Jul 21, 2016 5 min read

Each year, almost as a rite of passage, players who participate in the Pony League World Series normally get a night away to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates play at PNC Park.

This year, they will get an opportunity to participate in another function similar to what some Pirates participate in: fan fest.

Dick’s Sporting Goods at Strabane Square will host the event for players, coaches, fans and the community Thursday Aug. 4 – the day before the world series begins at Lew Hays Pony Field in Washington Park.

”We felt this could be more than just a baseball tournament,” said Bob Gregg, tournament chairman and president of World Series Tournaments Inc., at a Thursday news conference at Pony headquarters in North Franklin Township.

”We felt we could make this week full of entertainment and fun. We looked at that and decided to step up those things with the first Dick’s Sporting Goods Fan Fest. We’ll introduce all the teams and have all the uniforms. We felt there could be pieces around the tournament that makes it fun.”

Fans will be able to meet the teams, participate in interactive games, receive autographs and have their pictures taken together. The Pirate Parrot and representatives of the Pirates will be on hand and the Pirates flagship radio station will do live remote broadcasts and conduct on-air interviews. Now in its second year as one of the major sponsors of the world series, Dick’s Sporting Goods provides the team uniforms.

”Our partnerships … make it possible for this event to happen,” said Gregg. “This is the 65th anniversary of the world series, 54 of which have been held in Washington. It’s a little community making a big impact around the world.”

A number of major sponsors return this year, including the Observer-Reporter newspaper, Washington County Tourism and the city of Washington.

”It’s important (to host the world series) because not only does it bring thousands of people into Washington County to stay and to shop and share the energy with our county but it also brings international exposure to our county,” said Jeff Kotula, president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.

For the second straight year, two of the world series games will be televised on a local Pittsburgh station. WPNT will air the Aug. 6 game at 5:30 p.m. between Chinese Taipei and the winner of the game between Los Mochis, Mexico, and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The championship game, which is at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10, also will be televised.

World Series Tournament Inc., entered into a two-year agreement with Sinclair Networks Group to televise each game on the American Sports Network, which has affiliates in 22 markets including Pittsburgh, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Charleston, W.Va. There is potential to reach 60 million households.

The web streaming of world series games will be produced by Pikewood Sports, a division of Pikewood Creative and West Virginia Radio Corp., a management, marketing and media firm that operates 32 radio properties throughout West Virginia. The games will be available on MLB.com’s online and mobile platform.

Local radio broadcasts for all games can be heard on WJPA-AM 1450.

”For years, we’ve talked about how to grow this event, how we let more people know about this secret we’ve kept. One of those things is television,” said Gregg. “We had a big step in that regard the past couple years. … Last year, we took a huge step forward, partnering with Pikewood and Major League Baseball to present every game of the world series. But that’s online. We thought is there something we could do so I’m happy to announce that every game will be on the American Sports Network.”

Five teams have already qualified for the world series: Chinese Taipei, Los Mochis, Mexico, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and host Washington. Five more will be determined from the winners of North, South, East, West and Host tournaments.

”Right now, we are in Super Regional mode,” said Abe Key, president of PONY Baseball/Softball Inc. “Next week are our zone tournaments.”

The Pony World Series will again have the home run derby and fastest runner competition Friday, Aug. 5.

Washington opens its play against Padeborn, Germany, at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 6. This year, the Washington team is composed of players from Canonsburg and Washington from the newly formed Founder’s League. This is the first time in the 65-year history of the series players from outside the city are on the Washington All-Star Team.