Since the opening of Howard J. Lamade Stadium in 1959, the Little League World Series has been synonymous with its current grounds in South Williamsport.
It’s become a bucket-list destination for baseball fans — especially since the opening of Volunteer Stadium in 2001, when the tournament expanded — offering a chance to watch 11- and 12-year-olds from around the world become the biggest stars in town, drawing crowds that fill up stands and the berm.
But for those who can’t make the trek to the small Western Pennsylvania town, the voices behind ESPN’s broadcast of the tournament become synonymous with the experience each August. For the last two decades, that has been Karl Ravech.
EXCLUSIVE: Cody Bellinger recalls 2007 Little League World Series trip: ‘It was so fun’
Ravech, an ESPN mainstay since 1993 and the longtime lead play-by-play voice of the network’s baseball coverage, was among the latest round of layoffs at The Worldwide Leader in Sports. So, with that said, will Ravech still be behind the microphone when this year’s tournament picks up on Wednesday and Thursday?
Here’s what to know:
Is Karl Ravech calling Little League World Series games despite ESPN layoff?
Yes, Ravech will be in the booth in Williamsport calling the Little League World Series over the next few weeks. Despite being laid off by ESPN, Ravech was given the option to call the Little League World Series — and a select number of MLB games — a person with knowledge of his status with the network told USA TODAY Sports. That person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details of his contract publicly.
Ravech himself posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Aug. 7 about ESPN’s coverage of the LLWS.
“It is my favorite time of the year. @LittleLeague baseball is back and all over the ESPN app. Check out the amazing, fun action as we work toward Williamsport and the Little League World Series beginning Wednesday, August 19th,” Ravech wrote.
How many Little League World Series has Karl Ravech called on ESPN?
According to his ESPN profile page, Ravech has called Little League World Series games since 2006. He expanded his Williamsport responsibilities in 2011 by adding the Little League World Series championship games, and he has even hosted ESPN’s Baseball Tonight from the event.
In recent years, Ravech has called the entirety of pool play in the United States bracket, as Mike Monaco has served as the play-by-play announcer for the International bracket.
“I was in center field and I looked behind me and the whole berm was filled with people. I was like, ‘This is actually crazy,'” New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger recently told USA TODAY Sports about what it was like to play in the 2007 Little League World Series.
“And then later that night we ended up going on the ESPN Baseball Tonight set and had a microphone on my face. The whole thing was just wild.”
Was Karl Ravech laid off at ESPN?
Yes, Ravech was let go by ESPN on Tuesday, July 21, as part of the network’s round of layoffs, two people close to the situation confirmed to USA TODAY on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on personnel decisions.
On the July 21st episode of his Foul Territory Network podcast “Dirt From The Dugout” with Justin Musil, Ravech acknowledged the layoffs at ESPN but deflected speaking on the subject overall.
“There is a lot going on with ESPN. We’re well aware of it. We’re not going to discuss that tonight.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Karl Ravech calling Little League World Series games amid ESPN layoffs?
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