Baseball is a Place for Dreams, Not Politics

Men cry when Ray Kinsella has a game of catch with his dad in the movie Field of Dreams.  On September 27, 1999, there was not a dry eye in the place as each light standard went forever dark at Tiger Stadium with every pause of Ernie Harwell's poetic voice. Every fall we watch fully grown men show the exuberance of little boys when they celebrate a World Series Championship.  The reason is simple.  Baseball is a child's game wrapped in childhood memories and child like dreams.

The primary purpose of At The Corner is to celebrate the purity of baseball and the love of Detroit, its teams and their fans.  It speaks out against the selfish politics of the game that have kept Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell out of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  However, there should be nothing more pure in baseball than the Little League World Series.

For many true baseball fans, Williamsport is more sacred than Cooperstown.  Attendance is still free to attend the Little League World Series and a hot dog and a pop won't cost you $9. Everyone who works at the Little League World Series is a volunteer and pays for their own travel expenses; including the umpires.  The Little League World Series is baseball in its purest form.

Unfortunately this year the world of politics has stained the purest form of the game that we love.  The United States Department of State refused visas for the Ugandan Little League team that earned their way to this year's Little League World Series.  This will keep the first Little League team from Africa to qualify for the Little League World Series from participating with their peers in Williamsport.

Sports are suppose to reach beyond borders, race, religion and poverty.  Humanity should always take precedence over politics. Sports should always be a game and never a negotiation.  At the Corner believes that the Ugandan Little League team's absence from this year's Little League World Series is a true tragedy. These boys have overcome extreme poverty, worked hard and done everything to earn their tickets to Williamsport.  They won their right to play and they earned it on the field!  Baseball is a place for dreams, not politics.


To learn more about this story, please go to the links provided below:


Baseball in Uganda


Ugandan Baseball Team Strikes Out on US Visas


Ugandan Team Denied U.S. Visas


Saudi Arabia Headed to Little League WS