Japanese team wins little league World Series

[Fidel]

Guys what´s up with that. For the 3rd time in five year a team from Japan wins that thing?

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Tanaka strikes out 14 to lead Tokyo to title

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Associated Press


SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- A Japanese team won the Little League World Series for the third time in five years, with Yuutaro Tanaka striking out 14 and Hokuto Nakahara hitting a grand slam in a 10-1 win Sunday night over Boynton Beach, Fla.


Tokyo's players raced into center field after the game, bowing to the bust of stadium namesake Howard J. Lamade, a tradition that began with Tokyo Kitasuna in 2001.


This time, Boynton Beach's players, rather than hanging their heads, ran out to join them. The victory lap, which both teams ran together, turned into a footrace.


Another Tokyo team beat Apopka, Fla., 2-1 in the 2001 championship game. Osaka defeated Phenix City, Ala., 5-0 in 1999.


Florida has put eight teams into Little League World Series title games, but never won a championship.


Japan (6-0) broke open a scoreless game with eight runs in the fourth inning. Eito Ono was hit by a pitch with two outs and the bases loaded and Kazumasa Sakamoto drew a walk from Michael Broad (2-1).


Nakahara sent the next pitch over the wall in center field for a 6-0 lead and his first home run of the series. After Takeru Ohmae's single, Tanaka hit a two-run homer to make it 8-0.


Tanaka (2-0), who allowed four hits, beautifully mixed fastballs and curves to keep the Boynton Beach batters off guard.


Devon Travis, who came in hitting .667 in the series, went 1-for-2 with two walks. Michael DeJesus, who was 6-for-6 in his last two games, went 1-for-3.


Tokyo went up 10-0 in the fifth on Hirofumi Yamazaki's solo home run and Sakamoto's RBI double.


Boynton Beach (4-2) barely avoided a "mercy rule'' loss when DeJesus' RBI single scored Travis in the bottom of the fifth. If Japan had been leading by 10 runs at the end of the inning, the game would have been stopped.


Travis singled in the bottom of the sixth, but was tagged trying to reach second base for the final out before Benny Townend could get home.


Tokyo completely dominated its opposition during the series, outscoring opponents 59-9. Its 15 home runs tied a record for the most in a series since pool play began -- Kao-Hsuing, Taiwan's 1996 team also hit 15 homers, but did it in just five games.


Before Tokyo's fourth-inning outburst, it looked like the game would be a pitcher's duel. Tokyo had stranded runners in each of the first three innings, and Broad was one strike away from ending the side in the fourth when his fastball hit Ono.


Boynton Beach had two on with one out in the third and had the bases loaded in the fourth, but both times Tanaka struck out the next two batters.


Tokyo nearly went up 1-0 in the first when Takeru Ohmae was called out trying to score on Tanaka's fly to left field. Replays appeared to show Ohmae slid in under the tag.


Earlier in the consolation game, Tharick Martines pitched a one-hitter to lead the Netherlands Antilles to a 6-1 victory over Saugus, Mass. It was the third consecutive year a team from Curacao finished third.

[ames7]

This was cool to watch. That kid who got the grand slam...wow. What a great experience for them.

[mavsfanforever]

I watched parts of it and the defense was pretty good too.

[ocelot_ark]

Hmmm...all of the best players from Japan beat a team with a couple of the best players from the US...who should win? Why not let the US field an all-star team of the "all stars" just from the LLWS? Wouldn't that be more like Japan had the ability to do?

[Fidel]

Originally posted by: ocelot_ark
Hmmm...all of the best players from Japan beat a team with a couple of the best players from the US...who should win? Why not let the US field an all-star team of the "all stars" just from the LLWS? Wouldn't that be more like Japan had the ability to do?

I don´t think that´s correct ocelot. The article says it was just a team from Tokyo no japanese national or all star team. Or do they put all their best players on that city team for the tourney?

[EricaLubarsky]

was there any doubt?