Florida Lauded For Sportsmanship After Chinese Taipei Makes Error To Lose Little League World Series Championship Game

Getty Image / Dylan Buell

The Little League World Series routinely produces some of the most inspirational and heartwarming moments in all of sports. The annual celebration of the world’s best 11/12-year-old baseball teams in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania is always a fan favorite, filling up quite a bit of the sports calendar right before football starts every year.

This year’s Little League World Series Championship Game featured Lake Mary, Florida, the United States and Southeast champions, and a team from Chinese Taipei. The game was as dramatic as any LLWS final in the 77-year history of the event, with Florida winning 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Florida actually tied the game with 2 outs in the bottom of the sixth inning on this play.

And, they nearly scored the walk-off run in the bottom of the 7th on a ball hit down the line. Florida manager Jonathan Anderson elected to stop the runner from 1st at third, only for the ball, and possibly the World Championship, to scoot away from Taipei.

But, Florida won on this play in the 8th inning in what has to be the most anti-climactic walk-off possible and a really uncharacteristic mental error from a really sound Chinese Taipei team.

Check the Lake Mary, Florida assistant coach going to console the Chinese Taipei player whose job it was to cover 1st base but forgot to do so. Sometimes, the sportsmanship can get a little too over-the-top at the LLWS. This was not one of those times. That poor kid will have to live with that mistake for the rest of his life, and that coach made it a little bit better.

People on Twitter were loving the sportsmanship.

“That shot of the Florida coach consoling the Chinese player who made the crucial error (0:33) is what I’m going to remember the most. Amid his team celebrating, he doesn’t forget how heartbroken that child is, and that hug will mean so much to that kid. #Sportsmanship,”  @TyRunner0097 said. 

“GUYS! LAKE MARY!!!! Not only did they win on the field, they won on sportsmanship. That’s a good group! We can’t wait to celebrate you!!!” @EricBurrisWESH said.

Until next year, (South) Williamsport.