From 1983 to 1988, the Kirkland National Little League’s victory celebration was featured on ABC’s Wild World of Sports introductions. Three members of the championship team went on to play minor league baseball. No one made it to the majors. How did this happen?
The scene is Howard J. Lamade Stadium in Williamsport Pennsylvania … The occasion is the 1982 renewal of the championship game of the Little League World Series. The finalists today, well a team from Kirkland in the state of Washington, going against the perennial favorite, from the island of Taiwan.
This famous quote from Jim McKay, play-by-play commentator from ABC’s Wide World of Sports at the beginning of the 1982 Little League World Series broadcast, set the tone for the american public to yet again prepare for another dominating performance from a Taiwanese team in the Little League World Series.
There still were the locals around Williamsport that said “Oh here we go again, Taiwan is going to win again. Why bother even showing up to the game”. But then, when the word got out that this American team was ahead, people started filtering into the stadium.
This statement made by Bill Swartz from KIRO 710 Radio in Seattle as he stated in the ESPN 30-for-30 episide “Little Big Men” summed up the sentiment of what it was like being in Williamsport in the 5th inning of the championship game with Kirkland National being ahead of Taiwan 5-0. At the beginning of the game, an estimated 30,000 capacity was in attendance at the championship game. By the 5th inning, an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 attendence was recorded to wach the micrale on dirt and grass.
It isn’t Lake Placid, but the chant is familiar. … That’s IT! It’s ALL OVER! The biggest upset in the history of Little League, Kirkland Washington defeating the boys from Taiwan!
Stated Jim McKay, commentator for ABC at the end of the broadcast when Kirkland National sealed the deal by defeating Taiwan. This was the beginning of a tumultous time for every participant of the Kirkland National Little League team which would haunt them to this day according to the ESPN 30-for-30 episode, Little Big Men.
Little League and ESPN continue to use this moment of Nationalism, pride and equation to the Miracle on Ice from just over 2 years in the past to their advantage. The media relationship between Little League and ABC/ESPN/Disney was just getting started and has continued on for decades using these children, parents and coaches as a catalyst for feel good stories that enable ABC/ESPN/Disney and Little League to continue to make millions of dollars each and every year since.
In the years between 1983 and 2000, ABC/ESPN/Disney would augment the media coverage of Little Leauge Baseball to include 12 broadcasted games by the end of the 2000 Little League World Series leading up to the most lucrative Media Rights contract for youth sports in history.
This is part 2 of the story of Little League and their Media Rights contracts with ABC/ESPN/Disney. Stay tuned for further posts regarding how this story of money and media rights continue to plague Little League.