Baseball History The Little League World Series of 1971

About the Little League World Series baseball tournament held in 1971, history of the youth sports event and the games.

1971--25TH LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES

In an overtime thriller, the Tainan Little League from Taiwan exploded for 9 runs in the 9th inning to down Gary, Ind., 12-3 and thus return the Little League flag to the Far East.

As some 32,000 fans watched, the 2 teams battled to a 3-3 tie at the end of the regulation 6 innings. Then in the top of the 9th, Tainan cracked the game wide open, garnering 9 runs to demolish the Gary contingent, the 1st all-Negro squad in Series history.

Led by Lloyd McClendon, Gary's ace moundsman, the Indiana representatives jumped to a 3-0 lead in the 1st inning when with 2 men on base McClendon unloaded his 5th Series homer into the centerfield crowd.

The Far East champions notched one run in the 3rd and 2 in the 4th to lock up the game at 3-3.

The Tainan barrage began in the top of the 9th and wound up with 6 hits, 4 walks, 2 bunts, one sacrifice fly, and one wild pitch as the Gary squad appeared to fold.

The hero for the Pacific. Little League was Chin-Mu Hsu who set a strikeout record of 22 for the Series.

The consolation game went to Wahiawa, Hawaii, 3-1 over Madrid, Spain. Other teams participating in the Series included Caguas, Puerto Rico; Brockville, Ontario, Canada; Augusta, Me.; and Lexington, Ky.