The first Little League World Series tourney is held at Williamsport, Pennsylvania

On August 21, 1947 — The first Little League World Series tourney is held at Williamsport, Pennsylvania. With a .625 team batting average, the hometown Maynard Midgets easily defeat Lock Haven All Stars of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania to win the tournament, 16-7.

The event was called the National Little League Tournament, as the “World Series” naming was not adopted until 1949.

In 1947, the board of directors for the original Little League decided to organize a tournament for the 17 known Little League programs. 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. That levee provided most of the seating for the inaugural series’ attendees. 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.

The inaugural series was important in history in that it was integrated at a time when professional baseball was still integrating. More than 2,500 spectators enjoyed the final game, which helped to increase the League’s overall publicity

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.

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Sources

Baseball Reference August 21
National Pastime August 21
Retro Sheet
Hall of Fame
SABR Games Project
Replay The Game