LL Play-off Pairing Post: Hosts, Boasts, and, of course, Toasts...all around.

All-ready?! As in it's already that time of year...again? And that all the teams that started the season get at least "half a chance" at making it to what in Little League, is HUGE..."World's Series" which begins at many places unknown, at least unfamiliar to U.S. and culminates in a hand-full coming each year since 1947 to Williamsport, PA.  Here w-e-e-e-e! go ("better try to go, could take a while kids")... 

All in, all: "Everything considered, on the whole" While a phrase used to reflect on a period just past, such as a b-ball season that just ended on anything other than a "W" ("Loser!")., a look back, attempt to rationalize that it was still worth playing...a universal kind of experience with any team in any domain or competition (sales, for example, where someone comes out on top and an appointed one on the other side gets to deliver the news to the bored room...). But here we have an opportunity, at least in some featured sports, a land of second chances, an oppo to redeem our-selves via what's termed "Tournament Play"...

All around: The globe, that is. This, according to a quick listen this AM to FM radio...BBC to be more precise. An air-waive that frequently not only features (plays down, to be honest) coverage of base-ball, but also "Futbol" which itself features so many tournaments that it takes a "Harlem Globetrotter" to keep up...(curiously, BBC covers "Amercian Basketball" quite well) which, at the moment, is featuring the "European Cup" which finds the host, Germany, facing off in "Group A" against Scotland who were characterized as making a sizable footprint in the town square, much to the amusement of the locals ("Scotland yard, in our town?!" 😕😠) -- such is the mixed reviews on my-grations, in and out of various nations these daze...

Be-mused: As in where a sense of humor is not usually strongly aligned, especially if one shows up without a formal invite, given all the pomp, circumstances associated with the "Pontiff" hosting what is being characterized as a "conclave of comedians" (when, where else would one expect to find them, aside from the Vatican?). Seriously...

"Holy host of hosts Batman!": The number and type of "volunteer hosts" that will be needed to pull off such an event...as the Little league World Series that will culminate on August 25th in Lamade Stadium. A place where international play has actually taken place, as between the United States team and those that have traveled a great distance (in all respects)...to finally arrive here, earn a spot in the LLBWS Championship. Which, in stark contrast to what's touted, in the "Big Leagues" to be a "World Series" actually lives up to its name -- whereas "Major League" b-ball does have representatives from around the globe (i.e., "rostered players") the games all take place in what's known in geo-graphy, as North American soil (limited  to U.S. and Canada, so far), the prelims, regional games that pave the way to Williamsport are played in lands that most of the "bawlers" have not yet visited...youngsters who, despite having played now under many conditions still need some looking after...

All in? Wait, before you sign up for this, please read the "Terms"...for what's termed the "Volunteer Team Hosts" of these LL's...which, in the end, regardless of their respective outcomes..."...ensures these players have a LL experience that lasts a lifetime...responsible for ensuring the team is on time for games and practices, arranging their team's uniform fittings, assist the coordination of media activities, and making sure many other daily tasks go smoothly for players, coaches, and managers" (i.e., "other duties as designated"...known in b-ball as "the clincher")...

"Thanks to all!" If this all sounds a bit familiar, it's what I thanked my parents for, at the end of what's called the "regular season"...just before all this "Tournament play" began...

All in, a day's work...as a T-ball parent.