ESPN has tapped Pixar and Marvel characters in sundry bids to create new ways for viewers to watch their favorite games. Now the sports-media giant will investigate the use of a different kind of character.
While the ninth annual MLB Little League Classic airs August 23 on ESPN, ESPN2 will feature an “alumni alt-cast” of the event featuring a commentary team with personal connections to Little League Baseball.Mike Monaco will handle play-by-play alongside analysts Todd Frazier and Devon Travis, with the trio calling the game on-site in Williamsport, Pa.
During the telecast, the Milwaukee Brewers will take on the Atlanta Braves at historic Bowman Field, with a spotlight placed on the connections between Major League Baseball players and Little League players from around the world who are gathering for the Little League World Series. Karl Ravech, analyst Eduardo Pérez and reporter Buster Olney will provide commentary on ESPN.
“The Little League Classic AlumniCast is a celebration of everything that makes Little League so special. It brings together the alumni who once dreamed on the fields of Williamsport, including former LLWS stars and players who have experienced the Little League Classic firsthand,” says Scott Gustafson, coordinating producer for ESPN, in comments shared via email. “It’s a chance to relive those memories, share the stories behind the game, and celebrate the lasting connection that Little League creates across generations. No matter how far these players have gone in baseball, they all share the same starting point — Little League.”
ESPN has over the years created a wide array of so-called “alt-casts” that aim to make NFL games, NHL matches and NBA contests of new interest to younger viewers and families. The company has enlisted Disney properties ranging from the animated cast of “Toy Story” to the cartoon stars of “Big City Greens” in its quest to woo new viewers to some of sports’ most venerated sessions. In 2019, ESPN tried out a “kidscast” of the Little League World Series, with teenagers working play-by-play and sideline roles.
Monaco, Frazier and Travis will be joined by special guests during the new alt-cast, who will share memories from their own Little League experiences. Former Major League pitcher Lance Lynn and ESPN hockey analyst and former NHL player Ray Ferraro, both of whom played in Williamsport, are among the guests scheduled to join.
Frazier played for Toms River East American Little League in New Jersey, and helped lead his team to the 1998 Little League Baseball World Series championship before playing 11 seasons in Major League Baseball. Travis also competed in the Little League Baseball World Series before reaching the Major Leagues.
Before game day arrives, reporters from ESPN.com will ask current Major League players to share the best advice they received during their own Little League days, along with the advice they would give to kids playing baseball today.
ESPN once again serves as the exclusive television home of the Little League World Series, which airs sbetween August 19 and August 30.