Williamsport and Cooperstown are connected by the Susquehanna River and baseball history, as Little League and the Baseball Hall of Fame were both established in 1939. While most of the baseball community knows Mike Mussina for his Hall of Fame career with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees, for the people in the Williamsport community, it is the support and dedication that Mr. Mussina has shown to Little League Baseball and Softball and the other athletic programs throughout Lycoming County that makes his journey upstream from Montoursville to the Hall of Fame that much more special

“Ever since the first time he stepped foot on a baseball field as a Little Leaguer, Mike has been a role model for how to play the game and how to be a good teammate,” said Stephen D. Keener, Little League President and CEO. “Along with his many accomplishments on the field, equally important, Mike continues to serve as a dedicated volunteer within the Little League program, both at the local level in his hometown of Montoursville and as a member on our International Board of Directors. It has been both a personal and professional honor to congratulate Mike on his election into the Baseball Hall of Fame and for solidifying his place in baseball history after an incredible career.”

Joining Little League at the age of eight and playing until he was 15, Mr. Mussina pitched his first game ever for the Johnny Z’s Restaurant team in the Montoursville (Pa.) Little League at the age of 10. From that memorable day, he embarked on a baseball career that took him from the blue and gold of the Montoursville High School Warriors, to the Cardinal Red of Stanford University, to Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees.

While his career took him to the highest level of baseball, Little League has always been near to Mr. Mussina’s heart. In 2001, while still in his active MLB career, he was elected to the Little League International Board of Directors, where he helped establish Little League as a leader in arm safety, and has been an active coach and local league Board member for Montoursville Little League. He was enshrined in the Little League Hall of Excellence in 2014.

“Mike has always served as a tremendous role model for Little Leaguers everywhere and exemplifies what it means to work hard both on and off the field,” said Hugh E. Tanner, Little League International Board of Directors Chairman. “His commitment to the growth and development of the Little League program and to the games of baseball and softball is truly inspiring and we are honored to see him earn this incredible honor as a Hall of Famer this year.”

Mr. Mussina earned his iconic bronze plaque as a member of the 2019 National Baseball Hall of Fame Class this July, joining fellow inductees and former Little Leaguers, Roy Halladay, Edgar Martinez, and Mariano Rivera, as well as Today’s Game Era ballot winners, Harold Baines and Lee Smith, in this year’s induction.

Mr. Mussina’s Little League connection can be found on full display throughout the World of Little League® Museum and Official Store. In the Second Inning of the Museum, a game-used glove, ball, and jersey from his final season with the Yankees is on display as part of the brand new MLB Exhibit while visitors can enjoy an interactive exhibit featuring Mr. Mussina in the Fourth Inning. Rounding out the exhibits in the Museum is a personal collection of memorabilia and artifacts from Mr. Mussina’s time in Little League, including a homemade baseball card and glove, which can be found in the Sixth Inning Hall of Excellence display area.