DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Little League players arrive at Bowman Field for the 2021 MLB Little League Classic between the Angels and Indians.
A possible World Series winner could be appearing at Muncy Bank Park at Historic Bowman Field next Aug. 20.
That’s if the Philadelphia Phillies defeat the Houston Astros.
No matter, the Phillies are set to take on the Washington Nationals at the annual Major League Baseball Little League Classic.
To ensure that happens, Williamsport City Council will discuss a lease agreement with Major League Baseball Thursday night.
Because the city owns Bowman Field, the Finance Committee went over a $25,000 lease agreement with Mayor Derek Slaughter, who first had the city Solicitor Austin White, Major League Baseball attorney and Williamsport Crosscutters and Cutting Edge Sports’ attorney review the document.
The Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies are next up to head to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to play in the 2023 MLB Little League Classic. The game, which will be held on Sunday, Aug. 20 and serve as a home contest for Washington, will air nationally that evening exclusively on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” at 7 p.m. The special event connected to the Little League Baseball World Series also will be available on ESPN Radio, the ESPN App, and ESPN Deportes.
As is tradition for this annual occasion, Major Leaguers on the Phillies and Nationals will attend Little League Baseball World Series games earlier in the day, demonstrating their commitment to helping grow the game at the youth level and engage with young fans. Later that evening, Little League Baseball World Series players and their families will fill Bowman Field for the MLB Little League Classic game.
The Little League Classic was launched in August 2017 between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals. The inaugural event was followed by the Philadelphia Phillies hosting the New York Mets in 2018, the Pirates returning to face the Chicago Cubs in 2019, the Cleveland Guardians facing the Los Angeles Angels in 2021, and then the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox competing in the 2022 event.
The lease has removed River Valley Transit Authority, which must do its own separate agreement with Major League Baseball now that the transit system is an authority operated one.
Previously, that part of the agreement was related to transportation of professional players and Little Leaguers and families and MLB dignitaries and guests.
The committee members asked the mayor about any discussions with the Crosscutters and a separate lease, mostly related to merchandising, and Austin did not believe that was a problem or issue.
Miele said when the Classic game first began the premise expressed was that it was for the next year or two. Now, it seems, there is no foreseeable end of the Classic game but the lease does say the MLB can exit the lease at any time.
Slaughter said between this game and the Field of Dreams game in Iowa, the two events are popular with viewers and visitors alike. It does not appear that MLB is going anywhere in terms of the Classic game, which was rated as the most popular youth and professional sporting event by a national sports magazine.