2025 MLB LL Classic. SUN-GAZETTE FILE PHOTO

The City of Williamsport is being assisted with an expense that just a few years ago was placed at over $20,000 to provide police security and public safety protection for Major League Baseball’s Little League Classic in August.

The Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce and the city have signed a contribution agreement approved recently by the City Council. Last September, Councilman Jon Mackey cited costs to be $22,000 for the expenses related to the city to provide security at the game.

“One of the major concerns the city had is the cost of the Major League Baseball Little League Classic put on during the Little League World Series at Bowman Field,” Council President Eric Beiter said.

The stadium, identified formally at Journey Bank Park at Historic Bowman Field, holds the classic game between two MLB teams for the Little League team participants and their families before a nationally televised audience.

Councilman Jon Mackey, who for years has been pushing for the league to contribute to the cost of police coverage during the game, said in a meeting at Little League International headquarters, the chamber representative raised their hand and came through with this contribution.

“The Little League Classic is a wonderful asset to the city,” Beiter said. “We’ve gotten a lot of publicity – national publicity – out of the game that we could not begin to imagine how much that costs for us,” he said.

The game is a “great commercial for us and also for Little League and for MLB,” he said.

The game, a regulation season game between the MLB teams, also has led to some great contributions from the state (legislators and agencies) for the city asset, which is Journey Bank Park at Historic Bowman Field.

Because of this, he said, “there is a MLB facility in Williamsport with Minor League baseball prices.”

The chamber of commerce, including Jason Fink, its president and CEO, and other players have “stepped up, which we are grateful for and (is) are willing to give us a contribution to help us cover public safety costs for this particular game,” Beiter said.

Beiter asked Fink, who was at the council meeting if that was true, and Fink affirmed that it was.

Council Vice President Vincent Pulizzi also remarked how thankful he was.

“I want to thank the chamber for assisting us in trying to take on this financial burden,” he said. “It does give us great exposure.”

MLB and the city also forged a two-year agreement or contract. “That way we didn’t have to worry … if we had any issues we could address it in a timely manner,” Beiter said. The two-year contract also helps MLB as they are planning on a larger scale and it helps with their planning, he noted. “I’m really excited to see MLB come to the table and deepen their partnership with us,” Councilman Adam Yoder said.