Away from the hustle and bustle of a different big cities every week, the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners are instead greeted from the airport by a slew of Little League World Series players to introduce them to the World Series and Williamsport.

The first interaction sets the tone. This is a much different game then they are used to.

“It was pretty cool,” said New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. “The moment we got out of the plane, you’ve got the kids waiting for you. Especially for me (it was cool because) we got teams from Venezuela that are waiting and we happen to get on the same bus as them.”

Mendoza offers a unique perspective coming into Williamsport. Born in Venezuela, the Mets’ second year manager hails from the same hometown of the Latin American Regional champions who come to South Williamsport from Cardenales Little League in Barquisimento.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza talks in the dugout before the Little League Classic against the Seattle Mariners at Bowman Field in Williamsport on Sunday.

“I didn’t even know until we took off from New York that the team from Venezuela was from my hometown,” chuckled Mendoza. “So it was pretty cool to talk to some of the coaches, some of the kids. Asking what part of town they were from and sharing my experiences.”

From the airport, both Major League teams take a bus down to the Little League World Series Complex. There, the teams can interact with players and watch the action during an earlier slate of the event to accommodate the journey.

“Once we got to the field, (we looked) around and saw so many kids. It brings back so many memories when you were that age, you know? It was pretty cool,” Mendoza said.

The traverse to the Little League Complex is not the first for Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson. As a kid, Wilson was a part of a Barrington, Illinois Little League team that clinched a spot in the Little League World Series, reaching all the way to the semifinals before dropping to Tampa, Florida, 11-10.

Back in the area, an emotional Wilson was candid about his return from 1981.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza talks in the dugout before the Little League Classic against the Seattle Mariners at Bowman Field in Williamsport on Sunday.

“I think for me, going back there, seeing it again from a different vantage point, the first thing that hits you is the excitement,” echoed Wilson. “We went into a game right away to watch Great Lakes versus the West. (Great Lakes) happened to be a team from the Chicago area, so there are a lot of parallels there.”

Traversing through the complex on Sunday, one could compare the cascading amount of fans to the Beatlemania craze of the 1960s. Even still, players still had the opportunity to interact with Little League players, sign autographs and even take turns sliding down the infamous mudslide with whatever cardboard they can find, maybe to the slight chagrin of their managers.

“Just don’t get hurt,” said Mendoza on the slide. “At the same time, they are being who they are, you know? And just having fun with the kids, interacting with them, and just going through the whole experience.”

All of the Little League teams on the day would match the excitement of the kids meeting Major League players. A dichotomy of events, the morning fixtures saw Canada advance in the lower bracket with a 12-0 throttle against Panama, while Washington held on to defeat Massachusetts in a 3-2 thriller at Lamade Field.

Mexico beat Panama, 2-1, in an exciting game at Volunteer and Hawaii cruised past Illinois, 9-1, at Lamade.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza talks in the dugout before the Little League Classic against the Seattle Mariners at Bowman Field in Williamsport on Sunday.