Numbers Don’t Add Up for Team Stung by Format
There is big bitterness about Little League baseball today in the town of Panama City, Fla., over the World Series format that caused its team to lose the national championship game Thursday to Cranston, R.I.
In 1992, Little League began pool play over three days leading to national and international championship games, with those winners playing for the world championship.
This year for the first time, one team was 3-0 in pool play and the others all were 1-2. Despite losing on Tuesday and Wednesday, Cranston advanced to the U.S. championship game because it allowed fewer runs than Moorpark or Marshalltown, Iowa.
To the horror of Panama City fans and the chagrin of Little League officials, Cranston defeated Panama City, 6-3, Thursday to walk off with the national title.
Despite Cranston having a 2-2 record. Despite Panama City having a 3-1 record. Despite Panama City having defeated Cranston, 8-6, on Tuesday.
“We went home having won three of four, and no one else can say that,” Panama City Coach Dennis Sauls said. “But I’d trade places with Rhode Island in a second.
“I guess it’s like anything else in the world. We knew the rules and you go by the rules they have set up. This game was winner-take-all. A rule is a rule.”
Don’t expect the rules to change.
“We went to pool play to ensure each team three games,” said Lance Van Auken, an official at Little League headquarters. “We look at this as three distinct tournaments: pool play, the national championship games, and the World Series final.”
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Bitty bomber: Hsieh Chin-Hsiung, a 4-foot-11, 95-pound left-handed hitter from Kao-Hsuing, Taiwan, has emerged as the most feared slugger of the World Series.
Chin-Hsiung’s six home runs tied the Series record set last year by Lin Chih-Hsiang of Tainan, Taiwan.
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All-Little League: As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the World Series, a commemorative team was chosen of those who, according to Little League, “exemplified the spirit of Little League while at the Series or later in life.”
Several current and former major leaguers are included: Chicago White Sox pitcher Wilson Alvarez, (Maracaibo, Venezuela, 1982); Pittsburgh Pirate third baseman Charlie Hayes (Hattiesburg, Miss., 1977); former Pirate outfielder Lloyd McClendon (Gary, Ind., 1971); former Oakland A’s third baseman Carney Lansford (Santa Clara, Calif., 1969), and former Baltimore Orioles first baseman Boog Powell (Lakeland, Fla., 1954).
Athletes on the commemorative team who later gained fame in other sports include Montreal Canadien center Pierre Turgeon (Rouyn, Quebec, Canada, 1982) and former NFL quarterback Brian Sipe (El Cajon, Calif., 1961).
