Carl E. Stotz (February 20, 1910 – June 4, 1992) was the American founder of Little League Baseball. Stotz was born in

Williamsport, Pennsylvania Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 27,754. It is the principal city of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a populati ...

. He was the fourth of five children of Lulu Fisk Stotz the third child of a German immigrant (1862) named Kristjian and married first generation German-American Juliana Eddinger, in 1877 in Williamsport. He is honored and memorialized in Williamsport at the following places:

Carl E. Stotz Memorial Little League Bridge The Carl E. Stotz Memorial Little League Bridge, formerly known as the Market Street Bridge, carries approximately 27,700 vehicles a day on U.S. Route 15 over the West Branch Susquehanna River between Williamsport and South Williamsport in Ly ...

which carries

U.S. Route 15 U.S. Route 15 or U.S. Highway 15 (US 15) is a United States Numbered Highway, serving the states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from US ...

across the West Branch of the main

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...

, between the towns of Williamsport and South Williamsport; "Original League's" Field (a 1995 Pennsylvania state historical site and added in 2014 as a National Historical Site) on West 4th Street in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Carl's neighborhood park - Gardenview - Carl E. Stotz Park; with a statue donated by the order of Masons organization placed at Volunteer Stadium of L.L.B. Inc. in adjacent South Williamsport, Pennsylvania; and a statue of three young Little League baseball players located on Memorial Avenue and Park Point. In the summer of

1938 Events January * January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS). * January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...

at a location next to West 4th Street (at that time Carl could not get permission from the City of Williamsport to start league play at this location), Stotz started to discuss his dream with local children from the neighborhood. He was always set on adult supervision to stop bickering on the sandlot.Finally during the next year in the summer of

1939 This year also marks the start of the World War II, Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Events related to World War II have a "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Coming into effect in Nazi Ger ...

, he officially started up the first local league. The bases were placed 60 ft apart and the pitcher's mound was placed 40 ft from

home plate A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...

. The initial 1939 games were played at Park Point, facing the Susquehanna River A field further north at Memorial and Demarest Streets in Williamsport housed the

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, events related to World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *Janu ...

and

1941 The Correlates of War project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 3.49 million. However, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program estimates that the subsequent year, 1942, wa ...

summer seasons during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

(1939/1941-1945). During its fourth season in

1942 The Uppsala Conflict Data Program project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 4.62 million. However, the Correlates of War estimates that the prior year, 1941, was th ...

, "Original League" returned to the first August 1938 area where Carl Stotz, his nephews (Major and Jimmy Gehron) and other boys experimented to determine the league's playing field measurements / dimensions and rules. The nephews mother, Laura Belle Stotz Gehron, sewed the initial bases. Carl hand-carved with a penknife the first home plate and pitchers mound. The next step was for him to apply to local businesses for sponsorship and donations. He also looked to parents for help with the organization of the league. A year later in the summer of 1939 they had three teams set up. Each team was managed individually by Stotz (Lycoming Dairy) and brothers George (Lundy Lumber) and Bert Bebble (Jumbo Pretzel). The first game was played on June 6, 1939, with Lundy Lumber Company defeating Lycoming Dairy 23–8. The first annual tournament of the

Little League World Series The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children (primarily boys) aged 10 to 12 years old, held in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for th ...

wasn't played until almost a decade later in the summer of

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...

though. "Original League" on West Fourth Street is currently an unfranchised (from L.L.B. Inc.) and active league which hosted the first Little League Tournament (National Tournament) in 1947. The "Original League" Field was the venue for the 1948 through

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the thir ...

Little League World Series tournament games. Its clubhouse contains numerous articles of historical interest worthy of viewing, and holds an Open House every day during the

usually scheduled in August. The Little League Women's Auxiliary was organized in

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...

by Grayce Stotz, Carl's wife and a great "Original League" supporter. Stotz was commissioner of the Little League for 18 years. from the beginnings in 1938 until

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

. A highly principled man, Stotz's conscience did not permit him to remain; he left the organization he founded of Little League Baseball Inc. in late November 1955 over differences centered on commercialization and central control issues with the management of what is locally abbreviated as L.L.B. Inc. From that point on Carl continued an active relationship with the "Original League" until his death 37 years later iat the age of 82 years, in June

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

External links

History of Little League

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stotz, Carl People from Williamsport, Pennsylvania Little League 1910 births 1992 deaths

See also

External links