They Grow Up Quick

One of the best, and most overlooked, aspects of being a sports fan is watching athletes develop their talent, and progress from a very young age through their athletic maturity. No sport allows the entire public to have the opportunity to experience this phenomenon to the extent of baseball, due primarily to the fact that the Little League World Series (and now even the regionals), are televised nationally.

Now, almost every single player in the Little League World Series never plays professional sports, due to a variety of reasons, including the fact that some of these kids hit their peak athletic talent at age 13, they stop growing, they get injured, or because some of them just don't want to pursue professional athletic careers.

However, every once in a while, the nation is treated to a world class professional athlete that we remember from their childhood achievements. The most obvious example is Chris Drury, the fireballing pitcher from Trumbull, Connecticut that went on the star at Boston University and in the NHL. OK, so maybe nobody actually saw him professionally, since he plays hockey, but you get the idea.

Tonight, we all have another such opportunity to reminisce about the Little League World Series, as a former participant from Chico, California takes the hill for the National League in tonight's All-Star Game. Facing Roy Halladay in tonight's game is none other than Kelly Leak.



That's not Kelly Leak? My Bad.