Of all the many wonderful experiences and memories this year’s Little League World Series generated for those of us on the iHeart Media radio broadcast team, the one that sticks with me the most occurred before the first pitch was thrown.
Hours before the tournament’s opening ceremonies were to begin at Volunteer Stadium, colleague Ken Sawyer dutifully passed through the security checkpoint. Friendly staff greeted him, stating, “Good morning, Bill. Are you ready for another World Series? You guys will be broadcasting right in front of your sign.”
As Ken approached me at our broadcasting location, he smiled and said, “You’ll never guess what happened.” He was right. I never would have guessed.
Since 1959, when the World Series moved from Original Field to its current South Williamsport location until his passing in 2017 renowned local broadcaster Bill Byham had been a treasured radio voice of the proceedings. His dedication and support of Little League received high praise from the organization, as he was the recipient of the prestigious W. Howard Hartman Friendship Award in 1993, and the press section at Volunteer Stadium was named in his honor in 2002.
Sawyer, whose radio World Series broadcasting career began shortly after Byham’s and himself had won the Hartman Award in 2021, had been misidentified at the security gate as the legendary Lefthander.
When I asked if he had corrected the innocent gaffe, he replied, “No, I just walked by. Really, that was quite an honor itself. Bill would have had a good laugh about that.”
At that moment, and throughout the Series at that location, doing the job Bill had done for such a long time brought back so many memories shared with ‘Buck.’ He came into my life as my high school basketball coach, and a friendship grew that lasted the rest of his lifetime. He was a mentor, not only to me, but to countless young people who passed through his classroom or were involved in so many community endeavors.
As the World Series unfolded, things happening on the playing field continued to bring back those ‘Bill Byham’ moments. How would he describe the pitcher’s style? What would he have thought of the continuous batting order? How did he feel the coaches were handling the young charges on his team?
While those answers weren’t forthcoming, I know how he would have positively reacted to the way Irmo, South Carolina’s coaching staff of David Bogan, Pat Gravelle, and Mike Beckworth, were handling things. The trio guiding the twelve 12-year-olds from the small 11,569 town population would have received his standing ovation.
Progressing through the long tournament trail all the way to South Williamsport, the Irmo kids “believed” in their coaches and what they were taught. They continually battled teams from larger population centers with exciting play and come-from-behind victories, none greater than a five-run bottom-of-the-sixth-inning comeback that erased a 4-0 Lake Mary, Florida lead and eliminated the defending LLB World Series champions in the Southeast Regional Tournament to punch their ticket to our backyard.
Byham would have also smiled at the dogged determination of the Lai Min-Nan-led Tung-Yuan Chinese Taipei Little Leaguers that ended his country’s 29-year World Series drought by claiming the 2025 World Series championship.
And knowing his brief but memorable South Williamsport girls’ basketball coaching experience, I know he would have been one of the first to congratulate Australia’s first baseman Monica Arcuri when she recorded her team’s first hit in the opening round.
A gifted three-sport athlete and well-respected coach, broadcaster, and journalist, Byham’s career coaching girls was short-lived and humorous.
Asked by South Williamsport Principal Rod Morgans to coach the school’s first girls’ team, he was reluctant but accepted the challenge.
During the team’s first few practice sessions, a young point guard kept bringing the ball down the right side of the court. Byham instructed her to use both sides of the court. When his coaching went unheeded, he blew his whistle and sternly told the player to roll the offense to the other side of the court.
On the next possession, the point guard stopped at the top of the key, looked to her right, and then bent down and rolled the basketball across the court to a player standing on her left. Byham was furious as the player responded, ‘You told me to roll the ball to the other side.’
I can still hear Bill telling me that he first should have taken the time to explain basketball terminology to his inexperienced players.
Bill Byham stories are many, but so are the tales the coaches of this year’s World Series teams could tell. What they all have in common is they have taken the time, interest, and perseverance to mentor the young people trusted to their guidance. They all should be thanked for that!
