A brief history of the border region and the Little League World Series

Flashback: We wanted to take the chance to remember the rich history that the San Diego-Tijuana border region has with the Little League World Series.

• Chula Vista's East Lake Little League lost to a team from Tokyo in the championship game of the 2013 LLWS.
• But Chula Vista won it all in 2009, when Park View Little League topped Chinese Taipei.

Yes, but: Did you know a team from Mexico represented the United States in the LLWS?

• Yep — in 1985, the Mexicali Little League represented the West Region of the U.S. and made it to the championship before they were knocked off by a team from Seoul.

Context: In 1977, a team from the Western Little League in El Cajon lost in the championship game to a team from Taiwan.

• A team from the Northern Little League, also in El Cajon, won it all in 1961.

• Brian Sipe, who starred at quarterback for SDSU before winning an NFL MVP award in 1980, was on the team.

Between the lines: In the 1957 LLWS, a Northern Little League team from La Mesa lost in the championship game, but became a part of history.

• The team from Monterrey, Mexico that won became the first team from outside the U.S. to win it all — and its pitcher, Angel Macias, is still the only person to throw a perfect game in the championship for "the Mexico Little League team that shocked the world."