BASEBALLPARKS.COM's Ten Must-See Parks

Howard J. Lamade Stadium

I have to admit that I always hated the Little League World Series when I was growing up.  After all, the Championship Game typically occurred the Saturday before school started, so this game truly marked the end of summer!  Bummer!

Seriously, this annual event is one of the most joyous sporting contests of the year.  And the ballpark in which it is held, nestled on a beautiful hillside in central Pennsylvania, is also a treasure.

WHERE THIS PARK IS LOCATED:  On U.S. Route 15 in South Williamsport, PA, just across the Susquehanna River from downtown Williamsport

WHO PLAYS HERE:  Youngsters who are having the experience of a lifetime.  The Little League World Series brings the best squads from around the world to Williamsport each summer.

SPECIAL EVENTS WHICH HAVE OCCURRED HERE:  Wow, at the end of every summer, it is always special!  Here are some of the really special events that have happened at Lamade:  Delaware Township, NJ pitcher Fred Shapiro hurled a perfect game in a semi-final game in 1956 . . . The next year, Angel Macias of Monterrey, Mexico fired a perfect game in the Championship Game, as the first non-U.S. champion was crowned . . . In 1980, future Major Leaguers Derek Bell and Gary Sheffield were teammates on the Belmont Heights, FL squad that reached the finals, but lost to Taiwan (Taipei) . . . Two years later, in one of the most memorable finals ever, Kirkland, WA broke a streak of five consecutive championships by Taiwan (Taipei) by beating the Far East representatives 6-0 on a two-hitter by Cody Webster in front of 40,000 delirious fans . . . Chin Feng Chen, who was the MVP of the Class A California League in 1999 as a Dodger farmhand, led the Taiwan (Taipei) team to the Little League title in 1990 . . . Sean Burroughs, who would later become the first Little League World Series champ to also win an Olympic Gold Medal (on the U.S. Olympic Baseball Team in 2000), led his Long Beach, CA team to back-to-back championships in '92 and '93 . . . Two opposing players in the 2004 World Series played here, with Cardinal Jason Marquis playing in 1991, and Jason Varitek of the Red Sox playing shortstop on the runner-up team in 1994 . . . Toms River (N.J.) and Kashima Japan combined for 11 home runs in the '98 Championship Game won by the Americans, 12-9.

WHY YOU MUST SEE THIS PARK:  The setting is breathtaking, as you first see the park from the top of the very tall hill beyond the outfield.  The surrounding countryside is also very scenic.  And you won't want to miss the Little League Museum right up the hill from Lamade.  In addition, you can take in a Minor League game of the Williamsport Crosscutters of the NY-Penn if you time your visit right!  Their park, Bowman Field, is on 4th Street on the west end of Williamsport, on the other side of the river from Lamade . . . and it's one of the oldest baseball parks in the country, as it opened its doors in 1923.

The most unique aspect of this place isn't the facility itself.  It's the joy of the kids who get to experience the biggest thrill of their young lives here.

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