Most of the flag-waving, cardboard-sliding, Simba-video-watching thousands who attended last month’s Little League Baseball World Series weren’t even born when Dean Martin’s 1955 hit record ‘Memories are Made of This’ was released. But those who witnessed the small-fry classic saw a variety of firsts that made the 2019 series a memorable one.

The combination of the elimination of 13 year-old players and new baseball bat standards reduced the number of home runs hit, increased balls put into play resulted in outstanding defensive plays and produced a champion (East Bank Little League of River Ridge, Louisiana) that made Worlds Series history by becoming the first team to win the tournament after losing its first game since the current modified double-elimination format was introduced in 2011.

But even before the Saturday games that would determine the International and United States participants in Sunday’s championship game, Little League International president/CEO Steve Keener addressed the assembled media to unveil an ambitious $15-million plan aimed at creating memories for future Little League Baseball players and fans.

The announcement, to coincide with the Little League’s 75th anniversary in 2021, will include the addition of four more teams to the World Series field, new dormitories, improved infirmary, laundry facilities, parking, restrooms, concessions, gift shops, and expanded public areas to enhance the fan experience. The initial construction will begin later this month and proceed through 2020. The entire cost of the project is being funded by existing Little League International reserve funds with no additional fund-raising efforts expected.

In making the announcement, Keener noted, “The heart of this expansion is providing more children and more volunteers with a once-in-a-lifetime experience at our World Series tournaments. The only impact this will have on our local leagues is that there are more opportunities for more teams to participate in Williamsport and Portland. Our leagues’ regular season and earlier tournament games will not be impacted.”

The plan is also aimed at upgrading facilities at the Little League Softball World Series site in Portland, Oregon, where the South Williamsport 11-12 softball team competed last month, but the focal point of the project will be seen at the local World Series complex.

Commencing with the 2021 Little League World Series the field will be expanded to include 20 teams; 10 from the United States and 10 International teams. The ten new United States Regional breakdown includes:

• New England Region: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire & Massachusetts
• Metro Region: New York, Connecticut, New Jersey & Rhode Island
• Mid-Atlantic Region: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware & Washington, D.C.
• Southeast Region: West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida & Alabama
• Southwest Region: Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas East, Texas West, Colorado & New Mexico
• Great Lakes Region: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois & Kentucky
• Midwest Region: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska & Kansas
• West Region: Hawaii, Northern California, Southern California & Arizona
• Northwest Region: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington
• Mountain Region: Montana, Wyoming, Utah & Nevada

Internationally the regions would be enhanced by establishing two automatic bids involving Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Panama. A rotation system will be established among the three countries with two receiving automatic bids each year and the third playing through its respective Regional Tournament.

Will bringing 20 Little League teams to Williamsport make the tournament better than the 16 currently competing? Is bigger better? That age-old debate won’t be answered by participating Little League teams. But the rationale behind Little League’s announcement is not about the level of competition on display at Lamade and Volunteer Stadiums, but rather more about giving more kids the opportunity to do so.

As presented by the new regional alignments, some regional tournaments will be comprised of eight teams, while others will have as few as four. If it was about competitive balance, or rewarding those states with the most chartered Little League programs, the two new United States teams coming to Williamsport could be represented by California and Texas, which both now have two teams participating in their respective regional tournaments.

But this seems to be about giving kids a chance, spreading the Little League footprint and producing potential World Series memories for areas of the country that now only see the Little League World Series through their TV screens.

This year’s Little League World Series media guide reveals that seven states (Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Vermont) have never sent teams to the Series. Add in Washington, D.C. — that makes eight.

Additionally, Montana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, and West Virginia have only been here once. Two-time participants include Idaho, Delaware, and Oklahoma. Maine, Missouri and South Carolina have made the trip three times.

By contrast, California has sent 48 teams, Pennsylvania 33, Texas 25, and Florida 22.

The biggest winner in Little League’s announced plans seems to be the newly created Mountain Region, comprised of Montana, Wyoming, Utah & Nevada who collectively have two appearances in South Williamsport. The Big Sky LL of Billings, Montana was here in 2011, with the Mountain Ridge LL of Las Vegas joining the party in 2014.

The added four teams would mean the 2021 World Series will begin one day earlier (on a Wednesday rather than a Thursday) and will see four games played each day during the first seven days. It will also mean a busier schedule for volunteers, more business for local hotels and restaurants, and most importantly memories created for more players and fans.