On the day that was scheduled to be the fourth annual MLB Little League Classic, ESPN will celebrate the tradition of the Little League World Series on Sunday, August 23, with more than seven hours of programming.
The celebration will lead into ESPN’s two Major League Baseball game telecasts this Sunday.
The day will begin at 7 a.m. ET with back-to-back encore presentations of 2019 Little League Baseball World Series Championship games, first with the 2019 International Championship Game, during which Curaçao beat Japan by just one run.
The 2019 United States Championship Game, which saw Eastbank, La., outlast a late rally by Central East Maui, Hi., follows at 9:30 a.m.
Little Big Men, the 30 for 30 documentary about the Kirkland, Wa., Little League Baseball World Series Championship team, airs at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN. The documentary looks back at the 1982 team that, during a tumultuous time in America, fought for the first United States Little League Baseball World Series Championship in over a decade.
The ESPN Films documentary, World Beaters, airs at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN. The film tells the story of the undefeated team from Maine-Endwell, N.Y., which completed a perfect season by defeating Seoul, South Korea, to break Asia’s streak of four straight Little League Baseball World Series titles and become the smallest community ever to win the Series.
Little League World Series: Championship Rewind, hosted by Karl Ravech, follows at 1:30 p.m. The 90-minute special will celebrate the last five United States Little League Baseball Championship Games. Ravech, who has been the voice of the Little League World Series since 2011, will look back at key highlights of each the game and the final three outs of each.
Baseball Tonight Presented by Chevrolet begins at 3 p.m., preceding the MLB doubleheader on ESPN.
The team of John Brickley, World Series Champion and analyst Mark Teixeira, analyst Tim Kurkjian, Olympic Gold Medalist and analyst Jessica Mendoza and Senior MLB Insider Jeff Passan will review the news of the day and the best of the last three MLB Little League Classic games.
The evening doubleheader begins at 4 p.m. with the San Diego Padres and Fernando Tatis Jr. hosting the Houston Astros and Jose Altuve. Ravech will provide play-by-play commentary alongside analysts Eduardo Perez and Rick Sutcliffe. Little League President and CEO Stephen D. Keener will join Ravech, Perez and Sutcliffe during the game.
The day culminates with Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Taco Bell at 7 p.m. on ESPN as the Philadelphia Phillies and Bryce Harper visit the Atlanta Braves and Dansby Swanson.
Matt Vasgersian, World Series Champion and analyst Alex Rodriguez and Buster Olney will provide commentary. Jon “Boog” Sciambi and Chris Singleton will describe the action on ESPN Radio’s national Sunday Night Baseball broadcast.