Little League World Series: Why do you watch?

Some guy named Dean (I won’t give his last name, but it’s not Blevins) emailed me Sunday afternoon while I was working.

“Can the strikes being called be any worse in the game between hawaii and japan. every pitch that they call strikes on hawaii is so far outside it is unbelieveable. the kids deserve a break from stupid umpires. if i can see it from home on tv, they should be able to see it from behind the plate. very bad umpiring”

Here’s how I responded: “Dean: I would find something better to watch than the Little League World Series.”

That set off him, for some reason, and he wrote back, “nice reply stupid”

I really wish people would use punctuation, but that’s a different discussion. I wasn’t jacking with the guy. I was serious. Watch something else. “What’s up your butt?” I asked. “You’re watching 12-year-olds play baseball and acting like it’s a big deal or something. Then you start calling names to someone polite enough to respond to your random email. Are you having a bad day or a miserable life?”

Further correspondence convinced me that it was the latter.

But back to the point. Why is anyone over the age of 12 watching this stuff? It’s ridiculous. Sideline reporters and instant replay and massive ceremonies for 12-year-olds’ baseball.

The Little League World Series had some serious issues 30 years ago, before ESPN got its nose in the event and turned it into something more outrageous than King Louis’ court. Wall-to-wall coverage of the entire week, preliminary games from both the U.S. and world divisions, intensive analysis of how kids from Pearland, Texas, can beat kids from Waipahu, Hawaii.

It’s absurd. And a whole bunch of people sit home and watch. Like Dean.

Some Tokyo kids beat the Hawaiian kids 4-1 for the title. From what I was was told. I didn’t watch.