It’s once again one of my favorite times of the year. Welcome to all those joining us for the Little League World Series. If you need me in the next ten days or so, please check the photo wells at Volunteer and Lamade stadiums, as that is where I will most likely be hanging out!

You would think after all these years, the appeal of the LLWS would have worn off for me, but I really love seeing all the people descend on our little corner of the world for a few days each year.

Just remember; please be patient while the LLWS is in town. Yes, traffic is going to be rough, especially on the Market St. Bridge, but we’ll all survive just like we do every year. Give yourself a little extra time to get where you need to be and keep in mind that between one-way streets, SPUIs and roundabouts, this city can be difficult for strangers to navigate on a good day, so give our visitors the right of way.

The Grand Slam Parade steps off Wednesday evening and is always a good time. If you can, head down and watch the parade. It’s a fantastic opportunity to have some family-friendly fun and see all the teams that have worked so hard to make it to the LLWS.

Games start on Thursday. The first game will be at Volunteer Stadium at 1:00 p.m. with the Caribbean team from Guayama, Puerto Rico taking on the Asia-Pacific team from Seoul, South Korea. At 3:00 p.m. at Lamade, the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic teams will meet up, but as of me writing this, those teams have yet to be determined (though I’m still holding out hope for the Keystone team to make another Series appearance.)

Before you head out to check out a game, be sure to check the ad on page XX to see what you can and cannot bring into the stadium. It saves a lot of time if you know before you head out that you can bring sunscreen, but not if it’s in an aerosol can. I may or may not have learned that lesson the hard way last year.

Do be sure to bring some cardboard with you if you are catching a game from the hill. One of my favorite parts of the LLWS is watching all the kids slide down the hill. It’s one of those amazing, ‘some things never change’ moments.

On a side note, I see that they have the bat back in place on the statue in Market Square. Y’all. For real. Leave it alone. Not sure why people keep stealing it, but seriously, make like a Beatle and Let it Be.

Unlike last year, I wasn’t fortunate enough to be one of the winners for the MLB Little League Classic game. But I hope those who were, have a great time watching the Mets and Phillies play at Bowman Field. Since, again as of right now, my Braves are sitting a bit behind the Phils in NL East, this may be the one and only time, you’ll ever catch me saying, #GoMets.