The Little League World Series is played every August in at the Little League World Series Complex in Williamsport, PA. It features 8 teams from the US (1 from each region) and 8 International Teams. The US Teams play on Howard J Lamade Field while the International Teams play at Volunteer Stadium. The format is double elimination with the US Champion facing the International Champion in the Final Game. The entire tournament is free to attend with seating being first come, first serve.
We arrived in Williamsport about 2 PM. As soon drive into Williamsport, we saw signs advertising parking for $5 and $10. From the website, I knew parking was free if we just followed the signs. Parking was in fields behind the complex. We had a no longer walk than those who paid to park.
In order to enter the stadium, you had to go through metal detectors just like a big league stadium. If you wanted to sit on the hill, you could bring your own chairs. I saw one motel on the road in advertising chair rentals… I didn’t understand until I saw the hill.
Although I really wanted to see an International Game, we arrived after it started. We stopped to get a few souvenirs before heading into the stadium for the US game. Once inside the stadium, I asked an usher if we needed tickets and he said only the championship games and told us where we couldn’t sit. We found seats in the shade on the first base side. The third base side was going to be in the sun most of the game. My only complaint with our seats is we couldn’t see home plate very well because of the tunnel coming into the stadium blocked our view. I would have sat one 1 section. The seats are actually quite comfortable – wide enough for a bigger person. There was plenty of leg room between rows of seats as well. I’m glad we were there about an hour before hand because the stadium filled up fast.
Behind the outfield wall is a hill with a path cutting through the middle of it. On the lower section of the hill, people would spread out blankets or chairs to reserve their spot on the hill in hopes of catching a home run. Kids used the top section of the hill as a sledding hill. Cardboard boxes were used as sleds and snowboards. What is green grass at the beginning of the tournament will be brown dirt by the end with all the sledding runs taking place. Everyone looked like they were having fun.
The game we saw was California versus Iowa. I told the hubby California is going to beat up Iowa. California is usually pretty good and tends to be in the finals. Iowa actually won 5-1. It was a really good game. We got to see a home run.
Because the Little League World Series is televised on ESPN and the kids are pitch counts, I really disliked the minute delay between innings before the fielders would go out and warm up. Even in Major League Games, the pitchers are warming up during TV Time Outs. The down time was annoying.
While I was confirming the details on parking, I stumbled across something on the Little League World Series website to pre-register for your Family Fun Zone Bracelet. I registered both of us… I figured it would save us time. The Family Fun Zone is an area where you can play games to win prizes from the different sponsors of the Little League World Series. I picked up our bracelets but we never played any games. We didn’t have time. I did get my picture taken with Tony the Tiger and box of Frosted Flakes.
We definitely want to go back to the Little League World Series. The hubby doesn’t think we would spend more than a day there again. I agree... it’s all the same after a while -- baseball and giveaways. Maybe next time we can catch an international game and hear the mix of languages. One thing is for sure, the Little League World Series is something you have to experience in person. TV doesn’t do it justice.
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