The area’s finest minor leaguers aged 7-10 have gathered at our magnificent cornfield off of State Route 973. Massive crowds travel some fifty miles just to Cogan Station each year to witness many outstanding plays and spectacular performances. A few fans pitch a tent, and folks spend a great deal of time at our little complex. Several even came back for our world famous funnel cake fries after their teams were eliminated. Deep fried pickles anyone?

LADIES & GENTLEMAN. ON BEHALF OF HEPBURN LYCOMING LITTLE LEAGUE. I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO COGAN STATION, PENNSYLVANIA AND THE FIRST GAME OF THE 2019 STEVE KREAMER MEMORIAL MINOR TOURNAMENT.

Coach Steve Kreamer was a great dude who sure loved his baseball. The longtime stalwart of Hepburn Lycoming was a staple and then some. He started our two-week minor league showcase back in the early 90s. And when he unexpectedly passed a few years back- it was a no brainer to honor Uncle Steve by renaming the tournament to the Steve Kreamer Memorial.

Steve’s son in law, Marc Hess is the man in charge. He does a great job in organizing this minor league showcase. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. Many folks are there to lend a hand to make sure every youngster has an enjoyable 17728 experience.

I do my very best my to attend most of the games. I only skip a few nights for choir or to go fishing. I wanted to take a back seat this year and chose not to hang in the luxurious press box each night. I had my reasons. There were a few minor issues behind the mic last year, and I am actually quite sensitive. Special thanks to my man Curt Wolfhope for filling the void. He pronounces 90% of the names correctly and is proud to be the official Public Address Announcer of the 2019 tournament.

AND NOW LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE RISE. REMOVE YOUR CAPS AND TURN TO DEEP CENTER FOR THE SINGING OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM. Yes. I have been known to sing a few verses from the press box.

Curt and I both struggle, and we sometimes get accused of being strange. We do have access to several sound effects and old school music on our faulty laptop. Our intentions are good, and we have learned a lot over the years. It’s all about timing, and you have to know your audience. It isn’t a good idea to play the “NA NA NA HEY HEY HEY GOODBYE” after a called strike three. The same goes with a Homer Simpson DOH after a player gets hit in the head. Little League International might have caught wind of our antics and actually released a statement.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. HOW ABOUT ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THESE TWO TEAMS. WE CONGRATULATE THE COACHES AND ALL OF THE PLAYERS ON A JOB WELL DONE. SEE YOU TOMORROW.

It takes several helping hands to pull off something like this, and thankfully, many other residents pitch in. This is a great fundraiser, and we don’t have to tell you how we’re going to spend it either. #impactfees. Special thanks to Coach Marc, Curt and all of my friends for picking up the slack. Because of them this year’s Steve Kreamer Memorial Minor A Tournament is another home run. I hope all of the parents and players enjoyed it. Cheers.