1947 Little League World Series
{{short description|Children's baseball tournament}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2012}}
{{Infobox international baseball tournament
| image = Original Little League Field 14.jpg
| caption = Original Little League Field in 2016
| dates = August 21–August 23
| num_teams = 12
| champion_other = {{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} Maynard League
| second_other = {{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} Lock Haven
| nextseason = {{llwsy|1948}}
}}
The 1947 Little League World Series took place from August 21 through August 23, when the first Little League Baseball championship tournament was played at Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Maynard Midgets of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, defeated the Lock Haven All Stars of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, 16–7 to win the championship. The event was called the National Little League Tournament, as the "World Series" naming was not adopted until {{llwsy|1949}}.
In 1947, the board of directors for the original Little League decided to organize a tournament for the 17 known Little League programs.{{cite web|url=http://www.littleleague.org/learn/about/worldserieshistory.htm |title=Little League World Series History |access-date=August 28, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817102629/http://www.littleleague.org/learn/about/worldserieshistory.htm |archive-date=August 17, 2010 |url-status=dead }} The fields on which the games were played are between the street and a levee built to protect the town from the West Branch Susquehanna River.{{Coord|41.240394|N|77.044643|W|type:landmark_scale:2000_region:US}} That levee provided most of the seating for the inaugural series' attendees.{{cite news | first=Dave | last=Caldwell | title=Williamsport, Pa.: Home of True Small Ball | date=July 20, 2007 | url =https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/20/travel/escapes/20trip.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin | work =The New York Times | access-date =February 2, 2008 }} Although the Little League World Series has now moved to a stadium in South Williamsport, it's still possible to play baseball on the original field.{{cite news | first=Dave | last=Lewerenz | title=Small Museum Preserves Historic Birthplace of Little League | date=August 10, 2003 | url =http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/other/20030810little0810p8.asp | work =Pittsburgh Post Gazette | access-date =February 2, 2008 }}
The inaugural series was important in history in that it was integrated at a time when professional baseball was still integrating.{{cite news | first=Milan | last=Simonich | title=Stroll in Free to the 60th Summer Baseball Classic | date=August 13, 2006 | url =http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06225/713163-56.stm | work =Pittsburgh Post Gazette | access-date =February 2, 2008 }} More than 2,500 spectators enjoyed the final game, which helped to increase the League's overall publicity.
Teams
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
Williamsport Teams
- {{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} Original League
- {{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} Sunday School League
- {{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} Brandon League
- {{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} Maynard League
{{col-3}}
- {{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} Lincoln League – Newberry, PA
- {{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} Montoursville, PA
- {{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} Montgomery, PA
- {{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} Jersey Shore, PA
- {{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} Milton, PA
- {{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} Perry County, PA
- {{flagicon|New Jersey}} Hammonton, NJ
- {{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} Lock Haven, PA
{{col-3}}
File:1947_Little_League_World_Series_teams.svg
{{col-end}}
Results
{{16TeamBracket | RD1-omit = 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8 | byes = 1
|RD1=First Round
August 21–22
|RD2=Second Round
August 22
|RD3=Semifinals
August 23
|RD4=Final
August 23
| RD1-team01={{flagicon|PA}} Original League | RD1-score09=15
| RD1-team02={{nowrap|{{flagicon|PA}} Sunday School League}} | RD1-score10=0
| RD1-team03={{flagicon|PA}} Newberry | RD1-score11=6
| RD1-team04={{flagicon|PA}} Montoursville | RD1-score12=2
| RD1-team05={{flagicon|PA}} Brandon League | RD1-score13=14
| RD1-team06={{flagicon|PA}} Montgomery | RD1-score14=2
| RD1-team07={{flagicon|PA}} Maynard League | RD1-score15=8
| RD1-team08={{flagicon|PA}} Jersey Shore | RD1-score16=1
| RD2-team01={{flagicon|NJ}} Hammonton | RD2-score01= 6
| RD2-team02={{flagicon|PA}} Milton | RD2-score02= 4
| RD2-team03={{flagicon|PA}} Lock Haven | RD2-score03= 8
| RD2-team04={{flagicon|PA}} Perry County | RD2-score04= 6
| RD2-team05={{flagicon|PA}} Original League | RD2-score05= 4
| RD2-team06={{flagicon|PA}} Newberry | RD2-score06= 7
| RD2-team07={{flagicon|PA}} Brandon League | RD2-score07= 4
| RD2-team08={{flagicon|PA}} Maynard League | RD2-score08= 10
| RD3-team01={{flagicon|NJ}} Hammonton | RD3-score01= 1
| RD3-team02={{flagicon|PA}} Lock Haven | RD3-score02= 5
| RD3-team03={{flagicon|PA}} Newberry | RD3-score03= 1
| RD3-team04={{flagicon|PA}} Maynard League | RD3-score04= 2
| RD4-team01={{flagicon|PA}} Lock Haven | RD4-score01= 7
| RD4-team02={{flagicon|PA}} Maynard League | RD4-score02= 16
}}
Rain on August 21 caused two first round games to be played on August 22.
Source:{{cite web |url=http://www.littleleague.org/series/history/year/1947.htm |title=1947 Little League World Series |access-date=August 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120125535/http://www.littleleague.org/series/history/year/1947.htm |archive-date=January 20, 2013 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22989709/stars_set_for_tournament/ |title=Stars Set For Tournament |newspaper=The Express |location=Lock Haven, Pennsylvania |page=7 |date=August 22, 1947 |access-date=August 20, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22988791/lock_haven_in_little_league_tourney/ |title=Lock Haven In Little League Tourney Semi-Finals |newspaper=The Express |location=Lock Haven, Pennsylvania |page=7 |date=August 23, 1947 |access-date=August 20, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22989435/tourney_slate/ |title=Tourney Slate |newspaper=The Express |location=Lock Haven, Pennsylvania |page=7 |date=August 23, 1947 |access-date=August 20, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22989209/little_leaguers_do_well_finishing_in/ |title=Little Leaguers Do Well Finishing In Runner-Up Spot |newspaper=The Express |location=Lock Haven, Pennsylvania |page=9 |date=August 25, 1947 |access-date=August 20, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}
Notable players
- Jack Losch of the Maynard League championship team went on to play college football with the Miami Hurricanes, and was a first-round selection in the 1956 NFL draft. That year, with the Green Bay Packers, he became the first LLWS participant to play a professional sport. In 2004, the Team Sportsmanship Award at the LLWS was named in his honor.{{cite web |url=http://www.littleleague.org/media/newsarchive/05_2004/04loschaward.htm |title=Little League World Series Team Sportsmanship Award to be Named for Jack Losch |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118105028/http://www.littleleague.org/media/newsarchive/05_2004/04loschaward.htm |archive-date=2012-01-18 |website=littleleague.org |access-date=June 22, 2010}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20150827134936/http://www.littleleague.org/series/history/year/1947.htm 1947 Tournament Bracket] via Wayback Machine
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20170930052244/http://www.littleleague.org/series/history/scores/1947line.htm 1947 Line Scores] via Wayback Machine
{{LLWS}}