A lot has changed since the very first Little League World Series. The national exposure these boys receive is off the charts nowadays. ESPN and their affiliates not only cover the entire tournament, but they are now televising many of the regional games. It’s insane. Don’t get me wrong folks. I’m loving every minute, and this three-week Little League TV extravaganza is so much fun. Williamsport, PA is on the global stage.

I would like to pay homage to my friends at News Talk 1400. Our local radio station has incredibly called every series game since 1947. Soon they will be broadcasting the premier youth sporting event for the 72nd consecutive year. Well done boys. That’s a lot of games.

The combination of WRAK and its sister stations — Bill 95.5 and 102.7 KISS — will once again offer exclusive radio play-by-play coverage of all 32 contests that start on August 16th. These broadcasts are also made available to other stations across the world.

“I’d be surprised if there was another station in the country that has aired a sporting event for 72 straight years,” said Troy Lee Poorman of iHeart Media Williamsport. “Such a streak is a great accomplishment in today’s landscape. We are extremely proud of our long-standing relationship with Little League.”

Play-by-play announcers Gary Chrisman and Ken Sawyer, commentators Tom O’Malley, Scott Lowery and Mike Fogarty, and “Man in the Crowd” Tom Speicher have a combined 170 years broadcasting the event. Unbelievable.

Gary Chrisman is an icon. He has hosted the very successful “Chrisman Morning Show” on 102.7 for the past 30 years. Gary is also the owner and play-by-play announcer for Cable Sports Productions, which televises high school and college football and basketball on regional cable. A proud Williamsport native, Chrisman attended his first Series as a 5-year-old kid and has been calling Little League games for WRAK for the past 45 years.

Ken Sawyer was Williamsport’s prominent radio voice from 1970 until he retired from it in 2013. During his award-winning career, Sawyer fulfilled roles ranging from talk show host to sports director to operations manager. He was also the voice of Williamsport High School football and basketball for 35 years and Lycoming College football for another 20. 2018 will be Ken’s 48th Little League World Series on the radio.

Sweet-swinging Tom O’Malley played for six teams in the major leagues before a stellar six-year stint in the Japanese Central League. The third baseman was the league’s MVP in 1995. In recent years, the Montoursville resident has coached and scouted in Japan and serves as the head softball coach at Loyalsock Township High School. He is one of the area’s all-time greats and has worked the past four years for WRAK.

Mike Fogarty first worked the Series in 1962 as a member of the Little League grounds crew. Later, he served for several years as a Little League summer camp instructor. He also umpired high school girls’ softball for 35 years. Fogarty is a retired schoolteacher and still officiates many local basketball games. Mike has worked 34 tournaments for WRAK.

Scott Lowery is a former regional director for Little League. He still believes that he is the only person who has worked the Series as a newspaper reporter, radio broadcaster, official scorer and public address announcer. Lowery also coached Little League for 22 years. He retired last year as executive director of the Lycoming County United Way. My man still coaches many sports in the South Side and scribes for Webb Weekly. This will be Scott’s 18th Little League Tournament on the radio.

Tom Speicher interviews parents, spectators and special guests and provides the tidbits between innings as the station’s “Man in the Crowd.” He is an award-winning writer/video editor at Pennsylvania College of Technology and has done considerable freelance national media work. Tom writes a weekly column for his beloved Minnesota Vikings and has provided many colorful perspectives from the crowd for the past 21 tournaments.

Chrisman and O’Malley will cover the U.S. games, as well as the world championship matchup. Sawyer, Lowery, and Fogerty will team for the international contests. Speicher will work all U.S. and select international games and the world championship.

“Our broadcasters bring a considerable passion and unique perspectives to this great event,” Poorman continued. “Our listeners truly benefit from their insights.”

“Throughout the years, WRAK has helped share the Little League World Series experience,” Stephen D. Keener of Little League International added, “We are very thankful for the continued support and dedication of the entire team and are looking forward to another year of exciting calls and impactful Little League stories that show what it is like to be in Williamsport during this exciting event.”
All U.S. games can be heard on Bill 95.5 FM, while the International contests through Aug. 20 will air on WRAK. The international and U.S. title games on Aug. 25 and the world championship contest on Aug. 26 will be broadcast on WRAK and 102.7 KISS-FM.

A lot has changed since that very first Little League Championship played back in 1947. Some say over 9,500 youngsters have participated in Williamsport over that time frame. Technologies continue to develop, and there are now several new ways to watch and tune in to the games. WRAK and its affiliates have been here since the beginning. Incredibly 72 consecutive tournaments. I am very proud of this entire broadcast team. They are all valuable assets to this community. Kudos to them on a job well done.

Best wishes on another run. Cheers.