The tradition of America’s Pastime comes in all shapes and sizes. Of course, the New York Yankees represent the epitome of professional baseball success, but let’s dig deeper. Take Minor League Baseball, for example- all the entertainment of the big show but without all the background noise of dollar signs. This is what you get with a team like the Williamsport Crosscutters, Class-A short season affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. This summer, I will be working for the Crosscutters organization in their ticket operations/community relations department. I am not only excited at the opportunity to work in and around the game I love, for a few months, but also to live in a city with a rich baseball history. For starters, Williamsport, Pennsylvania (Montoursville to be exact) is the hometown of soon-to-be Hall of Famer and Yankee great, Mike Mussina. On my trip to Williamsport during MLB Opening Weekend, in between looking for apartments for my summer internship, I had a chance to visit the World of Little League Museum. The museum itself is quite small, but it pays homage to baseball legends and other well-known public figures who got their start at the Little League World Series, like Mussina. The image below features a jersey from his little league days that is on display in the museum. Upon seeing the jersey, it served as a reminder to me that even the greatest of stories can have a humble beginning. For any baseball fan, the Little League Museum is sure to instill an appreciation for the grassroots level of the game we love, and an even greater appreciation for playing baseball for baseball’s sake. Having been to the National Baseball Hall of Fame about ten years ago, I can say that this experience was a close second as far as places a baseball fan must visit. On a weekend that was all about the start of the Major League Baseball season, I was able to take a step back and admire the path of humble beginnings that runs through Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
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