Little League baseball began in 1939 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. However its early development was hampered by World War 2 and the lack of fathers around to form new leagues.

But by 1947 the war was over, and Little League’s board of directors decided to stage a tournament that would showcase the league and encourage the growth of youth baseball.

All-star teams from 11 of the 17 Little Leagues — all based in Pennsylvania or New Jersey — came to Williamsport to participate in the first Little League World Series. It was won by the hometown Maynard Midget League of Williamsport.

2,500 people crowded in to see the title game, and the results were printed in newspaper all over the country. Within a few years Little League Baseball had become a national phenomenon, with the annual Little League Baseball World series as its centerpiece.

The Little League World Series is open to 11 and 12 year olds and anyone who will turn 13 after May 1 of the year. It is held every August at Howard J. Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, which can seat up to 42,000 fans.

Sixteen teams — eight domestic and eight international — compete for the World Series. Qualifying takes place earlier in the summer. In the United States, there 52 initial qualifying teams, one for each state and the District of Columbia with four exceptions: The Dakotas which get one combined slot, and California and Texas, which get two each.

These 52 teams are then divided into eight geographical based subdivisions, with the champions of each advancing to Williamsport.

The eight foreign teams are culled from these regions: Asia-Pacific and Middle East; Australia
Canada; Caribbean; Europe and Africa; Japan; Latin America; Mexico.

The winner of the domestic bracket meets the winner of the foreign bracket in the title game.

The inclusion of foreign teams in the Little League World Series has been the subject of some controversy ever since a team from Monterrey, Mexico took the title in 1957. In 1975, in the midst a long run of domination by teams from Taiwan, the Little League World Series banned all foreign teams. However, after considerable criticism, the overseas squads were invited back the next year.

In 1997 Taiwan, who had won 17 of the past 30 LLWS, was again the subject of controversy when they pulled their team out of the tournament, stating they weren’t able to comply with new Little League rules on the maximum size of player pools and residency requirements. They returned in 2002, but haven’t won another title since.

Other Little League eligibility controversy include the 1992 tournament, when the team from the Philippines was forced forfeit the finals for using overaged players. This came up again in 2002 when  Danny Almonte, a fireballing Dominican-born pitcher for the Bronx, New York sqiad, was discovered to be two years overaged, leading to his team retroactively forfeiting all of their wins.

ABC has broadcasted the Little League World Series title game since 1962, then under the banner of “The Wide World of Sports” and often on tape delay. In 1982 ESPN began broadcasting some of the earlier LLWS games and as of 2013 every LLWS game, as well as the regional finals that proceed tje,, air on ABC or ESPN family of networks.

ESPN ‘scoverage, in particular, had been criticized for showing the players’ crying after a loss. Because of the blowback they stopped with the watery reaction shots. However, child psychologists have argued that showing this natural reaction to disappointment is actually a good thing.

Major League players who participated in the Little League World Series include Boog Powell, Sean Burroughs, Todd Frazier, Charlie Hayes, Jason Marquis, Jason Varitek, Carney Lansford, Jurickson Profar, Jason Bay and Colby Rasmus.

Here is a complete list of Little League World Series winners.

1947: Williamsport, Pa. beats Lock Haven, Pa. 7
1948: Lock Haven, Pa. beats St. Petersburg, Fla. 6–5
1949: Hammonton, N.J. beats Pensacola, Fla. 5–0
1950: Houston, Tex. beats Bridgeport, Conn. 2–1
1951: Stamford, Conn. beats Austin, Tex. 3–0
1952: Norwalk, Conn. beats Monongahela, Pa. 4–3
1953: Birmingham, Ala. beats Schenectady, N.Y. 1–0
1954: Schenectady, N.Y.beats Colton, Calif. 7–5
1955: Morrisville, Pa. beats Merchantville, N.J. 4–3
1956: Roswell, N.M. beats Merchantville, N.J. 3–1
1957: Monterrey, Mex. beats LaMesa, Calif. 4–0
1958: Monterrey, Mex. beats Kankakee, Ill. 10–1
1959: Hamtramck, Mich. beats Auburn, Calif. 12–0
1960: Levittown, Pa. beats Ft. Worth, Tex. 5–0
1961 El Cajon, Calif. beats El Campo, Tex. 4–2
1962: San Jose, Calif. beats Kankakee, Ill. 3–0
1963: Granada Hills, Calif. beats Stratford, Conn. 2–1
1964: Staten Island, N.Y. beats Monterrey, Mex. 4–0
1965: Windsor Locks, Conn. beats Stoney Creek, Can. 3–1
1966: Houston beats W. New York, N.J. 8–2
1967: West Tokyo, Japan beats Chicago, Ill. 4–1
1968: Osaka, Japan beats Richmond, Va. 1–0
1969: Taipei, Taiwan beats Santa Clara, Calif. 5–0
1970: Wayne, N.J. beats Campbell, Calif. 2–0
1971: Tainan, Taiwan beats Gary, Ind. 12–3
1972: Taipei, Taiwan beats Hammond, Ind. 6–0
1973: Tainan City, Taiwan beats Tucson, Ariz. 12–0
1974: Kao Hsiung, Taiwan beats El Cajon, Calif. 7–2
1975: Lakewood, N.J. beats Tampa, Fla. 4–3
1976: Tokyo, Japan beats Campbell, Calif. 10–3
1977: Kao Hsiung, Taiwan beats El Cajon, Calif. 7–2
1978: Pin-Tung, Taiwan beats Danville, Calif. 11–1
1979: Hsien, Taiwan beats Campbell, Calif. 2–1
1980: Hua Lian, Taiwan beats Tampa, Fla. 4–3
1981: Tai-Chung, Taiwan beats Tampa, Fla. 4–2
1982: Kirkland, Wash. beats Hsien, Taiwan 6–0
1983: Marietta, Ga. beats Barahona, Dom. Rep. 3–1
1984: Seoul, S. Korea beats Altamonte Springs, Fla. 6–2
1985: Seoul, S. Korea beats Mexicali, Mex. 7–1
1986: Tianan Park, Taiwan beats Tucson, Ariz. 12–0
1987: Hua Lian, Taiwan beats Irvine, Calif. 21–1
1988 Tai-Chung, Taiwan beats Pearl City, Haw. 10–0
1989: Trumbull, Conn. beats Kaohsiung, Taiwan 5–2
1990: Taipei, Taiwan beats Shippensburg, Pa. 9–0
1991: Tai-Chung, beats San Ramon Valley, Calif. 11–0
1992: Long Beach, Calif. beats Zamboanga, Phil. forfeit
1993: Long Beach, Calif. beats David Chiriqui, Pan. 3–2
1994 :Maracaibo, Venezuela beats Northridge, Calif. 4–3
1995: Tainan, Taiwan beats Spring, Texas 17–3
1996: Kao-Hsuing City, Taipei beats Cranston, R.I. 13–3
1997: Guadalupe, Mexico beats South Mission Viejo, Calif. 5–4
1998: Toms River, N.J. beats Kashima, Japan 12–9
1999: Hirakata, Osaka, Japan beats Phenix City, Ala. 5–0
2000: Maracaibo, Venezuela beas Bellaire, Tex. 3–2
2001: Tokyo Kitasuna, Tokyo, Japan beats Apopka, Fla. 2–1
2002: Louisville, Ky. beats Sendai, Japan 1–0
2003: Musashi-Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan beats East Boynton Beach, Fla. 10–1
2004: Willemstad, Curaçao beats Thousand Oaks, Calif. 5–2
2005: Ewa Beach, West Oahu, Hawaii beats Willemstad, Curaçao 7–6
2006: Columbus Northern, Ga. beats Kawaguchi, Japan 2–1
2007: Warner Robins, Ga. beats Tokyo, Japan 3-2
2008: Waipahu, Hawaii beats Matamoros, Mexico 12-3
2009: Chula Vista, Calif. beats Taoyuan County, Taiwan 6-3
2010: Edogawa Minami, Tokyo, Japan beats Waipahu, Hawaii 4-1
2011: Huntington Beach, Calif. beats Hamamatsu City, Japan 2-1
2012: Tokyo Kitasuna, Japan beats Goodlettsville, Tenn. 12-2
2013: Musashi Fuchu,Tokyo, Japan beats Chula Vista, Calif. 6-4