The Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals will play a special game in Williamsport during the Little League World Series this summer.
Major League Baseball announced Thursday morning that it is planning to relocate the August 20 contest between the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals to Williamsport, PA during the Little League World Series. Last year, the league held a regular-season game between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins at Fort Bragg, NC. As with last year’s showcase game, the Pirates and Cardinals will be featured on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.
The game will be played at BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field — home to the Williamsport Crosscutters of the New York-Penn League. That stadium seats 4,200, and it is not clear if capacity will be expanded for the major-league game.
Commissioner Manfred is touting the game as an excellent opportunity to market the game to its youngest fans. Thousands congregate in Williamsport every August to celebrate international youth baseball.
"“The ‘MLB Little League Classic’ exemplifies our entire sport’s commitment to building a stronger connection between young people and the National Pastime. Our players will honor the great tradition of the Little League World Series and create lifelong memories for the Little Leaguers, their families and the city of Williamsport. I thank the Pirates and the Cardinals, Little League Baseball, [Pennsylvania] Governor [Tom] Wolf, the Crosscutters, the City of Williamsport and ESPN for helping us organize an unforgettable weekend.”"
Last year’s game in Fort Bragg was special because it celebrated the armed forces. This year’s showcase in Williamsport comes at a time when the league is struggling to reach younger viewers. Manfred could not have picked a better place than Williamsport if he wants to capture the attention of young baseball fans.
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The Little League World Series draws thousands of fans each year, with crowds approaching big-league sizes, especially when a team from Pennsylvania makes a run to the final. Over 40,000 showed up in 2011 to watch the team from nearby Clinton County. While actual attendance at the game between the Pirates and Cardinals will be much lower, there will be so many opportunities for MLB to promote this game with the LLWS. Major League Baseball has not made a big effort to link up with the LLWS in years past, but this could usher in an exciting new partnership.