting various age groups, and are typically named using terms like "Farm", "AA" or "AAA". Typically the lowest level is machine pitch, and the top level is player pitch. In-between may be a coach pitch level, or a level with a faster machines. The rules of baseball are increasingly complete as the play level advances.
Unlike other youth sports leagues, the levels are not strictly by age, but by try-outs. Advanced plays can "play up" if they can get selected. Similarly, less advanced players can petition to "play down". A local league target 9-year olds in a division, but some 8-year olds will be in the division playing up and some 10-year olds might be there playing down. In this system, playing down does not carry a stigma and many choose to play down and get more experience at key positions. This is entirely the choice of the local league board of directors. Rosters may be composed of between 12 and 20 players, but most leagues have rosters in the 12-15 range. The diamond used is a 60-foot diamond and the pitching distance is 46 feet."[25]
"The 9-10 Year Old Baseball Division for boys and girls was established as a tournament program in 1994. It gives children of this age the opportunity to experience tournament competition, up to state level. Players on these teams can be chosen from among Major Division and/or Minor Division teams. The diamond used is a 60-foot diamond and the pitching distance is 46 feet."[25]
"The Little League Baseball Division (sometimes known as the Major Division) is for boys and girls ages 9-12. A local league may choose to limit its Major Division to 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds, or 11-12-year-olds. The diamond used is a 60-foot diamond and the pitching distance is 46 feet. The local league has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or "All Stars") of 11-12-year-olds from within this division, and the team may enter the International Tournament. The culmination of the International Tournament is the Little League Baseball World Series, featuring teams from around the globe. All expenses for the teams advancing to the World Series (travel, meals and housing) are paid by Little League Baseball."[25]
In 2010, Little League announced plans to add a "pilot" division in baseball for ages 12–13, to help baseball Little Leaguers make the transition to regulation-size fields in Junior League Baseball.[10]
"The Junior League Baseball Division is a program for boys and girls ages 13-14, using a conventional 90-foot diamond with a pitching distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. (A modified diamond is available during the regular season.) The local league has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or "All Stars") of 13-14-year-olds from within this division (and/or from within the Senior League Division), and the team may enter the International Tournament. The culmination of the International Tournament is the Junior League Baseball World Series, featuring teams from around the globe. All expenses for the teams advancing to the World Series (travel, meals and housing) are paid by Little League Baseball."[25]
"The Senior League Baseball Division is for boys and girls 14-16 years old, using a conventional 90-foot diamond with a pitching distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. The local league has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or "All Stars") of 14-16-year-olds from within this division (and/or from within the Junior League or Big League divisions), and the team may enter the International Tournament. The culmination of the International Tournament is the Senior League Baseball World Series, featuring teams from around the globe. All expenses for the teams advancing to the World Series (travel, meals and housing) are paid by Little League Baseball."[25]
"The Big League Baseball Division is for boys and girls ages 16-18, using a conventional 90-foot diamond with a pitching distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. The local league has an option to choose a Tournament Team (or "All Stars") of 16-18-year-olds from within this division (and/or from within the Senior League Division), and the team may enter the International Tournament. The culmination of the International Tournament is the Big League Baseball World Series, featuring teams from around the globe. All expenses for the teams advancing to the World Series (travel, meals and housing) are paid by Little League Baseball."[25]
Little League Baseball has several softball divisions for girls and several softball divisions for boys, based on age.
The playing rules for the baseball divisions essentially follow the "Official Baseball Rules" (as defined by and used by Major League Baseball and published at Official Baseball Rules at MLB.com), especially with respect to the upper divisions (Junior, Senior, and Big League). Some major exceptions are outlined in the following sections, and these apply to Little League (Minor and Major, ages 7-12) except as otherwise noted.
Unlike Major League Baseball and most other sports such as football, soccer, and basketball, the official rules of Little League Baseball are available to the general public only by online subscription ($20)[29] or as a printed edition ($7[29] plus $3 for "shipping and handling" within the US via UPS[30]). In Canada, rulebook orders requested through LittleLeague.ca are routed to the US website at the same prices, except that "shipping and handling" to Canada via UPS is US$15.51, for a total of US$22.51 for a single printed copy,[30] a significant burden for some parents who wish to have their own copy of the rules.
Rulebooks are not available in sporting goods or other stores and must be ordered directly from Little League Baseball, Incorporated or one of its "Regional Centers".[29][31] One paper copy is provided to each team that has sent in an "Application for Charter and Insurance",[29] although previously two copies were provided.[31]
Little League has been criticized for requiring payment to view its rules.[31] However, the organization counters by claiming it has been exposed to lawsuits in the past in cases involving organizations not officially affiliated with Little League but which nonetheless use its rules.[31]
A regulation game is six innings. If the game is called prior to the completion of six innings, it is considered an official game if four innings have been completed (three and a half, if the home team leads); otherwise, if at least one inning has been completed, it is a suspended game.
In the Junior, Senior, and Big League levels (ages 13–18), a game is seven innings and is official if five innings have been completed.
In all divisions except Senior and Big League, every player on the team roster must have at least one plate appearance and play three consecutive outs on defense in each game. The penalty for a manager violating the rule is a two-game suspension. This rule is waived if the game is completed prior to the usual duration of the game (six innings in Little League and below, seven innings in Junior League).
The size of the field is dependent on the division of play.[32]
Tee Ball
Minor League and Little League
Junior League, Senior League, and Big League
Bats (all levels) may be made from material other than wood (such as aluminum) and must be approved for use in Little League Baseball. The maximum bat length is thirty-three (33) inches and maximum barrel diameter may not exceed 2 1/4 inches. Beginning in 2009 all Little League bats must be labeled with a Bat Performance Factor (BPF) of 1.15 or lower.
Bats for the Junior League level may have a maximum length of thirty-four (34) inches and a maximum barrel diameter of 2 5/8 inches. Bats for the Big and Senior League levels may have a maximum length of thirty-six (36) inches and a maximum barrel diameter of 2 3/4 inches for wood bats and 2 5/8 inches for non-wood bats. Big and Senior League bats must meet the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) testing standards that are currently used in the NCAA and NFHS (high school).[33]
When the pitcher is ready to pitch, a baserunner may not leave the bag until the pitch reaches the batter.
If a fielder is waiting at the base with the ball, an advancing runner must attempt to avoid contact. A runner may not slide head-first except when retreating to a previously held base.
In the upper levels, runners must still make an attempt to avoid contact if possible, and may not maliciously initiate contact with a fielder.
The upper limit of the strike zone extends to the batter's armpits.[34]
In Tee-Ball, Minor League, and Little League, the batter is out after the third strike regardless of whether the pitched ball is held by the catcher. In Junior, Senior, and Big League, a batter may attempt to advance to first base on a dropped third strike.
Players who have been substituted for may return to the game under certain conditions, though a pitcher who has left the game may not return to pitch.
Pitchers in all divisions are limited to a specific pitch count per game and a mandatory rest period between outings. These vary with age and the rest period also depends on the number of pitches thrown.[35]
Also, prior to 2008 a pitcher could intentionally walk a batter by simply announcing his intent to do so and not have to actually throw any pitches; however, beginning in 2008 the pitcher must now actually pitch the required four balls (which are counted against the pitch count).
Local leagues have a certain amount of flexibility. For example, a league may opt to use the "continuous batting order" rule (4.04), under which each player on the team’s roster bats, even when not in the defensive lineup. Leagues may also waive the "ten-run rule" (4.10(e)) which ends the game if one team is ahead by ten or more runs after four innings.[36][37]
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| Notable Figures: Carl Stotz Honors: Little League Baseball awards • Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum In Popular Culture: Video games: Little League World Series Baseball Movies: Mickey Well-known Players: Danny Almonte • Aaron Durley • Carolyn King • Maria Pepe Miscellaneous: Little League Elbow • White House Tee Ball Initiative |