The Little League World Series is off and running. A few days in, and we are all smiling. Some of the pitching performances have been outstanding. Much love to the boys from South Dakota. They nipped the Pennsylvania team last evening. I love their left-handed flamethrower. Maxen Snoozy has a great name, and he was stupendous. Go Midwest.

You know the locals may take this for granted. But the Little League World Series is an awesome experience. I have been visiting Lamade and Volunteer on many occasions. My first was back in 1989 when my family first moved to Williamsport. We were more frequent when Jensen came of age- especially when he was a toddler. Oh, the memories. Ice cream and funnel cakes. Overpriced jerseys and hats. Great moments with Grandpa Mike. They were regulars. Thankfully, he was buying.

Yes. There were several highlights. Many autographs. Candid photos. A moment with Mone Davis and a picture. We had a team that came from Billings, Montana. I knew some of the families. The Billings Gazette did a feature on me and my relationship with the team. It was grand. Front page. A conversation with Jared from Subway. Um. Nevermind. I also got to hang with Brett Musburger. The legend. Hundreds of other celebrities.

My relationship with Little League grew when I started scribing for the Webb Weekly. Many stupendous stories. Several of them involved fishing. Looking ahead, I am sure there will be another here in 2025. I am known for being dramatic. I am always looking for an opportunity to get on camera or become famous. This desire only increased with the Major League Baseball Classic. I tried to catch a foul ball from a kayak that first year. True story. I wrote an article and have some pictures to prove it. I landed some tickets for the next few Classics. Jensen and I got to sit with the players from Southeast Asia. Splendid. I struck out the next few years in the DISGRUNTLED RESIDENTS of LYCOMING COUNTY LOTTERY. Oh. My media credentials were denied. That was a hilarious column. I thought it was funny.

I did not score any seats for this year’s game. No worries. Many friends will be in the stands. It’s cool. Been there. Done that. Three years ago, I caught a monster Smallmouth. Yes. That was one of my favorite stories. It went viral. It was featured on a few channels. Here are a few excerpts. Pulitzer?

I decided to park at Weis Markets. It was an hour before game time. I fished downstream and had some successes. Nothing to brag about, but it felt good to get some action. I missed a monster just under the High Street Bridge. I continued south. There was already a crowd. I have fished this stretch since high school, but this was a first during a Major League Baseball game. I paused for the National Anthem. I also stopped when they announced the starting lineups. There was a major buzz in the air. The sun was setting. But the bright lights of Bowman quickly took over. It was a surreal situation. Difficult to explain. It felt like I was fishing on Mars. I made a few casts in a deep pool. Hooked into something that was now jumping. I held my breath as I only wanted a picture. I continued to battle and landed a healthy 16″ Smallmouth. I have seen bigger, but consider my surroundings. The crowd roared. Perhaps it was a hit. Here I thought they were cheering for me as I lipped my fish with Historic Bowman Field in the backdrop. Goosebumps.

Yes. I have caught many fish in my lifetime. But I will always remember that special encounter. Again. This was a beautiful bass in the early moments of the MLB Little League Classic. Pictures don’t do her justice. My fish and posts went crazy on Twitter. I will keep you posted this weekend. I am sure something will happen. Stay tuned. Never a dull moment when ESPN is in Billtown. Cheers.