College Among Sponsors at Unveiling of LLB's 'Diamond' Anniversary Gift

In celebration of Little League Baseball's 75th anniversary and coinciding with championship weekend of this year's Little League World Series just across the river, downtown Williamsport was the site of a very special dedication Friday afternoon. Officially marking the city as LLB's birthplace, the Lycoming County Visitors Bureau and supportive friends unveiled "Bases Loaded," a spacious recreation of a baseball diamond at Market and West Third streets. Penn College and Lycoming College co-sponsored the catcher in the lineup, one of 10 bronze statues that represent those who have participated in Little League (including softball and the Challenger Division) over the years – ethnically varied players of both genders, in uniforms old and new, along with an umpire to represent the thousands of volunteers at the heart of the organization. The only statue that depicts a specific person is that of the manager, Carl E. Stotz, who founded LLB in 1939 and whose name is on the bridge that connects Williamsport to the latter-day South Williamsport home of the Series.