Plaque Will Honor Little League Baseball World Series Uncles

Stephen D. Keener, President and Chief Executive Officer of Little League Baseball and Softball, is joined by Mrs. Ann Plankenhorn, the wife of Fred Plankenhorn. Mr. Plankenhorn served as an uncle for the Little League Baseball World Series for 44 years before passing away last year. Through a generous gift from Mrs. Plankenhorn, a plaque recognizing World Series “uncles” with 15 or more years of service was created to recognize the efforts of those Little League volunteers. The plaque will be located outside the office used by the ‘uncles” during the World Series, which is located in the recreation room on the upper floor of the Dining Hall in the Creighton J. Hale International Grove.

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (Aug. 19, 2011) – Team hosts, or “uncles,” have been an integral part of the success of the Little League Baseball World Series since the early 50s.

To honor the uncles, a plaque was placed today on the wall outside their World Series office in the Creighton J. Hale International Grove.  The office, used by approximately 40 volunteer uncles each year, is located in the recreation room on the upper floor of the Dining Hall in the Grove (see list  below of uncles who are recognized on plaque).

Any uncle with at least 15 years of service who is deceased will have their name put on the plaque.

The plaque was a gift from Mrs. Ann Plankenhorn, the wife of Fred Plankenhorn, who passed away last year.  Mr. Plankenhorn served as an uncle for the Little League Baseball World Series for 44 years.

Each World Series team is assigned two uncles who take on various responsibilities, from arranging uniform fittings, to getting teams to practice sites, to helping with the coordination of the many media activities.  These volunteers spend every day of the World Series with their assigned team from breakfast until well into the night, providing guidance and assistance to the players, coaches and managers.

Many of the team uncles become friends with those they assist during the Series maintaining communication for many years after returning home.

The uncles are assigned their team by a random draw at the Little League World Series luncheon each June.

Little League Baseball and Softball is the world’s largest organized youth sports program, with more than 2.5 million players and 1 million adult volunteers in every U.S. state and scores of other countries.

Uncles Recognized on the Plaque

John J. Audet

Howard Baldwin

W. Max Blair

Edward J. Claudius

Ernie J. De Pasqua

Robert E. Gingrich

Gene Gramling

Fred Habbel

Peter A. Lupacchino

Jack Peters

Fred Plankenhorn

W. Russ Swartz

Clive Waxman Jr.

William Weber