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Fans still come out for Grand Slam Parade amidst rain

From near and far, the fans of Little League's Grand Slam Parade in the host City of Williamsport were not disappointed Monday.

A few sprinkles of rain were not going to dissuade thousands of spectators from lining West Fourth Street, many of whom came prepared with umbrellas and ponchos.

The public safety presence was noticeable, and plastic barriers filled with water and city public works trucks prevented any unwanted vehicles from entering the parade route.

Ahead of the parade approaching the heart of downtown, a large contingent of supporters from the Mid-Atlantic representative in this year's world series, Media Little League, were positioned for good viewing along the sidewalk.

"It's memorable," said Karen Domenico, whose son A.J., 12, plays second base for the team from Delaware County, which is just a two-and-a-half hour drive from Williamsport in suburban Philadelphia.

It was her first time at the Little League World Series and she described what her son did when the bus arrived Saturday and he first glimpsed Howard J. Lamade and Volunteer stadiums at the Little League complex in South

Williamsport.

"He texted me, 'Mom, this is awesome,'" Domenico said.

Standing beside her was Little League mom and friend, Kelly Muessig, whose son Rhys Muessig, plays centerfield for the team.

"It is a Field of Dreams for a 12-year-old," Muessig said of Lamade and neighboring Volunteer stadiums.

The Media community is bringing two full bus loads of fans to watch the games, the mothers said.

Some residents of the suburban Philadelphia region say they are heading to the Jersey Shore points to take part in watch parties at area hangouts.

The thrilled moms of the Little Leaguers said the entire team has been energized and feeding off that boost since the wins in Bristol, Connecticut.

Having the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals players mingle with the players and then play the Little League Classic at Muncy Bank Park at Historic Bowman Field on Sunday is another treat.

The game is broadcast by ESPN as part of its Sunday Night Baseball show.

The parade was drawing crowds, many hearty folks ready to handle the rain showers that started just before it kicked-off at 5:30 p.m. It drew plenty of area and city residents, too.

Nicol Styer and her family from Muncy were downtown about two hours before the parade started, parked out at the corner of Hepburn and West Fourth streets.

The kids were so excited, as were the grandkids, she said.

The youngsters were eager to watch the parade with the 20 World Series teams.

The players exchanged waves, tipped their hats and threw out soft baseballs to the waiting fans.

Styer brought full coolers and plenty of snacks, although they were waiting for the snacks to be handed out.

Styer said she knew how crowded the parade watching space can get, so they arrived in plenty of time to get a prime viewing location.

"We just had to walk a few blocks to get here," said James Bubb and his girlfriend, Dianne Steppe, who watched the parade along with Marley, their goldendoodle, who performed a few tricks for some treats.

"We like to sit close to the action," Bubb said.

The couple wore Mid-Atlantic shirts, showing support for the Media little leaguers.

"We watch each year and walk down with our cooler and come for fun and candy," he said.

Les Stockdale remembers the parade from seven years ago, when he was here to coach Australia's 2016 team. His son, Beau, plays for the Australia team.

"We weren't told what it would be like," Stockdale said. "Just the amount of people. We didn't realize the enormity of it."

Beau's mother Helene said Beau was here then, as a 5-year-old, to root on his dad's coaching and remembers the parade and festival.

Matt Tabor, of Nolensville, Tennessee, whose son, Jackson, plays for the Southeast Regional champions, said he's looking forward to "everything."

"The games, I heard they have great food," Tabor said.

He said he visited the stadium today "before all the craziness happens."

Canda Metropoulos, of Williamsport, and Deb Weber both said they come to the parade just about every year -- "all of them, probably," Weber said -- and both said seeing the players is the parade's highlight.

"We like seeing the teams," Metropoulos said near the corner of Fourth and William streets.

Her family is especially excited about New England.

"We're from Maine," she added.

Weber said her family occasionally will make it to a game or two during the Series. She added she has been making it over to Little League World Series games since the late 1960s.

The parade, the 17th annual one, is organized by Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce and Lycoming County Visitors Bureau.

It was broadcast live on WNEP TV at 6 p.m.