[400 4spd.]

Carolina and Texas were a good match-up, both equally good teams. Hopefully Texas can pull it off for the U.S.A. I'm sure lots of folks here are pulling for that team.

[ponjohn]

I watch it every year. I like it better than MLB.

['ol Pinion head]

Have stood in a coaching box or sat in the stands at a TON of competitive youth baseball games. Also have watched share of AA level youth league games. I'd hazard around 700 games up through the 13's. Watched a bunch of highly competitive summer travel ball (college coaches & scouts in attendance), 4 years of largest classification HS ball, as well as college ball.

For a good comparison, have watched (often DVR'ed & fast forwarded to skip the LL commentators) several dozens of what many would recognize as good LLWS matchups, the other nights SE-SW pitching battle, as a good example, very good pitching. While I accept the wholesome image Little League (tm) is pushing with a huge multimillion dollar contract with ESPN, as well as the way communities get behind the LL teams (that's awesome!) there is no way that what one is watching on TV with the LLWS is the best 12 y/o baseball/ best youth baseball in the the US. Nowhere close. Solid Utrip Majors teams as well as top division teams from other large national youth baseball organizations like Super Series, Triple Crown, play @ a much higher level. Most high level Utrip AAA teams are more "loaded" with talent than what ESPN has been televising. For those that can't be there in person, watch on TV or the Internet a live stream of the semifinals & finals of the Utrip Elite WS, even the finals of the best (most competiive) week runs of Cooperstown.

At 11 & 12, the players in those other organizations play on larger infields & typically larger outfiields (often 300 ft fences). At the better AAA & true Youth Majors level, more apeedy guys, lot of strong arms, big bats, great instincts & polish. Top catchers that routinely gun out base runners @ 2nd with quick strong throws a full 14 feet longer than in official LL play. The 4 ft longer pitching distance, takes a lot of what one will see with these LL pitchers out of the equation. No cheap strikes "nicking" the front corner of a wide strike zone. The 13 y/o pitchers, typically won't see them in 12U competitive ball, unless they turned 13 after the May 1 cutoff, they will be playing 13U at a 54 ft pitching distance. Even the very best 12U competiive teams, one will often run across them playing a good amount of 13U Open type tournaments (Majors & AAA's)

Last thing to consider, while LL loves to publicize all their previous "participants" that now have MLB experience, quite a few of those US players actually played minimal LL ball. Little League in no way wants to see a similar list of all the numbers of US raised players that played competitive youth baseball, exclusively, then aged into teenage travel ball. That number would dwarf the number that played a stint of LL.

My best to the team from Lufkin! No slight, would be pulling for the Greenville NC team if they had won today! That brings up something else, it's very rare to see a youth team go undefeated in a big tournament, then get beat by a team from the losers bracket, then no IF game.