OT: Trumbull CT little league?

[superjohn]

It's Little League World Series time and it got me thinking about the Trumbull team that won it all in '89. Those Far East teams were all cheating and blasted everyone, it was incredible as a kid watching on TV as little Trumbull took them down. Curious if anyone on the board has any connections to that team?

 

[StllH8L8ner]

I remember watching Chris Drury pitch and thinking about how cool it was that he could spit through his teeth.

 

[HooperScooper]

It's Little League World Series time and it got me thinking about the Trumbull team that won it all in '89. Those Far East teams were all cheating and blasted everyone, it was incredible as a kid watching on TV as little Trumbull took them down. Curious if anyone on the board has any connections to that team?

I always assumed all the foreign teams cheat to some degree. You're telling me that 1 league has that many Japanese/Taiwanese/etc. really big 12 year olds?

 

[PNolanFan]

I always assumed all the foreign teams cheat to some degree. You're telling me that 1 league has that many Japanese/Taiwanese/etc. really big 12 year olds?

I wouldnt call it cheating, I think that they just draw from larger areas. I played little league and my team was from a town of like 80k whereas in some countries you may be drawing from a metro of like 500k people. Similar to how alot of youth USA hockey teams will smoke canadian ones when you have a team drawn from Texas versus a team from a small town in Canada. If you drew from the greater Toronto area versus NYC probably wouldnt even be a contest

 

[RJScootin]

I'm driving to Williamsport on Thursday. One of my sons travel team teammates made it to the finals for the HR Derby which on Thursday afternoon and airing on espn Saturday I believe. A bunch of us heading down to show support. I haven't been there since I was 12 to watch the LLWS.

 

[Dooch]

It's Little League World Series time and it got me thinking about the Trumbull team that won it all in '89. Those Far East teams were all cheating and blasted everyone, it was incredible as a kid watching on TV as little Trumbull took them down. Curious if anyone on the board has any connections to that team?

I grew up in Trumbull....that's all I've got

 

[HooperScooper]

I wouldnt call it cheating, I think that they just draw from larger areas. I played little league and my team was from a town of like 80k whereas in some countries you may be drawing from a metro of like 500k people. Similar to how alot of youth USA hockey teams will smoke canadian ones when you have a team drawn from Texas versus a team from a small town in Canada. If you drew from the greater Toronto area versus NYC probably wouldnt even be a contest

That wouldn't make much sense. I don't know what the rules are now but when my sons played a few years ago the LL rules were that leagues of 10-12 year olds can't be more than 10 (or maybe it's 12) teams. LL summer teams that enter the LL World Series tournament have to be chosen from the same league. So that's why bigger towns and cities have many leagues rather than one huge league. So for example, a place like Hartford may have more than 1 participant in the state district tournament because they have more than 1 league. A town near us has 30,000 people and they had an American and a National team in districts because they had 18 teams in town so they had to split into 2 leagues (American and National leagues).

Without this rule how could you make it fair? A small town in Maine with players chosen from a 4 team league would be playing against a place like New York City with players chosen from hundreds of teams? That makes no sense. Does anyone know what the rule is now?

 

[uconnever]

It's Little League World Series time and it got me thinking about the Trumbull team that won it all in '89. Those Far East teams were all cheating and blasted everyone, it was incredible as a kid watching on TV as little Trumbull took them down. Curious if anyone on the board has any connections to that team?

Went to school with Cody Lee, I believe he was the catcher and met Chris Drury at parties and such. Regular guys to be honest. Don’t remember who else was on that team but I’m sure I knew more of them.

 

[JTLAW]

That wouldn't make much sense. I don't know what the rules are now but when my sons played a few years ago the LL rules were that leagues of 10-12 year olds can't be more than 10 (or maybe it's 12) teams. LL summer teams that enter the LL World Series tournament have to be chosen from the same league. So that's why bigger towns and cities have many leagues rather than one huge league. So for example, a place like Hartford may have more than 1 participant in the state district tournament because they have more than 1 league. A town near us has 30,000 people and they had an American and a National team in districts because they had 18 teams in town so they had to split into 2 leagues (American and National leagues).

Without this rule how could you make it fair? A small town in Maine with players chosen from a 4 team league would be playing against a place like New York City with players chosen from hundreds of teams? That makes no sense. Does anyone know what the rule is now?

I played for Southington LL the same year as the Trumbull team that won the title and we had three separate teams that participated. Southington South, West and North. We would have been really good if we could have fielded only one combined Southington team.

 

[tv]

I grew up in Trumbull and was in 10th grade at the time. It was a wild and fun ride in an otherwise sleepy town. Friends and I forced our way into the parade route on White Plains Road in my jeep, which was all decorated in the green and yellow of their unis -- this was the most fun and celebration that the town may have ever displayed. This crew will always be stars in Trumbull and several of them (Chris Drury, Cody Lee, and Ken Martin) have since gone into business and expanded the Colony Pizza brand within CT as well as VA and FL. Had some beers with Cody a couple weeks ago; really good guy.

 

[nomar]

It's Little League World Series time and it got me thinking about the Trumbull team that won it all in '89. Those Far East teams were all cheating and blasted everyone, it was incredible as a kid watching on TV as little Trumbull took them down. Curious if anyone on the board has any connections to that team?

No, other than I was 12 at the time and lived not too far away. We were all rooting for those guys.

 

[Chin Diesel]

That wouldn't make much sense. I don't know what the rules are now but when my sons played a few years ago the LL rules were that leagues of 10-12 year olds can't be more than 10 (or maybe it's 12) teams. LL summer teams that enter the LL World Series tournament have to be chosen from the same league. So that's why bigger towns and cities have many leagues rather than one huge league. So for example, a place like Hartford may have more than 1 participant in the state district tournament because they have more than 1 league. A town near us has 30,000 people and they had an American and a National team in districts because they had 18 teams in town so they had to split into 2 leagues (American and National leagues).

Without this rule how could you make it fair? A small town in Maine with players chosen from a 4 team league would be playing against a place like New York City with players chosen from hundreds of teams? That makes no sense. Does anyone know what the rule is now?

Then you only allow one league in the large city. And those teams will all be stacked and the all-star will be mega stacked.

 

[Viet Vet]

It's Little League World Series time and it got me thinking about the Trumbull team that won it all in '89. Those Far East teams were all cheating and blasted everyone, it was incredible as a kid watching on TV as little Trumbull took them down. Curious if anyone on the board has any connections to that team?

My high school soccer and basketball teammate's son, Andy Paul, was a pitcher.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I remember watching Chris Drury pitch and thinking about how cool it was that he could spit through his teeth.

A reminder that Chris Drury is one of those truly impressive multi-sport athletes.

I haven't followed this year closely, but watched the kids from Smithfield RI ("Metro") win over Nevada while I was at the gym. I think they face the West tonight at 7:00 eastern. Smithfield is about 15 minutes from me.

 

[Old school]

My son played college baseball with Dave Galla the second baseman
his dad Tom was the coach. Nice people!

 

[HCCForever]

A very good game was DC vs Pennsylvania. No hits through 6 innings. Pennsylvania won on a homer for first hit for their team in 7th. That was in the regionals but darn good game.

 

[willie99]

I always assumed all the foreign teams cheat to some degree. You're telling me that 1 league has that many Japanese/Taiwanese/etc. really big 12 year olds?

They were drawing from much larger populations than LL allowed. An allstar team is supposed to draw from populations not exceeding 40,000. They were drawing from populations of hundreds of thousands. I believe at least one Taiwanese team drew from a population of 800,000 people. They said it was impossible to separate the kids because they went to the same school. American leagues in similar situations separate them into multiple leagues. So yes, American teams were at a competitive disadvantage, and that's why Taiwan no longer participates (unless something changed in recent years)

 

[HooperScooper]

Then you only allow one league in the large city. And those teams will all be stacked and the all-star will be mega stacked.

I'm assuming you're joking since that is extremely silly.

 

[HooperScooper]

I played for Southington LL the same year as the Trumbull team that won the title and we had three separate teams that participated. Southington South, West and North. We would have been really good if we could have fielded only one combined Southington team.

Do you remember how many teams you had in each of the South, West and North?

 

[HooperScooper]

They were drawing from much larger populations than LL allowed. An allstar team is supposed to draw from populations not exceeding 40,000. They were drawing from populations of hundreds of thousands. I believe at least one Taiwanese team drew from a population of 800,000 people. They said it was impossible to separate the kids because they went to the same school. American leagues in similar situations separate them into multiple leagues. So yes, American teams were at a competitive disadvantage, and that's why Taiwan no longer participates (unless something changed in recent years)

Taiwan still competes. They're called Chinese Taipei now. Ask China why.

Why does Little League refer to Taiwan as Chinese Taipei? Here’s the answer

Chinese Taipei is the identification used at international sports events so Little League went that.

www.pennlive.com

Chinese Taipei Little League World Series Team

 

[uconnblueinky]

Chris Drury came to our practice the year after (Shelton national Yankees) and taught me and our two other main pitchers how to throw his curveball ( thing was nasty) .

• Notable players from that Trumbull team
• Kevin Cash (Tampa, Florida) – MLB catcher between 2002 and 2010, and MLB coach and manager
• Chris Drury (Trumbull, Connecticut) – NHL center from 1998 to 2011; inducted to the Little League Hall of Excellence in 2009.

 

[HooperScooper]

Chinese Taipei Little League World Series Team

Saw this is this article. Yup, international teams are still cheating.

While Chinese Taipei lost the championship game of the Asia-Pacific Region Tournament to South Korea, 2-1, the game was held under protest by Kuei-Shan Little League pending review of the Little League International Tournament Committee. After a thorough investigation, the Little League® International Tournament Committee ruled the game a forfeit due to ineligible players on the South Seoul (A) Little League team.

Little League International Tournament Committee Official Statement:​

“The Tournament Committee has confirmed that two players participated in the South Korean National Tournament for South Seoul (B) Little League and were then added to the roster of, and participated for, South Seoul (A) Little League in the Asia-Pacific Region Tournament after their team was eliminated from the South Korean National Tournament. As a result of this decision, Kuei-Shan Little League has been declared the champion of the Asia-Pacific Region and will be eligible to participate in the Little League Baseball World Series upon review of all eligibility requirements.”

 

[UConnJim]

They were drawing from much larger populations than LL allowed. An allstar team is supposed to draw from populations not exceeding 40,000. They were drawing from populations of hundreds of thousands. I believe at least one Taiwanese team drew from a population of 800,000 people. They said it was impossible to separate the kids because they went to the same school. American leagues in similar situations separate them into multiple leagues. So yes, American teams were at a competitive disadvantage, and that's why Taiwan no longer participates (unless something changed in recent years)

I don't think you are correct about population size and Little League. Population can be pretty large in a league if few kids play Little League as the number of teams in a League is what is important. And, the way they define league boundaries can create opportunity for creating super teams as leagues are based on residence and school location. So leagues with private schools within their boundaries can have kids that don't reside within the league boundaries.

 

[willie99]

Taiwan still competes. They're called Chinese Taipei now. Ask China why.

Why does Little League refer to Taiwan as Chinese Taipei? Here’s the answer

Chinese Taipei is the identification used at international sports events so Little League went that.

www.pennlive.com

Chinese Taipei Little League World Series Team

Well, they voluntarily withdrew after LL told them they couldn't choose teams from their entire country. After not participating for several years, they started again and are playing by the rules. They haven't won one title since