The Philadelphia Phillies will make their second appearance in the Little League Classic as they are set to face the Washington Nationals on Sunday night. The game will be the sixth installment of the game played between two Major League clubs during the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The game will be played at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Fields on Sunday night at 7:00pm. ESPN will air the event as the two teams will play in front of mainly Little League players and their families who are staying in Williamsport as they compete in the 2023 Little League World Series. The Nationals will host and take on the role of the home team in the venue that holds considerably less fans than a Major League Park does.
Muncy Bank Ballpark holds about 2,300 spectators— a significant difference than Citizen's Bank Park which holds 40,000+. For reference the Phillies have averaged 38,401 fans per game to this point in the season in Philadelphia— the fifth highest total in all of baseball.
The smaller setting allows the Major League players to interact with the Little Leaguers that are taking part in the tournament. For example, Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott had each member of the team from Media, Pennsylvania sign the cleats that he plans on wearing Sunday night.
First look at the Media Little League inspired cleats that @Phillies SS Bryson Stott will be wearing in the 2023 MLB Little League classic Sunday at 7:00 in Williamsport.
— Delco Baseball Now (@DelcoBaseball) August 17, 2023
Stott had every player on the team sign the cleats🔥 pic.twitter.com/B9J8mABW0p
Major League Baseball began taking part in the Little League Classic in 2017 when the Pittsburgh Pirates took on the St. Louis Cardinals. The Phillies played in the second rendition of the event back in 2018 as they lost 8-2 to the New York Mets.
The Little League Classic is a way for Major League Baseball to support and drum up interest in the Little League World Series. It gives fans a chance to see their teams play in a setting that is drastically different from their typical ballparks and it allows the Little League players a to have a chance to interact with Major League players and walk away with an experience they will never forget.