The Mid-Atlantic Region Champion Little League team from Elizabeth, N.J., participates in the Grand Slam Parade Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019 in Williamsport, Pa.The Little League World Series baseball tournament, featuring 16 teams from around the world, starts on August 15, 2019 in South Williamsport, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Thousands of fans of Little League Baseball are converging on Williamsport and South Williamsport in time for the World Series games and events.
Teams are arriving and Little League officials report several new and exciting ways they have added options to make the journey for guests a more exciting and enjoyable experience.
Among the biggest changes is how visitors will enter the Little League International Complex, which is through the Main Entrance located off East Mountain Avenue (617 E. Mountain Ave., South Williamsport, according to the Little League.org website.)
New this year, fans will get to journey into the complex in a faster and more enjoyable way thanks to a newly widened entrance and walkway closer to the parking lot. It features new security gates to speed up entrance into the complex. Among the improvements will be new metal detectors to eliminate the need for visitors to remove their waist belts, according to Little League.
This should speed up entry and eliminate lines from forming, according to the league spokesman who spoke with the media.
Any non-permissible bags will be the responsibility of the owner to dispose as Little League does not offer a bag check. Larger sized clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags will be permitted this year, increasing the cut off at 20 inches, by 20 inches and 6 inches deep. Little League does not offer a bag check.
There will be Little League courtesy golf cart shuttles at the entrance.
The complex is scheduled to open most days at 10 a.m and will close about one hour after the final out of the final game of the day, with some notable exceptions.
One of the most highly anticipated attractions is the 17th Annual Little League World Series Grand Slam Parade, which begins at 5:30 p.m. today in the City of Williamsport.
This parade will feature the 20 World Series teams. It has high school bands, local businesses and organizations handing out treats.
The parade starts at the intersection of Susquehanna and West Fourth streets and proceeds east to the intersection of West Fourth and Market Streets.
The streets are typically lined with many thousands of spectators, among them the world series team parents and families. No candy will be distributed by the organizations as a means of protecting the safety of children and preventing injury.
Companies that do provide treats will have their employees and volunteers walking the parade route and handing out the gifts to those lining the street.
Each year, the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce and Lycoming County Visitors’ Bureau play a major role in making it a success each year.
There are many safety precautions to prevent any mishaps thanks to Mayor Derek Slaughter, the City administration and City Council. Among them is the placement of 100 or so water-filled plastic barriers positioned on the side streets at the parade route to prevent entry of vehicles into the parade, Scott Livermore, Williamsport public works manager, said.
Additionally area fire and police officers will be on hand to redirect traffic and there will be signed detours in place by Monday to direct motorists away from the parade route.
Among the parade highlights will be the scheduled appearance of Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, most notably remembered for his golden glove and hitting as a Chicago Cubs’ second baseman and as former manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, who will be the parade grand marshal.
Another exciting new entry in the series and parade to take note of this year will be the team from Cuba, which is expected to be one of the highlights of the evening.
The series opening ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Former Major League Baseball player Todd Frazier will be among those providing remarks, according to Little League.org. and PennLive.com.
Frazier, a big Phillies fan, led the Toms River, New Jersey, team to the world series title in 1998 and last year was enshrined in the Little League Hall of Excellence, which is the organization’s hall of fame.
The first series game is at 1 p.m. in Volunteer Stadium with the Czech Republic and Panama playing.
Three other games are scheduled that day, including a 5 p.m. game in which Cuba will face Tokyo, Japan.
Access to the games has never been easier as River Valley Transit bus shuttle service will take passengers directly to the new front entrance gate leading to Volunteer and Howard J. Lamade stadiums. The buses will be at the Third Street parking garage across from the Trade and Transit centres in the 100 block of West Third Street.
The state Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has www.511PA.com/LLWS available to check on traffic conditions. The major routes include Route 15, I-180, I-99, 220, and I-80 – among others.
The Phillies and the Washington Nationals will be on hand Sunday, Aug. 20, for the Little Leaguers at the stadiums before heading over to Bowman Field for the classic that begins at 7 p.m. and is broadcast as part of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.
The series runs through Aug. 27 when the champions of the U.S. and International brackets meet at 3 p.m. for the world title.
Wednesday, Aug. 16, is the scheduled open time at 9 a.m.
Sunday, Aug. 20, scheduled open time is 7 a.m.
Friday, Aug. 25, scheduled open time is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 26 and 27, scheduled open time is 8 a.m.