2001 Little League World Series
Tournament details
DatesAugust 17–August 26
Teams16
Final positions
ChampionsKitasuna Little League
Japan Tokyo, Japan
Runner-upNational Little League
United StatesFlorida Apopka, Florida

The 2001 Little League World Series took place between August 17 and August 26 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Kitasuna Little League of Tokyo, Japan, defeated Apopka National Little League of Apopka, Florida, in the championship game of the 55th Little League World Series. This tournament saw the expansion of pool play to 16 teams, eight from the United States, and eight from around the world. This was the first LLWS to use Little League Volunteer Stadium; it was built to accommodate games added to the pool stage and to host the tournament's consolation game for third place.

Age controversy

Following the conclusion of the tournament, Danny Almonte, a pitcher from the Bronx, New York, team representing the Mid-Atlantic Region, was the center of a scandal when it was discovered that he was not eligible to play in the tournament because he was two years over the maximum age limit. Because of this, the Mid-Atlantic team was retroactively assessed a forfeit for each game they won in the tournament.[1] The team's statistics, including a perfect game thrown by Almonte, were also invalidated.[1]

Qualification

Between five and twelve teams take part in 16 regional qualification tournaments, which vary in format depending on region. In the United States, the qualification tournaments are in the same format as the Little League World Series itself: a round-robin tournament followed by an elimination round to determine the regional champion.

Pool A Pool B Pool C Pool D
Rhode Island Lincoln, Rhode Island
New England
Lincoln Little League
New York (state) Bronx, New York
Mid-Atlantic
Bronx Little League
Panama Santiago de Veraguas, Panama
Latin America
Santiago de Veraguas Little League
Guam Hagåtña, Guam
Pacific
Guam Little League
California Oceanside, California
West
American Little League
Washington (state) Bainbridge Island, Washington
Northwest
Bainbridge Island Little League
CuraçaoNetherlands Antilles Willemstad, Curaçao
Caribbean
Pariba Little League
CanadaAlberta Calgary, Alberta
Canada
West Little League
Indiana Brownsburg, Indiana
Great Lakes
Brownsburg Little League
Iowa Davenport, Iowa
Midwest
East Little League
Saudi Arabia Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Transatlantic
Arabian-American Little League
Russia Moscow, Russia
Europe
Khovrino Little League
Louisiana Lake Charles, Louisiana
Gulf States
South Lake Charles Little League
Florida Apopka, Florida
Southeast
National Little League
Japan Tokyo, Japan
Asia
Kitasuna Little League
Mexico Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Mexico
Matamoros Little League

Pool play

The top two teams in each pool moved on to the elimination round.

Elimination rounds

The 2001 Little League World Series was the first edition that had a female umpire call the championship game: Flora Stansbury from Seneca, Missouri. U.S. President George W. Bush, himself a little leaguer as a child, was also in attendance at the championship game. Nobuhisa Baba's single in the bottom of the sixth drove in the winning run.[5]

 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
August 22 - Lamade
Game ended by mercy rule
 
 
Japan Tokyo, Japan 15
 
August 25 - Lamade
 
Mexico Matamoros, Mexico 5
 
Japan Tokyo, Japan2
 
August 23 - Lamade
 
CuraçaoNetherlands Antilles Willemstad, Curaçao 1
 
Guam Hagåtňa, Guam 3
 
August 26 - Lamade
 
CuraçaoNetherlands Antilles Willemstad, Curaçao 4
 
Japan Tokyo, Japan 2
 
August 22 - Lamade
 
United StatesFlorida Apopka, Florida1
 
Indiana Brownsburg, Indiana 1
 
August 25 - Lamade[6]
 
Florida Apopka, Florida 6
 
Florida Apopka, Florida 8
 
August 23 - Lamade
Forfeit[lower-alpha 4]
 
New York (state) Bronx, New York 2 Third place
 
New York (state) Bronx, New York 0
 
August 26 - Volunteer
Forfeit[lower-alpha 5]
 
California Oceanside, California6
 
New York (state) Bronx, New York 0
 
 
CuraçaoNetherlands Antilles Willemstad, Curaçao6
 
2001 Little League World Series Champions
Japan
Kitasuna Little League
Tokyo, Japan

Champions' path

The Kitasuna LL reached the LLWS with an undefeated record of four wins and no losses.[9] In total, their record was 9–1, their only loss coming in the LLWS qualifying round against Santiago de Veraguas LL of Panama.

RoundOppositionResult
All-Tokyo Tournament
Opening RoundRyuugasaki LL11–4
QuarterfinalsSuzaka LL6–1
SemifinalsMatsusaka LL12–8
Japan ChampionshipNagoya Kita LL5–4

Notable players

Notes

  1. Win (5–0) by the Bronx[2] later ruled a forfeit due to an ineligible player.
  2. Win (7–4) by the Bronx[3] later ruled a forfeit due to an ineligible player.
  3. Win (5–0) by the Bronx[4] later ruled a forfeit due to an ineligible player.
  4. Win (1–0) by the Bronx[7] later ruled a forfeit due to an ineligible player.
  5. Win (9–1) by the Bronx[8] later ruled a forfeit due to an ineligible player.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "It's true: Almonte is age 14—Bronx must forfeit Little League wins". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. AP. September 1, 2001. p. B1. Retrieved May 31, 2023 via newspapers.com.
  2. "Bronx pitcher makes Little League history". Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama. August 19, 2001. p. 1B. Retrieved June 1, 2023 via newspapers.com.
  3. "Another gem lifts Bronx in Little League series". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, North Carolina. August 21, 2001. p. 1C. Retrieved June 1, 2023 via newspapers.com.
  4. "Youth Baseball". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. August 22, 2001. p. 2C. Retrieved June 1, 2023 via newspapers.com.
  5. "Baba rallies Japan to 2001 title". AP. August 26, 2001. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  6. "Apopka, Tokyo to play for championship". Courier Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. AP. August 26, 2001. p. C7. Retrieved May 31, 2023 via newspapers.com.
  7. Scholfeld, Steve (August 24, 2001). "Oceanside loses 1-0 amid controversy". North County Times. Oceanside, California. p. 1. Retrieved May 31, 2023 via newspapers.com.
  8. "Almonte gives up first run in Bronx consolation romp". Muscatine Journal. Muscatine County, Iowa. AP. August 27, 2001. p. 1B. Retrieved May 31, 2023 via newspapers.com.
  9. "Japan Tournament Results". Unpage.com. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
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