This past week I spent two fantastic days in Williamsport, Pennsylvania watching the Little League World Series and experiencing all of its surroundings. Earlier in the summer, Eric and I had talked about the possibility of going there, and when we each had a couple of rare free days, we hopped in the car and took off. We also took Devon Roberts with us. Devon is the ten year old son of some friends, and he seems to love baseball as much as Eric and I do.
We left early Tuesday morning and arrived at the LL complex in the 4th inning of an historic game, even though it was a consolation game. The team from Uganda won the game 3-2 over Gresham, Oregon as we watched from the famous hill on the other side of the right-center field fence. It was the first victory ever for a team from the Middle East-Africa (MEA) in the LLWS. We worked our way into some sixth row seats for the next game, which was a 6-2 Mexico victory over Curacao, then got even closer, just behind the parents of the Petaluma, California team for their 5-0 elimination game win over Fairfield, Connecticut.
On Wednesday we visited the LLWS Museum for a while, bought some t-shirts to bring home, and then got into the stadium early enough to sit one row behind the parents of the Panama team as their boys played in the winner's bracket game against Japan.
I can't say enough how this experience was more fun than I imagined it to be and even better than what it appears to be on television. The enthusiasm that can be felt throughout the stadium and around the entire LLWS complex is electric and as genuine as I have ever experienced. I am now wondering why it took me 54 years to get there. I know that Eric and Devon enjoyed it as much as I did. Next time we'll have to take Tess with us!!!!
Watching the teams do their pre-game warmups and taking infield-outfield was great, even though those are things that Eric and I see almost daily in our lives. One of the most impressive things was the way the Japanese kids took their pre-game infield and the way they ran off the field into the dugout after the third out was made each inning, making sure the game ball was properly placed on top of the pitcher's mound for their opponents.
It is hard not to cheer for all of the kids, but to be sitting in the midst of their parents and family members was awesome! As I write this here in my living room, I am watching the International Championship game between the two teams we saw on Wednesday, Japan and Panama! Seeing the close-up shots of the Panamanian parents brings me right back to the stadium!!!
"Panchalo! Panchalo!"
We left early Tuesday morning and arrived at the LL complex in the 4th inning of an historic game, even though it was a consolation game. The team from Uganda won the game 3-2 over Gresham, Oregon as we watched from the famous hill on the other side of the right-center field fence. It was the first victory ever for a team from the Middle East-Africa (MEA) in the LLWS. We worked our way into some sixth row seats for the next game, which was a 6-2 Mexico victory over Curacao, then got even closer, just behind the parents of the Petaluma, California team for their 5-0 elimination game win over Fairfield, Connecticut.
On Wednesday we visited the LLWS Museum for a while, bought some t-shirts to bring home, and then got into the stadium early enough to sit one row behind the parents of the Panama team as their boys played in the winner's bracket game against Japan.
I can't say enough how this experience was more fun than I imagined it to be and even better than what it appears to be on television. The enthusiasm that can be felt throughout the stadium and around the entire LLWS complex is electric and as genuine as I have ever experienced. I am now wondering why it took me 54 years to get there. I know that Eric and Devon enjoyed it as much as I did. Next time we'll have to take Tess with us!!!!
Watching the teams do their pre-game warmups and taking infield-outfield was great, even though those are things that Eric and I see almost daily in our lives. One of the most impressive things was the way the Japanese kids took their pre-game infield and the way they ran off the field into the dugout after the third out was made each inning, making sure the game ball was properly placed on top of the pitcher's mound for their opponents.
It is hard not to cheer for all of the kids, but to be sitting in the midst of their parents and family members was awesome! As I write this here in my living room, I am watching the International Championship game between the two teams we saw on Wednesday, Japan and Panama! Seeing the close-up shots of the Panamanian parents brings me right back to the stadium!!!
"Panchalo! Panchalo!"
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