LITTLE LEAGUE

Little League has been hosting its World Series in Williamsport since 1947, yet it will be welcoming a new guest when the tournament starts Wednesday — Cuba.

The coach for a Little League World Series player from Utah who seriously injured his head when he fell out of his top bunk in dorms at the world series complex says he has FaceTimed with the boy.

A 12-year-old Little League World Series player from Utah is in critical condition with what his family said was a head injury suffered when he fell off a bunk bed at the dormitory complex in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

After beating out 7,400 other little league teams to win it all, the players of the Taylor North Little League saw the city turn out to celebrate them.

The Little League World Championship trophy returned to Michigan for the first time in three generations.

The Taylor North Little League team defeated a squad from Ohio to take home the Little League World Series title.

“It’s amazing. It’s a once in the lifetime opportunity for these kids,” said Christopher Capobianco.

They are the first Michigan Little League team to win the Little League World Series championship since Hamtramck won in 1959.

Only one team from Michigan has ever won the Little League World Series -- the Hamtramck team from 1959.

The community came together and cleaned up the entire field in time for Friday night’s multiple Little League games with hundreds of kids.

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump recruited Baseball Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera to help mark baseball's Opening Day with a group of Little League players at the White House on Thursday. Riveras old team was in Washington to open up Major League Baseballs abbreviated season Thursday night against the defending champion Nationals. Trump, for his part, said he'd been invited to toss out the opening pitch on Aug. 15 at Yankee Stadium. The president praised Major League Baseball for moving forward. I think Major League Baseball is setting an example by playing to empty stadiums.

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. Little League is offering youth baseball organizations a pathway forward as they eye a restart amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Little League canceled the 2020 Little League World Series and other championships because of the pandemic last month but remains hopeful a regular season may still be possible. Umpires would move from behind home plate to behind the pitcher's mound and game balls would be switched out every two innings. Toomey said he would sign his 10-year-old son up for baseball tomorrow because he believes it can be done safely. The best practices were released a week after Major League Baseball put together a 67-page proposal outlining how it could conceivably return to play this year.

Little League International, which announced the move, also canceled regional tournaments but said the events would return in 2021. By contrast, the NFL, the world’s most affluent professional sports league, generated roughly $16 billion in 2018, according to USA Today. Major League Baseball generated $10.7 billion in 2019 and the NBA nearly $8 billion in 2018, according to Forbes, so youth sports generated more money than those leagues combined. The owner of Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy in suburban Detroit, an organization that’s home to 150 youth volleyball teams and has produced numerous Division I college volleyball players over the years, Sack had been, as usual, making preparations for the club’s signature event. “You go from ramping up to this.”Cancellations of such big youth sports events have a serious trickle-down effect, too.

The audience may have come to watch the Little League championship game, but the 9-year-old national anthem singer was the obvious home run. Marley McAninch, 9, of Southern California, performed a stunning rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the CA District 43 Little League game last week. Marley said shes been singing all her life. The night before, I got a text message that said, Would Marley be interested in singing? her mom recalled. I practice a lot and I just try to keep myself confident.RELATED STORIESHigh School Wrestler Steps Up to Sing National Anthem When No One Else CanJimmy Buffett Drops Mic After Singing National Anthem at NFC ChampionshipStudents Bring Everyone at Arkansas Cafe to Their Feet With National Anthem