World Series Little League
Springs from Regional Headquarters

“On matters of race, on matters of decency, baseball should lead the way.”
- A. Bartlett Giamatti

Everyone knows about Little League, yet here is a surprising insight into a regional headquarters with global impact.

With dedication and commitment to excellence and the human spirit, the Little League World Series recently wrapped up with team players from Columbus, Georgia taking the title. (It was the first back-to-back title win for American teams since the win by Long Beach, Calif. in 1992-93.)

About Bart Giamatti

A. Bartlett Giamatti was a Renaissance man, a scholar. He taught English and comparative literature and served as president of Yale University for eight years. One of his best-remembered acts, however, came as he served as commissioner of Major League Baseball, when he banned former Cincinnati Reds player-manager Pete Rose for life for betting on Major League games and associating with known gamblers.

Giamatti was president of Yale University (1978-86) and National League (1986-89) and died Sept. 1, 1989. But as a writer, he wrote like a dream, combining a passion for baseball with the skills of a poet.
Consider this excerpt from the Baseball Hall of Fame information Web site: “In two years as NL president, Giamatti earned a reputation for preserving baseball’s traditions, values and integrity. His presidency placed an emphasis on the need to improve the environment for the fan in the ballparks.”

By Chris Brunson

Little League is a way of life for children from 10 to 12 and their families. Players can learn the fundamentals of character by learning and playing baseball. It is open to all of that age, regardless of race, color, creed, or national origin.

The A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, Conn., the Eastern Regional Center for Little League Baseball, is one of five regional centers across the country.

The New England Region Tournament and the Mid-Atlantic Region tournaments are held on site in Bristol, with the champion of each going on to the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Penn. (See more about the World Series under Resources listings, below.)

Located on a quiet road off Route 6, the 19-acre facility opened June 19, 1993. Little League Baseball, Inc., maintains the international program, owns the land and funds this center.

“It’s not self-sustaining, it’s not designed to be,” said Donald R. Soucy, director of the Eastern Region Center. “We generate income and run the regional tournament for 11 state championships and Washington, D.C. We hold clinics, do support for the volunteers and parents.”

There are 2.7 million children who play Little League baseball each year; 2.5 million play within United States and about 400,000 play in all other countries. The organization is active in 104 countries.

“Jason Varitek was a Little Leaguer, and Jason Marquis, who pitched for St. Louis, played here,” he said. “In 1991, which was my first year here, the team won, so we brought them to Williamsport.”

It’s a year-round job.

Why Bristol?

Little League has regional centers in Florida, California, Indiana, and Texas. Prior to the establishment of regional centers, the Northeast was serviced out of Little League headquarters, in Pennsylvania.

“This is the largest region in the world and has the most kids and the most leagues,” he said. “Ours is the smallest in area, but has the most concentrated population. We serve 900,000 kids in an 11-state region.”

But regional needs were mixing international problems, so the quest went out for a place in the eastern region to build a center.

The “eastern region” is defined as the six New England states, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey.

“So where do you put a center? A lot of states vied for it, but from a geographic point of view, Connecticut is equisdistance from the top of Maine to the bottom of Maryland. So Connecticut had a good shot.”

It’s a close-knit group, the world of Little League.

“Our saying is that if a volunteer in Maine sneezes, someone in Maryland catches a cold,” said Soucy. “There’s an unbelievable network to get the word out. So, among the powers that be at headquarters, the word got out that Connecticut was a nice area with a great location between Boston and New York. The hot topic in Bridgeport was to get the center; at the time they had a referendum. People around the area where it was to be built would attract a bad element, so it was on a ballot and defeated. At the same time, a representative from Bridgeport got a bill passed that basically said if the city had been awarded the site, the state would give $1 million to kick off the fund raising. The gist was that with the help of other state representatives, it was decided that whoever gets the center in Connecticut gets the money. Then-Gov. Weicker was a tremendous supporter of Little League. So, Bristol worked with ESPN and produced a video about the city, and a squad of representatives went to a board meeting at world headquarters and made a presentation. It was a done deal. I’ve had sleepless nights, to be sure, but we have a beautiful center and serve many people. This is the best job I’ve ever had.”

“Our operating budget is in excess of $1 million a year and our income is $700,000. Three regions are in areas that are not as expensive to operate in as this one. But the other four regions are about the same; one may break even, but the other three are in the same position as we are. That’s one reason that Little League is looking at corporate sponsors national, to keep the fees at a reduced cost to leagues.”The center attracts people to the area, both for tournament play and for workshops after the season.

“We bring in about 50,000 to 60,000 people for 10 days for a clinic. We have a great relationship with hotels in the area, you can’t get a room around here during the regional tournament. And we’ve taken two teams to the Little League World Series.”

The mission, well, it’s to make sure all involved have a good time and learn the rules, so they can turn into well-rounded people.

“In school, in growing up, in college, what they learn will come back to them. Some come back home to volunteer, they remember when someone did that for them. It’s one big circle. We want the kids to have a good time. That’s enough.”

There’s also Little League representation brought to the World Series. When the center started, the Red Sox were sponsors.

ESPN Connection

“We have two games on TV, ESPN does them for us,” said Soucy. “Dave Ryan does a lot of football but he does our game.

“When Major League Baseball went on strike, it affected Little League and all sorts of programs – there was nothing to watch, nothing to emulate. The Yankee-Red Sox rivalry is good for everybody, it’s good for baseball.”

Resources:

For a complete schedule of play, see www.littleleague.org/series/2006divisions/llbb/series.htm, the official Web site of Little League Baseball.

Or contact the Little League International Baseball and Softball headquarters, 539 US Route 15 Hwy. P.O. Box 3485, Williamsport, PA 17701-0485; call (570) 326-1921.

Eastern Region Headquarters (Serves these states: CT, DE, DC, MA, ME, MD, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT); contact Eastern Region Director Don Soucy, Little League Eastern Region, P.O. Box 2926, Bristol, CT 06011-2926; call (860) 585-4730. Regional Web site is www.littleleague.org/east.

For more about the U.S. and International Regional Centers see www.littleleague.org.