Author:
John Harvard
[ Edit | View ]
|
Date Posted: 10:29:21 05/22/24 Wed
Season ending single elimination tournaments are introduced to baseball players back in Little League.
Assuming a kid plays through Senior League ball, he/she will have participated in eight such post season tournaments from ages 8 to 15. Post season tournaments are the rule, not the exception. In the little league I coached in, champtionship trophies were handed out for the tournament finalists. The entire community gathers for an end of year celebration to watch the tournament championship games (for each age/skill level). The glory goes only to the Tournament Champion. I managed both of my sons throughout, winning championships with mediocre (7-9) and first place (14-3) teams. Despite having managed other competitive and even first place teams, only those teams will be remembered as champions. That's how it's always worked in baseball. The 2023 Orioles, Twins, Astros, Braves, Brewers and Dodgers will be be forgotten in favor of the World Series participants Texas and Arizona. If anything, those division champs that did not reach the World Series are viewed as disappointments (Houston, LA) or, at best, building blocks for future World Series aspirations (Baltimore).
To be honest, I was a strong opponent of the Ivy League Basketball Tournament. I know that could be viewed as inconsistent with the reality of a baseball championship tournament, and it probably is.
|
Feedback: 