WILLIAMSPORT - Once in a lifetime experience is a phrase often heard from those who have played in the Little League World Series.
That experience, as the Red Land players have discovered, includes more than what takes place on the playing field as one of the 16 teams remaining after 16,000 tournament games around the world.
Getting to know other players is the response most of the Red Land players gave when asked what has been their off-field highlight so far. "It's exciting," said Jake Cubbler.
MORE:
- Tough Tickets: Red Land fans must line up 11 hours before Friday's first pitch
- Red Land Little League homepage
- Little League World Series Championship history breakdown
The Red Land boys have had the opportunity to mingle with the other teams in International Grove, where all teams stay, and at a Wednesday picnic hosted by the Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Cubbler said he has spoken with the Mexican players a lot. "You use your hands a lot," he said when asked how he communicates with those who do not speak English.
Kaden Peiffer said he was surprised to learn Australians don't eat peanut butter and
crackers. But, he said, the Aussies are in the swimming pool a lot.
Adam Cramer is another one who has gotten to know the Aussies. "They're all real nice," he said.
Hanging out in the rec room playing table tennis with other players plus pin trading are highlights for Chayton Krauss, a native of New Zealand.
He discovered some of the Japanese players, with whom Red Land shares restroom facilities, they speak some English, he said.
Jaden Henline said he is trying to learn the language of some of the international teams. He has picked up a few words in Spanish, he said.
Pin trading is high on the list of fun activities for many of the Red Land players but the free gifts they have received are at the top.
All series participants take home a bat, sun glasses, uniform jersey, regular glove, batting glove, cleats and a bat bag.
A guest at the outing was former major league manager Jim Leyland who was grand marshal of the Grand Slam Parade that followed the event.
The 11th annual parade attracted thousands of spectators as the 10 divisions made their way east of West Fourth Street into the downtown.
"I've managed players from all over the world so I feel right at home here today," Leyland told the players after they chowed down on hot dogs, hamburgers and other picnic foods.
"Remember this is about competition," he said. It's about sportsmanship. It's learning how people from different cultures think and how they play the game and how we play the game here. It's just a wonderful, wonderful scenario."
Saying he likes baseball players, Leyland said: "I don't care what they look like, where they come from, how they hit - left or right, how they throw - left or right. All I want to know is can you play. That's the way I always looked at them and that's the way I always will."
When interviewed later, Leyland, a former Little Leaguer in Ohio, said the advice he would give to the series players is "just compete. Just be ready to do the best you can. Understand someone is going to win and someone is going to lose."
He said he was honored but yet surprised at being named recently to the New York-Penn League Hall of Fame. "I didn't play very well so I don't know how I got in there," he said. As a catcher-third baseman for the 1965 Jamestown Tigers he hit .237 in 82 games.
He speculates it was because of his 33 years as a manager in the major and minor leagues.