Williamsport, Pa. has played host to the Little League World Series for over 70 years, but Major League Baseball now is taking its talents to the birthplace of Little League on an annual basis.
The Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals kicked off the now-annual tradition in 2017, followed by the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets in 2018. The Pirates will host the Chicago Cubs in this year’s event, but after that, it’s the Red Sox’s turn.
Boston will face off against the Baltimore Orioles in the 2020 MLB Little League Classic, the league announced this week. The game will take place on Sunday, August 23 at 7 p.m. ET and be broadcast on ESPN.
“Heard about it, it’s a good experience,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, per the league’s announcement. “My brother (Joey) was a part of it last year with the Pirates. It’s a good all-around experience. In the beginning, it looks hectic with the travel but if you get there early and spend time with the kids it was something that the Pirates and the Cardinals loved. It was fun. Looking forward to it. It’s something different. It’s a few hours from Baltimore so we don’t have to take a luxury plane over there.”
Bowman Field, the home of the Phillies Class-A affiliate, will serve as the venue, just as it has for the event’s initial three occurrences.
The game will take place amid the 2020 Little League World Series, so members of both the Red Sox and Orioles will attend the games in Williamsport earlier in the day.
