The expanded 20-team field, record-setting rain delays, and on-field excitement of the 2022 Little League Baseball World Series is now in the record books, but as it always has done, the thousands of visitors that flocked to our community and the locals that took in the action all came away with newfound memories they will not soon forget.
As I have chronicled numerous times in this space, baseball, and particularly Little League Baseball, have always been a very special part of my life. I enjoyed the game as a player, coach, and administrator, and for the past 21 years have had the privilege of being a part of the iHeart Media team broadcasting World Series games on the radio. There were plenty of spectacular plays and fun-filled moments witnessed throughout the 12-day event, but for me, it was some off-field moments that were most memorable.
The addition of four new teams was the first World Series expansion since 2001 when the tournament was enlarged from eight to sixteen teams, and Volunteer Stadium was added. It was also the year when a very unique relationship developed between Little League Baseball President & CEO Steve Keener and the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush.
Little League had invited President Bush, who was to be enshrined in LLB’s Hall of Excellence and attend the World Series Championship Game that year featuring Kitasuna, Japan, and Apopka, Florida. As is always the case with presidential visits, traffic was snarled, and security precautions were massive. Once inside Lamade Stadium, the President was seated on the first base side, where a moment Keener cherishes to this day occurred.
Just a few weeks prior, Steve and his wife Cheryl were blessed with baby daughter Maggie. During a brief pre-game meeting, the President held the Keener’s infant daughter in his arms. Two weeks later, our world changed with the 9/11 attacks. In subsequent conversations, Steve revealed how poignant that moment was for him; the President holding his daughter, then days later holding the fate of the country in his hands.
Prior to this year’s MLB/Little League Classic game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles, President Bush returned to Williamsport for the first time since. This visit was part of the Market Square Bases Loaded statue project, where the President’s likeness was to be unveiled alongside Jackie Robinson and baseball immortal Cy Young.
President Bush’s interest in baseball began as a Little League player in Midland, Texas. As a youngster, he dreamed of following in the footsteps of his favorite player, Willie Mays, until realizing his diamond abilities fell far short of his hero. He later was part of a group that owned the Texas Rangers and helped build Arlington Stadium. During his presidential years, he hosted Little League T-Ball games on the White House Lawn and welcomed living members of the MLB Hall of Fame in 2004.
When baseball resumed following the 9/11 attacks, President Bush’s first-pitch strike at Shea Stadium ignited a wave of patriotic fervor that swept the nation.
One of my prized treasures is a framed letter received from President Bush in 2008 when my son Doug was serving with the military in Afghanistan. I had written the President with an account of what my son was experiencing in the war-torn county. Never expecting a reply, the President’s letter stated in part;
“I am deeply moved by your love and pride for your son, and I am inspired by your support of our men and women in uniform and their mission. Our country is fortunate that people like Doug understand the stakes of this war and volunteer to go into harm’s way to protect the freedoms we hold dear. I am honored to be his Commander in Chief. Laura and I send our best wishes to you and your family.”
Earlier this summer, I had read a book, “Secrets of the Secret Service,” which detailed some very interesting and often disturbing accounts of the behavior of those occupying the White House. Although not ranked in any order, President Bush, his father, George H.W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan were highly regarded by those Secret Service agents responsible for their safety.
Those collective thoughts filled my mind as I watched President Bush walk thru the Bowman Field stands fist-bumping and greeting Little Leaguers, MLB players, and fans at the MLB Classic. As he passed in front of me, I waved, and he waved back, obviously having no idea who I was or what his 2008 letter means to me. But he was at one of his favorite places, a baseball field, enjoying himself and those around him.
Despite the weather-related delays or whom one was rooting for, enjoyment was an apt description of the 75th World Series. I enjoyed brief conversations shared with former MLB player Todd Frazier and recently inducted Hall of Fame broadcaster Tim Kurkjian and the time spent behind the microphone with broadcast partner Ken Sawyer this year calling his 51st World Series.
I witnessed some great Little League play highlighted by Nicaragua’s epic 11-inning 8-7 win over Japan that spanned two days and two rain delays and enjoyed the interactions of the Red Sox and Orioles players with their Little League counterparts.
Next time you pass through Market Square, let it sink in on the positive legacy Little League Baseball has provided us all.
