And the true "worlds" in softball are open to teams from different countries and I'm not referring to the sanctioning organizations like U-trip which use the term so loosely.

I'm on your side, as I too believe the title of this tournament is a misnomer. As was pointed out, this doesn't involve the world, only teams from the USA. Furthermore, it isn't a series, save for the 2/3 games at the end involving two of the eight teams.

Lastly, the term "world series" is an allusion to a sport that isn't softball. Not to mention that that we qualify the softball championship with Women's CWS while the baseball championship is just titled CWS.

Considering this thread was about the umpires working the Division I softball championship, I thought it was a good idea not to hijack with any discussion about WBSC-SD (legit) world championships. But since you said it was ok . .

There are two WBSC-SD championships this year - Men's in Whitehorse, Canada (18 countries are participating) and Junior Women's in Clearwater, Fla. Truly world championship tournaments.

The USA is sending three umpires to the men's and four umpires to the Junior women's.

"World Series..."

A discussion carried on by the pedants among us, but a battle long since lost.

The championship of professional baseball in the USA has been called the "world series" for over 130 years (even pre-dating the officially recognized MLB world series).

The term has become synonymous with "championship" whether or not it is an international championship and whether or not it is actually a "series." The term is used for championships of everything from drag racing to poker.

A battle long since lost...

No battle is lost as long as one still fights ........

Save your Dixie cups, the South will rise again ...........

[/facetious] (I'm a Damn Yankee, defined here as one who comes south and won't leave, originally from South Jersey)

Kind of cool to see my UIC from the last national I worked playing rodeo clown on the UCLA ejection today. :)