The "A Childhood Dream Realized, Finally!" Story

The Howard J. Lamade Little League Baseball Stadium

It was an ordinary day.  And, I finally got a chance to do it!  Standing on the green turf of Howard J. Lamade Stadium in south Williamsport, PA.  One of my childhood dreams was to be able to play in the Little League World Series, but as with many of our childhood dreams, it was never realized.  

This greeting is made as you walk or drive through the
entrance gate at the park.  Snow from the recent
winter snowstorms lends a nice back to the photo.

That is …… until today!  Well, the playing part of the dream never came true, but being on the field is my story today.  The sky is blue, the sun is shining brightly, the US flag in centerfield is whipping in the wind, the stands are empty, the announcers are long gone, the air is cold, the dirt is mud and there is still some remnants of snow from a long, long winter on the hills behind the outfield fence, but I'm standing on the green turf in right field in my own little world hearing the cheers anyway.  

Click on photo to enlarge if you wish.  This was taken from
the stands as I entered the Little League Stadium.  Shot through
the netting that surrounds the seating for protection from foul balls.

My imagination leads me on as I hear the slap of my leather first baseman's mitt against my thigh, I can hear the crack of the ball and then …… I dive and spear the line drive as the crowd of 40,000 roars.  As I come back into the dugout there are High-5s all around.  Butterflies fill my stomach as I stand at the plate and bang my bat off the far side of it and then I gain an extra bit of energy as I round second trying to make a double into a triple, sliding into third seconds before the throw.  

From the right field corner. On the right is the area where
fans can sit on the grass or blankets to watch the game.

Then I hear my name being called and I realize it was all part of my dream as my wife Carol is yelling to me from the stands that she is cold and heading to the car.  Made a visit to the Little League complex after watching the St. Patrick's Day parade in downtown Williamsport, PA with our friends Jerry and Just Sue.  After stopping for directions, we found the complex buried amongst a housing development that looks as if it were built in the 1950s.  Not a single soul around as we pulled into the complex and were greeted by a hedge of manicured greens that read: Welcome Little League World Series.  I knew I was going to enjoy this as soon as I saw that.  

The scoreboard in left field.

Went to the far eastern end of the complex, past a few smaller ball fields and found the large stadium that is where the final games of the Little League World Series are played every year.  As soon as we pulled to a stop I grabbed my camera and hustled through one of the tunnels towards the color of green.  Truly beautiful, so it is.  From watching the games on TV for the last 60 years I thought I would know exactly what the field would be like, but it wasn't anything as I imagined.  It was more compact than I envisioned.  2/3 the size of a manor league field, since of course, baseball is geared to 9-12 year-olds on this field instead of people twice their size.  

Photo taken from high above the field in the press box.
Home plate as well as the scoreboard can be seen in this pix.

I tried to figure what I should take photos of first.  Stood in the stands directly behind home plate and took a couple of shots through the protective netting, then headed towards right field to see if I could get on the field.  Rounded the end of the seats and escaped the netting as I hopped over the three-foot high fence in right field, landing on the outfield turf.  Wow, I was finally here!  I can just imagine the excitement of the thousands of players who have had a chance to stand on this field since the late 1950s.  I snapped a few more shots, then pointed my camera towards left field and the large scoreboard.  

The blue sky shines, just as in my dreams.

It has to be every Little Leaguers dream to have a scoreboard like that to tally your runs after every At-Bat.  Left the field and walked behind the outfield wall there the many fans sit on blankets or the grass to watch the game.  After a few more pictures I backtracked and headed back in the stands towards home plate.  I glanced upward and saw that the gate to the press box was open so …….. yep, found my way up the cement steps to the press box.  Took a seat and looked out over the stadium.  Brought more chills as I imagined sitting here broadcasting a game and making the calls for all to here from all over the world.  A few more photos then I wound my way back between plastic chairs until I was by the tunnel.  One last look and headed back the tunnel.  Last pitch was just thrown and the game has ended. My dream has become a reality!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.