I don’t have much in the way of claims to fame, but I was chosen to pitch for a Little League All-Star team when I was 11 years old. I wish I could report that my performance was as awesome as this week’s World Series Little Leaguers’, but…

My Little League career started in the summer of 1972 when I was seven years old. It was called the Grasshopper League. I don’t have a lot of memories from those early years, but I still have my first trophy. We were the Seasonal Champions.

Somewhere along the line I became fascinated by pitching. I loved having the ball in my hands on every play — and I savored a strikeout.

I have a very vivid memory of one strikeout in particular. When I went to the mound, I knew I would be the first to bat at the top of the next inning. I loved batting as much as pitching, so I was eager to get up to the plate. I struck out a batter and thought it was the third out. I quickly ran to the bench, put on my helmet, grabbed my bat, and ran to the plate. When I got there, a batter from the other team was in the batter’s box. I looked at the umpire, and he said, “Son, there are only two outs. You need to go back to the mound.”

One of my favorite backyard items was a pitchback that my mom and dad bought for us. It had a metal frame with a net attached by springs. In the middle of the net was a ribbon that outlined the strike zone. When you threw a baseball at it, it would rebound it back to you. I think you can still buy pitchbacks today.

I can’t tell you how many hours I spent with that pitchback. My fascination with accuracy and speed only increased, and toward the end of my Grasshopper career, I was pitching regularly.

After Grasshopper League, we were promoted to the Biddy League. It was for 10-12-year-olds. At this level, we were given uniforms. They were old-style gray wool, and our team had burgundy numbers and lettering.

By the time I was 11, I was our team’s go-to pitcher. I didn’t have any fancy stuff, but I could throw a fast strike when I needed it. We were the seasonal champions that year too — and I was chosen to pitch for the 1975 All-Star team.

The field used for the big game was very different than our home fields. Everything was bigger. The pitcher’s mound was actually a mound, and home plate was about six feet farther than what I was used to. It took me some time during warm-ups to get a feel for everything, but I was still confident. Well, mostly.

There were bleachers at this field. I hadn’t seen that before. And those bleachers were full of people. I hadn’t seen that before either. As I walked to the mound, I could feel hundreds of eyes watching me. The pressure got to me — and my fastball went wild.

I couldn’t find the strike zone, and every walked batter increased the weight of all those fans focused on my every move. The pitcher’s mound can be a very lonely place. I walked the bases loaded, and that’s when the coach pulled me out of the game. I clearly had no ice water in my veins. I really don’t remember anything else from that day. We lost, and that was the last game of our season.

The next summer, I started working in my dad’s roofing business. I never played another game of organized baseball. Sad, right?

Not at all. I treasure the memories of my Little League experience. To this day, when I return to Allentown, I will take a drive past the old fields at the Legion, St. Elizabeth’s, Naracot, and Jefferson Street playground. Some of them aren’t ball fields anymore, but a few remain. I can see myself as a child, standing on the mound and fascinated by the game we call America’s pastime. Who could have guessed that fifty years later I would live in the home of Little League Baseball and be blessed with the opportunity to watch 11- and 12-year-olds play at the highest level of the game. What a privilege.

What amazes me the most about the kids who play in the World Series is the ice water that flows through their veins. It is incredible the amount of pressure these kids can perform under. A hundred fans in the bleachers caused me to fold. These kids play in stadiums packed with tens of thousands of fans and millions more watching around the world. In my opinion, their pre-teen athletic performance is one of the most incredible spectacles in all the world of sport.

Congratulations to the players, coaches, volunteers, and donors who bring this incredible event to life. You make the greater Williamsport community, and this old Little Leaguer, very proud. Play ball!