Recently I was watching a TV show that was highlighting some of the great baseball announcers of the past. Included was a segment from the 1985 NLCS playoff between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers made by Hall of Fame play-by-play announcer Jack Buck describing a walk-off home run hit by light-hitting shortstop Ozzie Smith.

Smith’s call excitedly proclaimed, “Go crazy folks, go crazy. The Cardinals have won the game 3-2 on a home run by the Wizard — go crazy.”

Several days later, the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce released the news that that very ‘Wizard’ Ozzie Smith, a 2002 inductee into baseball’s Hall of Fame, would be bringing his magic to Williamsport as the Grand Marshall of the 2018 Grand Slam Parade.

Smith continues the tradition established by the local Chamber in attracting big-name former Major League players to take part in the popular parade that kicks off the annual Little League World Series activities. Chamber executive vice president Jason Fink kindly took the time to explain the activities behind the selection of each year’s Grand Slam Parade Grand Marshall.

“When we began the Grand Slam Parade, we wanted to recognize the youth that were coming here to play in the Little League World Series. At the same time, we were looking for a way to really elevate the event, and we came up with the idea to try and bring in a Hall of Fame baseball player that would add to the recognition of the event. This will be the 14th year for the parade, and we’ve been fortunate to have some very big baseball names come to Williamsport to take part,” Fink said.

“The procedure involved in attracting big names has been an evolving process. In the first couple of years, we worked with the National Baseball Hall of Fame. We asked them, and they were able to help us out. Through this connection, we were able to gain access to some baseball player’s agents, and that is when things all changed. From that point forward, our contacts have been through various agents. Most recently, we’ve been working with a firm in the New York/New Jersey market that has been able to do a good job in bringing in players for us.

“One of the problems we run into is the time of the year. The timing of our event coincides with the National Hall of Fame ceremonies and events that take place at the end of July. Many players are involved with the HOF in traveling about with promotional activities. A lot of the Hall of Famers have other careers and media responsibilities. Whether they are working for the team that they played for, doing radio and TV work, or other commitments, it is sometimes difficult for them to get away to come to Williamsport.

“Bringing in a player for our Grand Slam Parade is something separate from the activities organized by Little League International. Obviously, we are aware of the type of people we bring in. We are not going to bring in somebody that ‘has issues’ associated with them. There are people in the Hall of Fame that have questionable character. We are keenly aware that we are doing this as part of a celebration of Little League Baseball, and we are not going to bring in somebody that would be inappropriate for this type of a celebration.”

The players invited to come to Williamsport as the Parade Grand Marshall agree to take part in a variety of activities in addition to the parade itself. Prior to the start of the parade, they meet the Little World Series players at a picnic held in their honor at Penn College. They attend a sponsor’s reception at the Community Arts Center, participate in the Grand Slam Breakfast and the LLWS Opening Ceremonies by throwing out the first pitch. They have also been gracious in honoring a bevy of autograph requests as time permits.

“We’ve had some great individuals over the years, but I especially remember how nice Carlton Fisk was when he was here,” Fink fondly recalled. “He was real personable with everyone. When it came time to take him to the airport, I thanked him for all that he had done and went on my way. About an hour later I got a call from Fisk’s agent telling me his flight had been changed and asked if I could go back to the airport and find accommodations for the night as he would be leaving the next day.

“I had my son with me, who at the time was four years old, and he had no idea who Carlton Fisk was. We were all together for several hours, and Carlton was the most awesome person with my son. He interacted with him and made him feel important, which made me feel just wonderful. I was very impressed with how he handled himself with everyone he had met during his stay here.”

Smith’s visit continues an impressive array of baseball Hall of Famers and notables that has included among others Johnny Bench, Paul Molitor, Eddie Murray, Jim Rice, Jim Leyland, and Andre Dawson in recent years.

This year’s Grand Slam Parade will take place Wednesday, August 15 stepping off at 5:45 p.m.