Chicago wins the Little League American Championship

[malaise]

Too sweet!!!
Love how these kids relate to one another.

They will play South Korea tomorrow for the World Championship!!

http://time.com/3162110/baseball-african-americans-chicago/

Chicago Team Could Be First All African-American Squad to Win Little League World Series

Jackie Robinson West Is Shooting To Become First All African-American Team to Win Little League World Series
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In any other year, when a girl isn’t throwing the first shutout in the history of the Little League World Series, or when she’s not becoming the first Little Leaguer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Jones’ name would be much more familiar. In the opening game for Jackie Robinson West Little League, hailing from Chicago’s South Side, Jones smacked three home runs and a triple. He led off another game with a long ball a few days later. Jones’ Jackie Robinson team defeated Davis’ Taney squad 6-5 on Thursday, to put the kids from the Windy City in the U.S. Championship Game on Saturday. They will face the undefeated Mountain Ridge team from Las Vegas.

Jackie Robinson is trying to make a little bit of baseball history too. If the Chicago squad can get by Las Vegas and win the championship game on Sunday, it would become the first all-African American team to win the Little League World Series. “I don’t know anyone here,” says Chicago White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams, “who hasn’t been watching them.” In fact, last Monday more than five times any many Chicagoans watched the Little League team on ESPN than watched the White Sox play the Baltimore Orioles on Comcast Sports Net.

The kids have given their city a nice psychic lift. “Unfortunately, we’ve woken up to bad news far too often,” says Williams. “Everyone is aware of the murder rate in Chicago, particularly in western and southern parts of the city. Yes, these things are happening, but there are so many superstar people in these communities doing so many positive things. People volunteering to help at-risk youth, kids playing and learning from sports. And these kids, playing baseball, have helped show this city in such a different light. They are changing perceptions.”

And they could give baseball a boost. “This is so great for baseball in so many different ways,” says Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig. “It’s really been a thrill to watch.”

-------------
This would be a perfect response to Ferguson

[SidDithers]

1. The US half?...

South Korea beat Japan this afternoon.

South Korea vs Chicago is the LLWS final tomorrow.

Sid

[malaise]

3. Updated

The LL World Series is tomorrow - go Chicago

[frazzled]

2. Jackie Robinson West!

Great final double play. Those kids were cool under pressure and made their underdog status work for them. Joshua Houston is a home town hero, for sure. There's gonna be a big parade here next week and I hope to be there!

And pooh on the ABC announcers, who were all down with the Las Vegas team throughout, and were silent whenever this scrappy team from the South Side did anything. My husband is still screaming about it: their game highlight just now was of the losing team.

[malaise]

4. They needed this

I am so happy. That was a lovely game - two very good teams

[frazzled]

5. Hey, Chicago needed this: our only winning ball team in a long time!

But more than that, you can't help reading this a bit through the lens of what has been going on recently in Ferguson and elsewhere. You can't help thinking that these kids from the inner city, who worked so hard, with so much discipline and sportsmanship and good will, got to the very top of the heap in the nation. Really: first out of 7,000 teams. It's a real issue of pride. But you can't help thinking that in 5 or 6 years, these same boys may be seen as threats, just for walking in the street. It's sobering.

On a lighter note, I also can't help thinking that somewhere up there, my favorite ball player, Kirby Puckett, is looking down on those kids from his old neighborhood and smiling.

[malaise]

6. This

But more than that, you can't help reading this a bit through the lens of what has been going on recently in Ferguson and elsewhere. You can't help thinking that these kids from the inner city, who worked so hard, with so much discipline and sportsmanship and good will, got to the very top of the heap in the nation. Really: first out of 7,000 teams. It's a real issue of pride. But you can't help thinking that in 5 or 6 years, these same boys may be seen as threats, just for walking in the street. It's sobering.

----------------
Hope they win it all tomorrow - this was so needed.

[Warren DeMontague]

7. No shit.

Send those kids to Wrigley.

[Chisox08]

22. No they should go to US Cellular Field

We could use them and they are already on the South Side.

[Warren DeMontague]

27. Listen, man, no offense

but no one in the universe needs more help than the Cubs.

[Chisox08]

28. I'm kinda rooting for a 200 year streak

[BronxBoy]

18. Are you serious???

Really?

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. Not going to bust this thread with negativity, but as a Chicagoan

I'm looking for all those people who constantly have Chicago in their mouths in a negative way to offer up some congratulations to these kids from the South Side.

Where you at, haters?

Give these kids a hand and hold back your venom for an evening.

JRW!!!!

[malaise]

9. LOL

[GoCubsGo]

19. Just to to Yahoo! and read the comments on their article.

Actually, don't. You'll be sickened. It's what one would expect from that cesspool. I don't understand why some people insist on being such assholes over a bunch of Little Leaguers.

It sucked having to see JRW matched up against Mo'Nae Davis, and having to see one of them lose. But, I couldn't be happier for these kids!

[AngryAmish]

10. Ferguson? wtf?

[JoePhilly]

11. Right wing will hate this!

[cpwm17]

12. In college, I had a South Korean friend that said Koreans are typically older

than their birth certificates. He was older than his official age. They do that to give their kids an advantage in their competitive society.

In the past I've noticed that the Koreans players looked very old. I'm not sure about this year. It could be tough for Chicago.

Good luck to them!

[Skittles]

13. so proud of these kids!

my homestate too.......*SWOON*

[malaise]

14. You earned the right to

*SWOON* :chuckle,
Hope you win tomorrow.

[whistler162]

15. ANd in other news it is announced

that the Cubs and White Sox will hire the little league team members to coach and train White SOx and Cubs team members in hopes of a winning season.

[malaise]

16. They could do worse

[whistler162]

17. And they usually have.

[GoCubsGo]

20. Actually...

The Cubs manager is doing okay now that he's got some decent players to work with. They're not quite there yet, but they're definitely doing better than they did at the start of the season.

[whistler162]

29. Yeah.... next year they will win the pennant, you can feel it......

;}

[GoCubsGo]

31. Probably not next year, but...

...Theo Epstein seems to be doing a pretty good job of rebuilding what was obviously a huge mess. The Cubs' owners are disgusting people (not counting Laura), but they at least seem to have picked the right guy to fix the team.

[lovemydog]

21. What time is the game tomorrow?

I wanna watch!

[malaise]

25. Here

http://abc7chicago.com/sports/jackie-robinson-west-wins-little-league-world-series-us--championship/278118/
<snip>
Chicago's Jackie Robinson West All-Star team beat Nevada, 7-5, Saturday in the Little League World Series U.S. Championship game, advancing to the title game on Sunday afternoon.

The team comprised of 11- and 12-year-olds from Chicago's South and Southwest Sides will face a team from South Korea on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. Chicago time in Williamsport, Pa. The game will be broadcast live on ABC7.

[lovemydog]

26. Thanks malaise. Go Chicago!

[Gemini Cat]

23. Makes me proud!

What a great team!

[marmar]

24. So cool.

[pinboy3niner]

30. RWingers constantly attacking Chicago as degenerate and worthless makes this even better