When Japan defeated Tennessee 12-2 to end the Little League World Series, one of the most entertaining tournaments in sports came to a close.
The LLWS certainly doesn’t have office pools the way the NCAA Tournament does, and no one has heard of any of the teams or players, but there is simply something special, enjoyable and most importantly, refreshing about watching the Little Leaguers compete.
Simply put, Little League baseball is fun.
The players are playing for the love of the game. No one is worried about performance-enhancing drugs, contract negotiations or waiver wires. The kids are competing solely because they love playing baseball and being around their friends, and the team from Petaluma, Calif., could not have exemplified this any better.
Despite trailing by nine runs when entering the bottom of the seventh, the collection of 12 year olds was seen laughing and dancing in the dugout. While a loss seemed imminent, the kids were still having fun.
The competition and fierceness of professional sports cannot be replaced, but every now and then, it seems the professionals could take a lesson from the youngsters and remember they get paid to play a game for a living. Enjoy it.
