Tonight's game between D.C. United and CF Montreal was a wonderful, wild 4-4 thriller! I am out of words to describe it. My syntax wasn't perfect on every call, but hopefully my excitement helped share just how engrossing and fascinating and exhilarating this game was!
Enjoy:
I'm fond of saying, on air, that teams and individuals love to have a quick turnaround after a frustrating performance so that they can try to quickly right the wrongs of that disappointment.
That storyline was at play in my work last week, as I was able to move on from some Wednesday frustration to enjoy an exciting game on Saturday, one I feel had some really good calls of exciting moments.
They didn't all make the highlights, actually. This compilation leaves out one of the best plays of the game, a defensive intervention by Griffin Dorsey, but it still provides a good sample of our broadcast.
This game was also rare for me because of how much Spanish it involved. Both coaching staffs speak primarily Spanish, while my partner (MetroStars legend and former New York Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese), my producer, and both of the Spanish-language announcers were all fully bilingual. This left me embarrassed at speaking only one language and relying on automatic transcription and Google Translate after the coach calls. It wasn't a problem, just something I hadn't experienced in a while, since my days in Houston when the Dynamo competed internationally.
It's an area of growth for me: I hope to be able to understand so much more and to be able to communicate in Spanish beyond "lo siento por mi español."
I've got one more MLS game before the World Cup, in D.C. on Saturday, and I can't wait to see what happens in that one.
I’m not going to lie: I walked away from Wednesday night’s Apple TV broadcast pretty frustrated with myself. Our game—No. 1 (Nashville) vs. No. 2 (New England) in the Eastern Conference—had three goals, and I felt like I messed up two of them.
Not great, Bob!
I got caught storytelling on Nashville’s first goal and took too long to switch to calling the scoring chance. Then on the third goal, I initially identified Hany Mukhtar as the goalscorer, when I KNOW that I should wait until I’m certain before I say a name. I quickly corrected to Bryan Acosta, but it ruins the call.
Many other parts of the broadcast were good. A colleague praised our scene set, which opens the broadcast. I thought we covered a lot of topics relevant to each team. We got to tell some great stories (including the one that bled into the opening goal). I felt there were some good transitions from our promotional reads back to game coverage. We did an on-camera report after the game down on the natural grass surface. Plenty of things to be proud of and to build on.
For all of that, I was definitely holding onto the game’s big moments—which I feel I didn’t match—as I drove home. But as I tell my kids, we’re not perfect, mistakes will always happen, and what’s important is how you respond to them. So I’m ready to have a great call on Saturday, nail the big moments, and call these games at the top of my skillset.
The best part of my night? As I walked with my partner, Jalil Anibaba, and our Spanish play-by-play announcer, Moisés Linares, to the production truck, a young fan called out to me, “I like the suit you’re wearing! You look nice.”
We don't have time or space to go through all my emotions leading up to the show, my first on the primary English TV feed of an MLS game since an ESPN game I called in 2021. Suffice it to say, I've been looking forward to it! The event itself certainly delivered more than I could have asked for.
Five goals, multiple lead changes, and a 90th-minute game-winner from the home team in front of their supporters? Yeah, that's how you draw it up. What's more, the decisive goalscorer, Kye Rowles, was the D.C. United representative we talked to on Friday to prepare for the match. I did not expect that he would be the hero less than 36 hours later!
Here are the highlights of a game I thoroughly enjoyed calling with my partner, 12-year MLS veteran Jalil Anibaba, who I only met on Thursday but already consider a friend. We had a blast!
For my first broadcast on Apple TV and my first full broadcast in almost six months, I felt very good about our show. Getting fooled by the 80th-minute chance and calling goal on a shot that didn't go in will not make my personal highlight reel, but it happens to the best of us.
Dave is a true class act for whom I have so much respect. He showed that American broadcasters can put their own stamp on soccer. Ever the insider, he had confirmed both lineups and bench rosters way before us TV folks, helpfully sharing that information to help us prepare.
I have a few weeks for my voice to recover before I call three more MLS games in May, and then everyone's focus will flip to the World Cup.
But for now, I'm very happy to have gotten my feet wet. As I texted a friend this morning, "God was it fun!"
Calling Little League's Intermediate 50/70 World Series (for 13-year-olds) is one of the annual highlights of my broadcast schedule. It's so much fun and I look forward to it (and prepare for it) for months in advance.
But I can admit the lights shine brightest on ESPN's coverage of the 12-year-old Little League World Series, with regional games featured on linear television. Williamsport is the event so many of us grew up watching (I can still vividly remember some of the broadcast opening from when I was 9), and, of course, it's the one I aspired (in vain, as I knew it would be) to play in.
So on August 6, I called the Great Lakes Region elimination game between Jasper, Indiana and Bowling Green East, Kentucky:
The following day, I called the Midwest Region winners' bracket final between Webb City, Missouri and Sioux Falls, South Dakota:
They were both tight, well-played games that seemed to fly by (less than 1 hour, 45 minutes for each) compared to the games in Livermore, which are an inning longer and inevitably slow down due to the addition of leads, pickoffs, and true stolen bases.
As I do at the 13-year-old level, I took pride in calling the teams by their league names, not just by the states involved. There's state pride involved, absolutely, and some teams even choose to order new uniforms that feature their state name. But most wear their original uniforms bearing their league name, and when you've beaten teams from all over your state to win the prize of representing that state, the town and the league deserve some specific love. Some towns have more than one league, too, as my hometown did when I played. After all, California didn't win back-to-back Little League world championships in 1992 and 1993; Long Beach, California did!
The games were close and interesting and fun to call, and both were such an adrenaline rush, too: I was trying my best to get up to speed on these teams in short order, working with a new partner in Chris Burke and new production crews, and scrambling to get everything done. For the second game, I even had enough time to set up and appear on camera for our open!
It was incredible fun, an important contribution to our team's coverage, and a taste of something I can hope to work on again in the future!
Champions of the Little League World Series (12-year-olds) back in 2019, Eastbank becomes the first individual league ever to win both the 12- and 13-year-old world championships (although Seoul in 2014 and West Seoul in 2015 presumably had some significant overlap).
Both teams were so sound and had such good pitching that we never expected a wild, 8-7 game, but that's exactly what we got. This video doesn't include our opening tease, which I was quite proud of, but here's about 25 minutes of 13-year-old Little League fun:
I have the privilege of calling a Little League World Series once again this year! This will mark my third consecutive call of the Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series, held from July 28-August 4 in Livermore, California. It's for 13-year-olds, played on a field slightly larger than Little League but still smaller than Junior League (50 feet from the pitcher's mound to home plate, 70 feet between the bases). Following this tournament and its qualifiers closely over the last three years, I've come to expect fantastic action and stories, and I'm looking forward to bringing them to you again this year!
The 2024 Intermediate World Series will air on ESPN+, and I will lay out the backstory for one of the 12 competing teams each day from now until the tournament's start on July 28. I hope you'll read along and remember a nugget here and there when you watch the tournament!
| Road to Livermore | |||
| Delaware Dist 1 | |||
| July 5 | at Dover | W | 20-0 (4 inn.) |
| July 6 | Camden-Wyoming | W | 18-6 (5 inn.) |
| July 8 | Milford | W | 11-0 (5 inn.) |
| East Region | |||
| July 20 | Fairfield American CT | W | 5-2 |
| July 21 | Hub City, Hagerstown MD | W | 5-4 |
| July 22 | Greater Nashua NH | W | 18-5 (5 inn.) |
| July 23 | Keystone, Clinton County PA (winners' bracket final) | W | 11-1 (6 inn.) |
| July 25 | South Vineland NJ (final) | W | 2-0 |
| Intermediate Baseball World Series | |||
| July 28 | Vine Ingle, Macon GA | L | 4-6 |
| July 30 | Livermore CA (elim) | L | 5-6 (9 inn.) |
| Aug 1 | South-West Germany (Goodwill) | L | 0-3 |
I have the privilege of calling a Little League World Series once again this year! This will mark my third consecutive call of the Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series, held from July 28-August 4 in Livermore, California. It's for 13-year-olds, played on a field slightly larger than Little League but still smaller than Junior League (50 feet from the pitcher's mound to home plate, 70 feet between the bases). Following this tournament and its qualifiers closely over the last three years, I've come to expect fantastic action and stories, and I'm looking forward to bringing them to you again this year!
The 2024 Intermediate World Series will air on ESPN+, and I will lay out the backstory for one of the 12 competing teams each day from now until the tournament's start on July 28. I hope you'll read along and remember a nugget here and there when you watch the tournament!
| Road to Livermore | |||
| California District 32 |
|||
| June 14 |
Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego | W | 16-0 (4) |
| June 15 |
Clairemont Hilltoppers, San Diego | W | 12-5 |
| June 17 |
Point Loma, San Diego (winners' bracket final) | W | 8-0 |
| June 20 |
Point Loma, San Diego (final) | L | 4-6 |
| June 21 |
Point Loma, San Diego (final) | W | 12-5 |
| Southern California Section 6 |
|||
| June 25 |
Oceanside National | W | 10-0 (5) |
| June 28 |
at Encinitas (winners' bracket final) | W | 11-1 (5) |
| June 30 |
at Encinitas (final) | W | 10-0 (5) |
| Southern California |
|||
| July 2 |
Laguna Beach | W | 9-2 |
| July 6 |
Santa Anita | W | 10-7 |
| July 8 |
Upland National | W | 5-4 |
| July 10 |
East Hills Yorba Linda (winners' bracket final) | W | 7-6 |
| July 12 |
East Hills Yorba Linda (final) | W | 5-2 |
| West Region |
|||
| July 17 |
Central Maui, Wailuku HI (group) | L | 1-5 |
| July 19 |
San Xavier, Tucson AZ (group) | W | 11-0 |
| July 21 |
Post Falls ID (group) | W | 21-1 (4) |
| July 22 |
Cascade, Turner OR (group) | W | 22-3 (4) |
| July 23 |
Douglas AZ (quarterfinals) | W | 21-2 (4) |
| July 24 |
Central Maui, Wailuku HI (semifinals) | W | 4-0 |
| July 25 |
Bollinger Canyon, San Ramon CA (final) | W | 5-0 |
| Intermediate Baseball World Series | |||
| July 29 | Vine Ingle, Macon GA |
W | 12-9 |
| July 31 | Eastbank, Kenner LA | L | 1-11 (5) |
| Aug 1 | Livermore CA (elim) | L | 5-12 |
I have the privilege of calling a Little League World Series once again this year! This will mark my third consecutive call of the Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series, held from July 28-August 4 in Livermore, California. It's for 13-year-olds, played on a field slightly larger than Little League but still smaller than Junior League (50 feet from the pitcher's mound to home plate, 70 feet between the bases). Following this tournament and its qualifiers closely over the last three years, I've come to expect fantastic action and stories, and I'm looking forward to bringing them to you again this year!
The 2024 Intermediate World Series will air on ESPN+, and I will lay out the backstory for one of the 12 competing teams each day from now until the tournament's start on July 28. I hope you'll read along and remember a nugget here and there when you watch the tournament!
| Road to Livermore | |||
| Southwest Region | |||
| July 20 | Deer Creek, Edmond OK | W | 19-0 (5) |
| July 21 | Santa Fe NM | W | 16-0 (5) |
| July 23 | Northside Suburban, San Antonio TX (winners' bracket final) | W | 13-1 |
| July 25 | Northside Suburban, San Antonio TX (final) | W | 11-1 (6) |
| Intermediate Baseball World Series | |||
| July 28 | HYR, Georgetown IN | W | 8-2 |
| July 29 | Livermore CA | W | 4-2 |
| July 31 | Scripps Ranch, San Diego CA | W | 11-1 (5) |
| Aug 3 | Livermore CA (US final) | W | 3-1 |
| Aug 4 | West Seoul KOR (World Series final) | 6pm PT | |
I have the privilege of calling a Little League World Series once again this year! This will mark my third consecutive call of the Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series, held from July 28-August 4 in Livermore, California. It's for 13-year-olds, played on a field slightly larger than Little League but still smaller than Junior League (50 feet from the pitcher's mound to home plate, 70 feet between the bases). Following this tournament and its qualifiers closely over the last three years, I've come to expect fantastic action and stories, and I'm looking forward to bringing them to you again this year!
The 2024 Intermediate World Series will air on ESPN+, and I will lay out the backstory for one of the 12 competing teams each day from now until the tournament's start on July 28. I hope you'll read along and remember a nugget here and there when you watch the tournament!
| Road to Livermore | |||
| Québec |
|||
| July 6 |
Royal Repentigny | W | 10-3 (6 inn.) |
| July 7 |
Royal Repentigny | W | 4-3 |
| Canada |
|||
| July 17 |
Cape Breton Ramblers, Halifax NS (group) | W | 13-0 (5 inn.) |
| July 18 |
Layritz BC (group) | W | 5-1 |
| July 19 |
at Fraser Valley Firebirds, Coquitlam BC (group) | L | 0-1 |
| July 20 |
Lethbridge AB (group) | W | 12-4 |
| July 21 |
Kingston Colts (group) | L | 5-11 |
| July 23 |
at Fraser Valley Firebirds, Coquitlam BC (semifinals) | W | 15-2 (5 inn.) |
| July 24 |
Layritz BC (final) | W | 5-2 |
| Intermediate Baseball World Series | |||
| July 28 | Amelia Guaynabo PR | L | 4-12 |
| July 30 | Hills, Sydney AUS (elim) | L | 2-3 |
| Aug 1 | HYR, Georgetown IN (Goodwill) | L | 2-7 |
I have the privilege of calling a Little League World Series once again this year! This will mark my third consecutive call of the Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series, held from July 28-August 4 in Livermore, California. It's for 13-year-olds, played on a field slightly larger than Little League but still smaller than Junior League (50 feet from the pitcher's mound to home plate, 70 feet between the bases). Following this tournament and its qualifiers closely over the last three years, I've come to expect fantastic action and stories, and I'm looking forward to bringing them to you again this year!
The 2024 Intermediate World Series will air on ESPN+, and I will lay out the backstory for one of the 12 competing teams each day from now until the tournament's start on July 28. I hope you'll read along and remember a nugget here and there when you watch the tournament!
| Road to Livermore | |||
| Georgia District 5 |
|||
| June 22 |
at Chatham County, Savannah | W | 10-0 (5) |
| June 22 |
at Chatham County, Savannah | W | 20-0 (4) |
| Georgia |
|||
| July 6 |
at Peachtree City | W | 29-1 (5) |
| July 6 |
at Peachtree City | W | 24-1 (3) |
| Southeast Region |
|||
| July 19 |
South Durham NC | W | 2-1 |
| July 20 |
Alexandria VA | W | 14-2 (5) |
| July 22 |
Destin FL | L | 2-5 |
| July 22 |
South Durham NC (elim bracket final) | W | 3-2 |
| July 23 |
Destin FL (final) | W | 8-3 |
| Intermediate Baseball World Series | |||
| July 28 | MOT, Middletown DE |
W | 6-4 |
| July 29 | Scripps Ranch, San Diego CA | L | 9-12 |
| July 30 | HYR, Georgetown IN (elim) | W | 6-4 |
| July 31 | Livemore CA (elim) | L | 4-5 |
I have the privilege of calling a Little League World Series once again this year! This will mark my third consecutive call of the Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series, held from July 28-August 4 in Livermore, California. It's for 13-year-olds, played on a field slightly larger than Little League but still smaller than Junior League (50 feet from the pitcher's mound to home plate, 70 feet between the bases). Following this tournament and its qualifiers closely over the last three years, I've come to expect fantastic action and stories, and I'm looking forward to bringing them to you again this year!
The 2024 Intermediate World Series will air on ESPN+, and I will lay out the backstory for one of the 12 competing teams each day from now until the tournament's start on July 28. I hope you'll read along and remember a nugget here and there when you watch the tournament!
| Road to Livermore | |||
| Indiana |
|||
| July 5 |
Hobart | W | 14-0 (5) |
| July 7 |
Georgetown Community, Fort Wayne | W | 11-1 (5) |
| July 9 |
Hobart (final) | W | 11-1 (6) |
| Central Region |
|||
| July 14 |
Whitefish Bay WI | W | 7-5 |
| July 16 |
South Oldham KY | W | 11-1 (5) |
| July 16 |
Boone National IA | W | 4-3 |
| July 17 |
Sgt. Bluff-Luton IA (winners' bracket final) | W | 11-1 (5) |
| July 18 |
Sgt. Bluff-Luton IA (final) | W | 4-0 |
| Intermediate Baseball World Series | |||
| July 28 | Eastbank, Kenner LA | L | 2-8 |
| July 30 | Vine Ingle, Macon GA (elim) | L | 4-6 |
| July 30 | Diamond Baseball, Boisbriand QC (Goodwill) | W | 7-2 |
I have the privilege of calling a Little League World Series once again this year! This will mark my third consecutive call of the Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series, held from July 28-August 4 in Livermore, California. It's for 13-year-olds, played on a field slightly larger than Little League but still smaller than Junior League (50 feet from the pitcher's mound to home plate, 70 feet between the bases). Following this tournament and its qualifiers closely over the last three years, I've come to expect fantastic action and stories, and I'm looking forward to bringing them to you again this year!
The 2024 Intermediate World Series will air on ESPN+, and I will lay out the backstory for one of the 12 competing teams each day from now until the tournament's start on July 28. I hope you'll read along and remember a nugget here and there when you watch the tournament!
| Road to Livermore | |||
| Curaçao | |||
| March 14 | Pariba, Willemstad CUR | W | 7-1 |
| March 15 | Pariba, Willemstad CUR | L | 7-8 |
| March 16 | Pariba, Willemstad CUR | W | 11-6 |
| March 18 | Pariba, Willemstad CUR | L | 9-10 |
| March 18 | Pariba, Willemstad CUR | W | 10-9 (9) |
| Latin America | |||
| June 24 | at La Javilla, Santo Domingo Este DR (group) | W | 4-3 |
| June 25 | Falcón, Cartagena COL | W | 15-1 |
| June 26 | Center / South, Oranjestad ARU | W | 9-0 |
| June 28 | Villa del Refugio MEX (semifinal) | W | 9-2 |
| June 29 | Coquivacoa, Maracaibo VEN (final) | W | 3-2 |
| Intermediate Baseball World Series | |||
| July 29 | Amelia Guaynabo PR | W | 10-4 |
| July 31 | West Seoul KOR | W | 3-1 |
| Aug 3 | West Seoul KOR (Int'l final) | L | 4-5 |
I have the privilege of calling a Little League World Series once again this year! This will mark my third consecutive call of the Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series, held from July 28-August 4 in Livermore, California. It's for 13-year-olds, played on a field slightly larger than Little League but still smaller than Junior League (50 feet from the pitcher's mound to home plate, 70 feet between the bases). Following this tournament and its qualifiers closely over the last three years, I've come to expect fantastic action and stories, and I'm looking forward to bringing them to you again this year!
The 2024 Intermediate World Series will air on ESPN+, and I will lay out the backstory for one of the 12 competing teams each day from now until the tournament's start on July 28. I hope you'll read along and remember a nugget here and there when you watch the tournament!
The motivation comes from five players who were members of last year's South Seoul A 12-year-old team, which won the Korean and Asian-Pacific championships to punch a ticket to Williamsport. They were later disqualified, however, after a Taiwan protest revealed that two players from the South Seoul B team - which played against South Seoul A in nationals - had been added to the squad for the Asia-Pacific regional to replace injured players. Those players were clearly ineligible, and Korea was disqualified. So that quintet will finally get their moment at a Little League championship event in the U.S.!
The worthy adversary? Last year, it was Liga Mario Mendoza from Navojoa, Mexico, which split a pair of epic extra-inning encounters with West Seoul; only the fact that West Seoul won the second meeting, the international championship game, allowed the Korean squad to play and win the world title game.
This year's most likely adversary knows all about world title games: Liga Pabao from Curaçao has five players who have won the last two 12-year-old international championships, only to fall to U.S. teams in the world final in Williamsport. Pabao brings back almost the entire squad that lost to El Segundo, California, last year, and it is a real threat to finally be the last team celebrating.
So this West Seoul group has big work ahead. It does not appear a particularly powerful group, but the pitching and defense are exactly what we have come to expect. This based on Korea edging Chiba City, Japan 2-0 in a sharply played Asia Pacific championship game that happened to be held in Chiba province, a 45-minute drive away from the Japanese champions, who had a boisterous crowd at the final. Lefty Tae-min Kim and righty Yeon-jun Hong combined on a 2-hit shutout, and West Seoul's aggressive baserunning helped decide the contest.
Their Livermore draw is favorable, with games against South-West Germany and Hills, Australia to open the tournament if West Seoul stays unbeaten. That could leave Korea's pitching well-rested for two potential showdowns with Pabao, and if anybody has learned from last year, the key is: Win the second one!
| Road to Livermore | |||
| Korea | |||
| April 27 | Daegu Gyeongbuk (group) | W | 9-2 |
| April 27 | Jeolla Jeju (group) | W | 12-4 |
| April 28 | Chungcheong Gangwon (group) | W | 6-3 |
| April 28 | Busan Geongnyam (group) | W | 8-2 |
| April 29 | East Seoul (group) | W | 4-2 |
| April 29 | Chungcheong Gangwon (final) | W | 4-0 |
| Asia Pacific | |||
| June 16 | Hong Kong (group) | W | 15-0 |
| June 17 | China (group) | W | 10-0 |
| June 18 | Lorenz, South Tangerang, Indonesia (group) | W | 21-0 |
| June 20 | World Baseball, Taipei City TAI (semifinal) | W | 10-0 |
| June 22 | at Chiba City JPN (final) | W | 2-0 |
| Intermediate Baseball World Series | |||
| July 28 | South-West Germany | W | 8-0 |
| July 29 | Hills, Sydney NSW AUS | W | 8-1 |
| July 31 | Pabao, Willemstad CUR | L | 1-3 |
| Aug 1 | Amelia Guaynabo PR (elim) | W | 2-1 |
| Aug 3 | Pabao, Willemstad CUR (Int'l Final) | W | 5-4 |
| Aug 4 | Eastbank, Kenner LA (World Series Final) | 6pm PT | |
I have the privilege of calling a Little League World Series once again this year! This will mark my third consecutive call of the Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series, held from July 28-August 4 in Livermore, California. It's for 13-year-olds, played on a field slightly larger than Little League but still smaller than Junior League (50 feet from the pitcher's mound to home plate, 70 feet between the bases). Following this tournament and its qualifiers closely over the last three years, I've come to expect fantastic action and stories, and I'm looking forward to bringing them to you again this year!
The 2024 Intermediate World Series will air on ESPN+, and I will lay out the backstory for one of the 12 competing teams each day from now until the tournament's start on July 28. I hope you'll read along and remember a nugget here and there when you watch the tournament!
German teams have competed in Little League championship events for years, going back to 1960. The German language, however? It's been in short supply.
Previous teams representing Germany have been made up mostly of American citizens, usually from local military bases. This year, however, you may hear German in the dugout, and a lot of it: For the first time, a Little League team with a majority of German citizens will compete at the World Series.
This might not be a huge shock if you pay attention to international youth baseball. I certainly did not know that Germany has now won the last three WBSC Europe U-12 championships. Six players from last year’s team are on this year’s Little League 50/70 European champions from the South-West Little League, drawing players mostly from Frankfurt, Mainz, and Mannheim. Of the team’s 13 players, 11 are German citizens (2 American players come from non-military families living in Germany), and 5 have no major ties to another country.
Truthfully, I did not see them coming. At the Europe-Africa championship in the Czech Republic, it appeared certain that Rotterdam or the South Czech Republic would take the title, as teams from those countries do year after year, especially after the Czechs beat South-West Germany 7-1. But that game actually gave South-West Germany confidence, as they played well but had to save some pitching for later in the tournament. From there, they rolled to three straight wins, including wins over the South Czech Republic 4-1 in a rematch and Rotterdam 6-3 in a one-game final.
Their chances in the international bracket are hard to predict, especially given the opening assignment against defending world champion West Seoul, South Korea. Germany finished 9th out of 12 at the 2023 WBSC U-12 World Cup, its best finish ever, yet clearly toward the back of the pack. But righthander Bennet Lindner (already pitching for the German U-15 national team from 60 feet) and other standouts like Luis Fermin Giere, Felipe Morales Weggeman and Tino Bieth will arrive at the 50/70 World Series full of confidence. And they wouldn’t mind flying home with the first Sieg (win) earned by a team of predominantly German Little Leaguers.
| Road to Livermore | |||
| Germany | |||
| June 15 | vs. South-East Germany, Munich | W | 12-0 |
| June 16 | vs. South-East Germany, Munich | W | 10-2 |
| Europe-Africa | |||
| June 24 | Ile-de-France, Paris FRA | W | 7-6 |
| June 25 | South Czech Republic, Brno CZE | L | 1-7 |
| June 26 | Ile-de-France, Paris FRA (elim) | W | 13-2 (6) |
| June 27 | South Czech Republic, Brno CZE (elim final) | W | 4-1 |
| June 28 | Rotterdam NED (final) | W | 6-3 |
| Intermediate Baseball World Series | |||
| July 28 | West Seoul KOR | L | 0-8 |
| July 30 | Amelia Guaynabo PR (elim) | L | 1-7 |
| Aug 1 | MOT, Middletown DE (Goodwill) | W | 3-0 |
I have the privilege of calling a Little League World Series once again this year! This will mark my third consecutive call of the Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series, held from July 28-August 4 in Livermore, California. It's for 13-year-olds, played on a field slightly larger than Little League but still smaller than Junior League (50 feet from the pitcher's mound to home plate, 70 feet between the bases). Following this tournament and its qualifiers closely over the last three years, I've come to expect fantastic action and stories, and I'm looking forward to bringing them to you again this year!
The 2024 Intermediate World Series will air on ESPN+, and I will lay out the backstory for one of the 12 competing teams each day from now until the tournament's start on July 28. I hope you'll read along and remember a nugget here and there when you watch the tournament!
| Road to Livermore | |||
| Australia Region | |||
| May 27 | Athletics (Victoria) (group) | W | 7-2 |
| May 28 | Southern Titans (Western Australia) (group) | W | 110 (5) |
| May 29 | Gold Coast (Queensland) (group) | W | 7-5 |
| May 30 | Mets (Victoria) (semifinal) | W | 15-2 (5) |
| May 31 | Athletics (Victoria) (final) | W | 12-0 (5) |
| Intermediate Baseball World Series | |||
| July 29 | West Seoul KOR | L | 1-8 |
| July 30 | Diamond Baseball, Boisbriand QC CAN (elim) | W | 3-2 |
| July 31 | Amelia Guaynabo PR (elim) | L | 3-8 |
I have the privilege of calling a Little League World Series once again this year! This will mark my third consecutive call of the Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series, held from July 28-August 4 in Livermore, California. It's for 13-year-olds, played on a field slightly larger than Little League but still smaller than Junior League (50 feet from the pitcher's mound to home plate, 70 feet between the bases). Following this tournament and its qualifiers closely over the last three years, I've come to expect fantastic action and stories, and I'm looking forward to bringing them to you again this year!
The 2024 Intermediate World Series will air on ESPN+, and I will lay out the backstory for one of the 12 competing teams each day from now until the tournament's start on July 28. I hope you'll read along and remember a nugget here and there when you watch the tournament!
| Road to Livermore | |||
| Puerto Rico Region |
|||
| May 18 | 987 Elite Cubs, Carolina |
W | 11-1 |
| May 19 |
Castellana Gardens, Carolina |
W | 12-2 |
| May 25 |
Radamés López, Guayama |
W | 9-8 |
| June 8 |
Jaime Collazo, Vega Baja (winners' final) | W | 10-3 |
| June 15 |
Jaime Collazo, Vega Baja (final) | W | 12-8 |
| Intermediate Baseball World Series | |||
| July 28 | Diamond Baseball, Boisbriand QC CAN | W | 12-4 |
| July 29 | Pabao, Willemstad CUR | L | 4-10 |
| July 30 | South-West Germany (elim) | W | 7-1 |
| July 31 | Hills, Sydney NSW AUS (elim) | W | 8-3 |
| Aug 1 | West Seoul KOR (elim) | L | 1-2 |
I have the privilege of calling a Little League World Series once again this year! This will mark my third consecutive call of the Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series, held from July 28-August 4 in Livermore, California. It's for 13-year-olds, played on a field slightly larger than Little League but still smaller than Junior League (50 feet from the pitcher's mound to home plate, 70 feet between the bases). Following this tournament and its qualifiers closely over the last three years, I've come to expect fantastic action and stories, and I'm looking forward to bringing them to you again this year!
The 2024 Intermediate World Series will air on ESPN+, and I will lay out the backstory for one of the 12 competing teams each day from now until the tournament's start on July 28. I hope you'll read along and remember a nugget here and there when you watch the tournament!
| Road to Livermore | |||
| California District 57 |
|||
| June 15 |
Bollinger Canyon, San Ramon | W | 3-2 |
| June 17 |
Granada, Livermore (winners' final) | W | 2-1 |
| June 19 |
Bollinger Canyon, San Ramon (final) | L | 0-2 |
| June 20 |
Bollinger Canyon, San Ramon (final) | W | 4-2 |
| Intermediate Baseball World Series | |||
| July 29 | Eastbank, Kenner LA | L | 2-4 |
| July 30 | MOT, Middletown DE (elim) | W | 6-5 (9 inn.) |
| July 31 | Vine Ingle, Macon GA (elim) | W | 5-4 |
| Aug 1 | Scripps Ranch, San Diego CA (elim) | W | 12-5 |
| Aug 3 | Eastbank, Kenner LA (US final) | L | 1-3 |
I'm not going to lie: I was as excited to do this game as any I've called in the last year and a half. I emailed maybe 100 people who have been instrumental in my baseball broadcasting career to let them know that I was *finally* going to call a college baseball game on linear TV.
That it wound up being a game with no implications in the standings or for either team's postseason chances didn't change that at all. That it wound up being ended early due to the 10-run rule didn't phase me at all. This was high-level college baseball, and my partner and I told the stories and put a good call on it! And I even got to use the home run call suggested by my children while we were riding the New York City subway.
Mission accomplished, as far as I was concerned, and cross your fingers with me that there is more to come. In the mean time, check out the highlights from Clemson vs Boston College:
#Clemson completed the sweep with another 10-run performance. It was the first three-game weekend series in which the Tigers scored double-digit runs in all three games since 2001 & the first time in an ACC series since 1995.
— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) May 18, 2024
🎥 Clemson vs. Boston College Highlights ➡️ 5/18/24 pic.twitter.com/QYTWbp0Bft
For the second consecutive year, I am thrilled to be calling Little League's Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series July 30-August 6! This is not the 12-year-olds you see on TV in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, every year, but kids one year older, playing on a slightly bigger field (50-foot pitching distance, 70-foot basepaths) in Livermore, California. It's a different vibe than Williamsport, but extremely cool nonetheless, and it was really special for me to call the 2022 tournament, including the championship game on ESPN2.
So leading up to the 2023 Intermediate 50/70 World Series, which will air entirely on ESPN+, I want to introduce each of the competing teams with whatever information I've been able to glean on their path to Livermore (and to your ESPN+ screen!).
First, those threads! The pink jerseys! The Vancouver Battalion can really bring it, either via sartorial splendor or plain old baseball.
The Canadian champions pulled a slight upset in Tuesday's final, beating fellow British Columbia district team Fraser Valley FireBirds, who had dominated the tournament, by taking a 3-0 lead into the 7th and holding off a furious FireBird rally, topped off with an exciting catch to end the game by doubling up the potential tying run at second base.
With participation dwindling in the area after 12-year-old all-stars, the Battalion draw players from all five leagues in British Columbia District 6, and their squad blends a variety of cultures as well, no surprise in a melting-pot city like Vancouver. The Battalion 14-year-olds reached the Junior League World Series last year, so maybe this is the start of a trend.
Canada was 3-14 all-time in this Intermediate age level before Diamond Baseball went 2-2 last year, including an upset of Curacao. The Battalion first-timers get a rough opening game against either Navojoa, Mexico or Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, two teams with considerable tournament experience. But they played fantastic defense in the Canadian final, have the requisite big arms, and should be able to produce runs both with power and with small ball, so don't expect them to be satisfied with just making it to Livermore.
| Road to Livermore | |||
| Canada Intermediate Nationals | |||
| July 16 | vs. North Regina SK (round robin) | W | 8-0 |
| July 17 | vs. Fraser Valley FireBirds BC (round robin) | L | 5-8 |
| July 18 | vs. Diamond Baseball QC (round robin) | W | 16-1 |
| July 20 | vs. Lethbridge AB (round robin) | W | 7-5 |
| July 21 | vs. Ancaster Diamondbacks ON (round robin) | W | 6-5 |
| July 22 | vs. Cape Breton Ramblers NS (round robin) | W | 8-4 |
| July 24 | vs. Cape Breton Ramblers NS (semifinal) | W | 12-2 |
| July 25 | vs. Fraser Valley FireBirds BC (final) | W | 3-2 |
| Intermediate Baseball World Series | |||
| July 31 | Mexico / Puerto Rico | 9am PT | |
| TBD | TBD | TBD | |
