Trending
LEWISTOWN -- The people of Mifflin and Snyder counties should be proud of what the Mifflin County Babe Ruth 15-16-year-old All-Stars did in the World Series in Branson, Missouri.
Their performance was excellent. It was one of the best showings Mifflin County has had during the past 24 years that Mifflin County has gone to a World Series.
The team won six games, the most ever by a Mifflin County team in series play. They lost one game by one run in the national final. It was also the first time that Mifflin County had to play teams on the International level.
Mifflin County was second in the United States and third on the International level.
The win over Central California that put Mifflin County into the national finals also set a Pennsylvania record.
Mifflin County now holds the record for most times in a national final by a Pennsylvania team. The local All-Stars have won a national title and have been national runner-ups three times. Levittown won a national title and was second two times. Broomall-Newtown won two national titles and West End of Williamsport has been second twice.
But, what makes Mifflin County's record so impressive is that the league has done it the right way. That statement might sound righteous, but that's what it's meant to be.
The local league plays a regular-season schedule, picks an All-Star team and then plays the postseason.
And the local league is one of the smallest in Pennsylvania, the Mid-Atlantic Regional and the country. Only two United States teams in the World Series drew from smaller population bases, Kelso, Washington and Harrisburg, South Dakota. The California team that Mifflin County beat picked a team from 14 high schools.
Most of the World Series leagues are from large metro areas and basically play a travelball schedule. And let's not talk about the foreign teams. Most of those teams get players from the United States. The European team that Mifflin County played in its last game had two players that were 17 going on 18.
The people of Mifflin and Snyder counties can feel good about the league they play in.
The league has done it the right way. The feeling should be righteous. And the rest of
the United States and the Babe Ruth World can look up to Mifflin County.