Little League World Series by the Numbers

T

he Little League World Series opened Aug. 15 in South Williamsport, Pa., featuring eight regional teams from the United States and eight international teams. Teams, comprised of 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds, are divided into two brackets and will compete in a round-robin tournament, culminating in a U.S. champion facing an international champion on Aug. 26. Last year, a team from Honolulu shut out a team from Seoul, South Korea — marking only the third time since 2011 that a U.S. team has captured the Little League World Series title. (Note: Due to an age-limit determination date change, this will be the first time 13-year-olds will not be allowed to participate in the tournament.)

Incidentally, there are several other Little League-sponsored World Series tournaments happening this summer over the course of 30 days involving approximately 935 players between the ages of 10 and 16 on 78 baseball and softball teams from around the world. Traditionally, though, the original Little League World Series captures the most attention.

Here are some numbers to keep in mind as you watch this year’s action from South Williamsport.

• 6: Number of other Little League World Series tournaments that don’t get nearly as much attention (Intermediate Division, Junior League, Senior League, Little League Softball, Junior League Softball and Senior League Softball)

• 4, 16: Age range for Little League’s various divisions of play for boys and girls

• 61: Number of years the tournament has been held in South Williamsport

• 2: Number of venues that host the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa. (Howard J. Lamade Stadium and Little League Volunteer Stadium)

• 0: Cost, in dollars, for spectators to attend Little League World Series games

• 76: Amount, in millions of dollars, ESPN is paying for rights to broadcast the Little League World Series from 2015 through 2022

• 30: Amount, in millions of dollars, ESPN paid to broadcast the tournament over the previous eight years, from 2007 through 2014

• 1947: Year the Little League Board of Directors organized a tournament for 12 Little League programs and called it the National Little League Tournament; it later was renamed the Little League World Series

• 2,500: Number of spectators who witnessed the first championship game between the Maynard Midget League of Williamsport, Pa., and the Lock Haven (Pa.) All Stars

• 2: Number of states represented in that inaugural tournament

• 1957: Year the first international team (Monterrey, Mexico) was crowned Little League World Series champion

• 1976: Year when two competition brackets were established — one for U.S. teams and one for international teams

• 17: Number of titles won by Taiwan, the most of any country in the world

• 7: Number of titles won by California, the most of any U.S. state

• 18: Number of girls who have participated in the Little League World Series between 1984 and 2014

• 85: Daily pitch count limit for Little League World Series players

• 6: Number of innings per game

• 56: Number of Little League World Series participants who went on to play Major League Baseball

• 9: Number of Little League World Series participants who went on to play in the National Football League

• 4: Number of Little League World Series participants who went on to play in the National Hockey League (yes, really)