College Among Sponsors at Unveiling of LLB's 'Diamond' Anniversary Gift

Published 08.22.2014

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Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour, chair of the Little League International Board of Directors, stands at "home base" for the group that sponsored the catcher statue, joined by Lycoming College President Kent C. Trachte (left foreground); state Sen. Gene Yaw (to Gilmour's left), chairman of the Penn College Board of Directors, who unveiled the sculpture; and Williamsport All-Star Little Leaguers. A plaque denoting the colleges' sponsorship adorns the backstop.The northeast corner of Market Square – third base in the ballfield layout, from which this photo was taken – is but one landmark in the sprawling commemorative project.Before the unveiling, the two colleges' mascots and presidents gather for a group photo.Co-sponsored by Penn College, the catcher is one of 10 life-sized bronze statues created by Utah artist Matt Glenn for the "Bases Loaded" project.Rounding out the Penn College squad is Wildcat second baseman Jeremy D. Rall, a business administration: management concentration major from Williamsport, who played in the Original Little League eight years ago.In celebration of Little League Baseball's 75th anniversary and coinciding with championship weekend of this year's Little League World Series just across the river, downtown Williamsport was the site of a very special dedication Friday afternoon. Officially marking the city as LLB's birthplace, the Lycoming County Visitors Bureau and supportive friends unveiled "Bases Loaded," a spacious recreation of a baseball diamond at Market and West Third streets. Penn College and Lycoming College co-sponsored the catcher in the lineup, one of 10 bronze statues that represent those who have participated in Little League (including softball and the Challenger Division) over the years – ethnically varied players of both genders, in uniforms old and new, along with an umpire to represent the thousands of volunteers at the heart of the organization. The only statue that depicts a specific person is that of the manager, Carl E. Stotz, who founded LLB in 1939 and whose name is on the bridge that connects Williamsport to the latter-day South Williamsport home of the Series.