With around two weeks left in the regular season, all the teams in the Malibu Little League will soon be ramping up for the playoffs.
Steve Parks, vice president of the 180-player Malibu Little League, expects postseason play to be just as good as the regular season action has been.
“All the games have been good,” he said. “I think it has been fairly competitive.”
The playoffs in all three of the MLL’s divisions will begin May 2. That is when teams from the AA, AAA and major divisions will begin their pursuit of their division’s championship. Parks said all 15 of the MLL’s teams will be able to compete in the postseason, so regular season records will go out the window.
Despite records not indicating playoff positioning, there have been some dominant teams during the season. The Dodgers, coached by Parks, are leading the major division with a 10-4 record. The 12-0 Brewers are tops in the AAA division, which includes five teams. On AA level, the Royals are leading a six-team pack, with a record of 8-1.
Last season, the Reds outlasted the Dodgers in order to win the major title, while the Braves knocked off the Orioles in order to claim the AAA championship. The Pirates wore the AA crown after beating the Red Sox.
After winning the MLL championship, teams then compete against other league winners from throughout the Los Angeles area. Parks said in past seasons, the champion of the major division has fared well in competition from other parts of the Los Angeles area.
“We have advanced far in the all-star tournament,” he said. “Last year, the 11-year-old team made it to the champion game in the all-star tournament and our nine-year-old, ten-year-old team made it one game before semi-championship game.”
Parks said the Brewers are a team that really stands out.
“It is a good collection of players and they are putting together wins, which is hard to do,” he said.
Parks said he has seen a ton of great games on the diamond this year, but one featuring his Dodgers squad really sticks out.
“We had a game we were losing 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, and we came back to tie it up with six straight hits,” he said. “We lost in extra innings, but it was great. It was fun comeback.”
Parks said the MLL’s is a beautiful place to play baseball.
“It is fantastic when we see the kids show up with their smiling faces to come out and play,” he said. “Malibu Little League is a fantastic place for these kids.”
Parks said anyone looking to catch fun baseball can find it in the MLL.
“While it is fun to watch the little guys, the majors division is where we play our most competitive baseball,” he said.
