‘A magical place’: Massachusetts man reflects on visits to Little League World Series
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Car trouble couldn't stop one Little League World Series fan from attending the games. It just became another adventure along the way.
Phil Pattison, of Salem, Massachusetts, planned to make it to Williamsport in time to see the Grand Slam Parade, held Tuesday night. However, his car suddenly went from 65 miles per hour to 45 miles per hour. He got off at the closest exit and found an auto mechanic. As he waited in the lobby, he thought about whether he could get away with just taking back roads home as a way to deal with his inability to drive faster, but it turns out, that wouldn't be the case.
The mechanic asked him if wanted to finish his trip and got him back on the road.
"I just lucked out," Pattison said. "I was only delayed two hours."
Altogether, it took the 73-year old man 12 hours to arrive, he said. Instead of watching the parade, he got stuck behind it. He still enjoyed hearing about it from the kids who attended when he finally got to his hotel room.
Pattison watched the Little League World Series on TV for years. In 2018, he decided to look up just how far Williamsport was from him. It was under seven hours.
"'I can freaking drive that,'" he said, remembering that moment.
The next year, he followed through with that remark, coming with his daughter, Paige. She wanted to join to see Maddy Freking, a player with the 2019 Midwest team.
While COVID stopped him from attending the Little League World Series the next year, this is his fourth visit and third consecutive year. He is even joined by other Massachusetts residents this year as they cheer for the New England team from Bridgewater,
Massachusetts, which is a little over an hour away from Salem.
But Pattison is just here for the love of the sport, not for any particular team.
He described his routine as getting up on the days he's here, having breakfast at his hotel, going over to the stadium to watch four games, then trying to get back to his hotel quickly so he can swim a few laps in the outdoor pool before it closes.
"I don't want to be anywhere else other than here," Pattison said.
That first year with his daughter, they brought regular chairs to watch the games but quickly learned how challenging it can be to stay upright when seated on Lamade Hill. Determined not to repeat that, he watched a YouTube video about how to properly cut the legs for the best angle.
Pattison said the reason he sits on the hill instead of the stadium seating is so he can watch the international games at Volunteer Stadium without having to leave early to find a spot back at Lamade Stadium for the next game.
He has been following the teams in South Williamsport since they were playing regionals.
"I love watching the regional games," he said.
The last three years, Pattison has come to the Little League World Series alone. His wife works at a hospital and is unable to join him. He tells his friends his plans and invites them to come, but it never works out.
"I look around at people my age or younger, I am so freaking lucky to be able to drive back and forth and walk back and forth," Pattison said.
When he watches the games, he chats to his neighbors. This year, he sat with a couple from Connecticut with whom he spoke last year.
"I love meeting people from all around the world," Pattison said. In particular, he enjoys just listening to Australians speak.
One of the things Pattison has found at the Little League World Series is "genuine kindness," he said.
"It's a magical place," Pattison said. "It has marvelous vibes."