Tag Archives: Little League

Michigan’s best to descend upon Grand Rapids for Little League state tournament

Citizen Journalism, , ,

This empty field will soon be swarming with talent this weekend as the Little League Majors State Tournament runs from July 22-27 at MacKay-Jaycees Park in Grand Rapids.. (Zach Fanko)

By Zach Fanko, WKTV Contributing Writer



The best that Michigan Little League baseball has to offer is coming this weekend to Grand Rapids as 16 district champs, including defending Little League World Series champion Taylor North, vie for a spot in the Great Lakes Regional.

Hosted by Southern Little League, the 12-and-under Little League Majors State Tournament runs from Friday, July 22 through Wednesday, July 27, at the MacKay-Jaycees Park, 2531 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids.

Look for our WKTV Sports Truck and crew covering the game at 7 p.m. Friday, July 22.



Round robin play runs from July 22-24, followed by the single elimination championship round from July 25-27. Admission is free.

Teams by pool (16 district champs)

Pool A: Grosse Points Farm City, Dexter, Midland Northeast, Grand Rapids Southern East

Pool B: White Lake, Paw Paw, Traverse City, Bay City Southwest

Pool C: Millwood, St. Clair, Tecumseh, Taylor North

Pool D: Petoskey, Negaunee, Gladstone, Commerce Township

Each team will play three games, facing each opponent within their pool once with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the single elimination championship round. The state champion advances to the Great Lakes Regional from Aug. 6-10 in Whitestown, Indiana. 

Photo taken after District 9 Southern Senior Little League beat District 7 St. Clair 10-1 in a 2017 tournament. (WKTV)

Defending World Series champs back

Little League World Series champs Taylor North, the first team from Michigan to win it all since 1959, is back to defend its title. They went undefeated in the 2021 state tournament (6-0), allowing just seven runs over six games.

Bay City Southwest returns to the state tournament and is hoping to avenge its semifinal loss to Taylor North a year ago. Another contender, St. Clair, returns after a quarterfinal appearance last year.

Grand Rapids Southern East is hoping home field advantage will play a factor as the District 9 champions look to make some noise this weekend. 

Click here to see the tournament schedule: 2022 MAJOR STATE BB.xlsx

Time is Running Out on Pinery Park Little League

Local Business, Local Faces, Non-Profits, Our Cities, Recreation, , , ,

By: Mike DeWitt

It’s every little leaguer’s dream, that perfect game-ending situation that runs through a ballplayer’s mind: At the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs, the bases are loaded with your team down a score. Three balls and two strikes, a full count and it’s do or die.

There’s nowhere to hide. It’s just you at the plate. A chance to be the hero.

For Pinery Park Little League (PPLL), the game is winding down and it’s time for the league to step up to the plate so that its contract with the City of Wyoming and Pinery Park isn’t terminated.

After 60 years of organizing youth baseball here in Wyoming, the PPLL is in jeopardy of losing its home.

PineryParkThe problems started back in 2011 when the PPLL lost its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status with the IRS due to a lack of transparent bookkeeping and financial information. Since the loss of 501(c)(3) status, the City of Wyoming has asked the PPLL to take the necessary steps to get the nonprofit title back with the IRS.

Four years later that still has not been accomplished. That’s just the tip of the iceberg for an organization that has proven to be run very inefficiently.

Electrical and maintenance bills haven’t been paid on time. Board meeting dates are flimsy with sometimes only a couple of days’ notice before a meeting. Board election positions are posted with the minimal amount of notice (two weeks) mandated by the league’s bylaws. Umpires are paid in cash out of the concession stand register with no paper trail to follow. And the League has been unable to present their financials at the request of the Wyoming City Council.

“This league is extremely, extremely unorganized,” exclaimed Mayor Jack Poll in a heat of passion and disappointment at the City Council Meeting on September 14. “And, if they can’t have the leadership to run this league on our fields with the requirements that we have, then it’s time to change direction.”

The Wyoming City Council had a very long discussion about what to do with the PPLL and whether or not the contract should be terminated. By the end of the meeting, they decided on a few next steps:

  • The PPLL must turn over all financials, bank statements and loose pieces of paper
  • The PPLL lawyer and the City lawyer will draw up a new contract that has some teeth
  • The new contract will designate the Community Resource Alliance as the fiduciary for the finances of the PPLL
  • The PPLL will form a separate committee to field complaints from league participants

The new contract must be submitted by September 30 so that it can be placed on the October 5 meeting’s agenda. If no agreement is reached, the contract will be terminated on October 5, and the Parks and Rec Department will charter youth baseball.

After 33 Years, Scoreboard Show Still Honoring Little League Success

Local Faces, Recreation, Sports, WKTV Projects, , ,

Scoreboard Show Logomike_dewittThe year was 1982 and Little League’s District 9 needed an effective and convenient way to release its tournament schedule and results to the rest of the public. The internet didn’t exist, phone calls left much to be desired, and snail mail slowed the spread of information to a crawl.

Scoreboard Show Kids
Players giving shout outs to their parents

The solution ended up being more successful than anticipated, the District 9 Scoreboard Show, a television show three decades in the making.

Little League is a massive organization that manages youth baseball and softball throughout the country. In 1982, officials reached out to WKTV with an idea, create a show geared towards the Little League playoffs. The show would air the game schedule and results, interview players and teams, and keep the league updated during the hectic playoff schedule!

While the main purpose of the show was to disseminate information regarding the league, the Scoreboard Show allowed the Little League participants their shining moment, and shine they did.

Players enter the studio back in 1984
Players enter the studio back in 1984

Teams, complete with full roster and coaching staff, are given the opportunity to introduce themselves to the community on WKTV. The players and coaches are interviewed and give insight into their team and season. Players talk about themselves and take time for shout outs to family and friends!

With the prevalence of the internet, and technology as a whole, the Scoreboard Show’s initial responsibility has lost its muster. League schedules and results can now be found online.

It’s quick and easy, just like everything in the internet age.

The Scoreboard Show has had to adapt with the changes in technology. While the scores and schedules are still reported, it’s the focus on the players, the kids, that keep the show alive.Scoreboard Show Lobby Shot

“As a community media station, we’re here to serve the community,” explains WKTV General Manager Tom Norton, “The Scoreboard Show is a perfect example of what we’re here for. People now go to the internet for the scores, but the internet doesn’t build the community. The internet can’t showcase the players and their coaches. The Scoreboard Show can.”

When a show’s been on the air for over three decades, some evolution is necessary, but it’s important to keep the soul of the broadcast. That soul is what people come back for. The Scoreboard Show has kept its soul – every Little Leaguer in District 9 who has stepped onto the diamond.