The Little League World Series occupies a unique place in the baseball ecosystem. Far more international than MLB, but more American than the World Baseball Classic, it represents the perfect marriage of baseball’s roles as a domestic and international pastime.

Of course, baseball is also the country’s most famous sporting event that 10- to 12-year-olds participate in. Because of the young age of the participants, it has an air of innocence – a reminder that baseball is essentially a child’s game.

With 20 towns from around the world participating in the 2024 event starting Wednesday, let’s get to know the towns whose youth will gather this year in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

CITY: Hinsdale

CONDITION: Illinois

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: An upscale western suburb of Chicago with historic character.

Notable locals: Well-traveled former catcher Kevin Plawecki was born there, although he grew up in Indiana.

CITY: Staten Island

CONDITION: new York

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: The brazen black sheep of New York’s five boroughs.

Notable locals: Let’s start with early designated hitter Terry Crowley, a three-time World Series champion as a player (1971 and 1975) and coach (1991).

CITY: New City

CONDITION: Pennsylvania

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: Small town in the greater Philadelphia area, founded by William Penn.

Notable locals: Newtown is still looking for its first MLB player, so the choice falls on podcasting magnate Alex Cooper.

CITY: Sioux Falls

CONDITION: South Dakota

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: Largest city in South Dakota.

Notable locals: Former traveling pitcher Terry Forster won the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981.

CITY: Henderson

CONDITION: Nevada

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: Sprawling Las Vegas suburb founded in 1941, just six years before the actual Little League World Series.

Notable locals: Joey Gallo, first baseman for the Washington Nationals, which is fitting given Nevada’s all-or-nothing mentality.

CITY: Salem

CONDITION: New Hampshire

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: About as far south as you can get in New Hampshire without being in Massachusetts.

Notable locals: Salem gave the wider world of sports the Olympic champion in women’s ice hockey, Katie King-Crowley (Duffy Lewis, a solid early outfielder for the Boston Red Sox, died (in Salem).

CITY: Puyallup

CONDITION: Washington

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: Medium-sized city, known as the host of the Washington State Fair.

Notable locals: Recently activated Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen is from Puyallup.

CITY: Lake Mary

CONDITION: Florida

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: Small suburb of Orlando that was granted city status in 1973.

Notable locals: Nashville Actor Aubrey Peeples.

CITY: Boerne

CONDITION: Texas

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: City in the Texas Hill Country known for its German heritage.

Notable locals: Matthew O. Williams, recipient of the Medal of Honor.

CITY: Wailuku

CONDITION: Hawaii

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: County seat of Maui with historical sites from the time before and after American colonization.

Notable locals: Who else but two-time All-Star outfielder Shane Victorino, the Flyin’ Hawaiian himself?

CITY: Taoyuan

COUNTRY: Taiwan

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: Huge, fast-growing, business-friendly metropolis with two million inhabitants.

Notable locals: Golf fans will recognize Yani Tseng, a five-time major winner.

CITY: Sydney

COUNTRY: Australia

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: The cultural centre of the country Down Under and host of the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Notable locals: Former relief pitcher Grant Balfour, who played for the Oakland Athletics in 2013, became Sydney’s first All-Star at age 35.

CITY: Surrey

COUNTRY: Canada

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: A huge suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia’s second largest city.

Notable locals: Former MLB player Adam Loewen, who rose from pitcher to outfielder and back again in an eventful career (he also played in the 1996 Little League World Series).

CITY: Santa Cruz

COUNTRY: Aruba

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: Picturesque town near the huge Arikok National Park, part of the Netherlands.

Notable locals: Former pitcher Calvin Maduro, one of six Aruba-born players in MLB history.

CITY: Santa Clara

COUNTRY: Cuba

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: Large city in the central part of Cuba and scene of the last battle of the Cuban Revolution.

Notable locals: The late Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez.

CITY: Brno

COUNTRY: Czech Republic

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: The second most important Czech city after Prague – an important centre for culture, education and sport.

Notable locals: Pavel Zacha, center of the Boston Bruins, is one of the few NHL players from the city.

CITY: Tokyo

COUNTRY: Japan

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: One of the greatest cities in the world and an important cog in the history of sports in general and baseball in particular.

Notable locals: Former Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, the first player to win the World Series and the World Baseball Classic.

CITY: Barquisimeto

COUNTRY: Venezuela

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: Even by Spanish colonial standards, an old city (founded in 1552) in the north of Venezuela.

Notable locals: That would be Cleveland Guardians second baseman and glove maestro Andres Gimenez, one of two All-Stars from the city (the other is infielder Cesar Izturis, another Gold Glover).

CITY: Matamoros

COUNTRY: Mexico

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: It is as close to the United States as one can get without actually being there, across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, Texas.

Notable locals: Pitcher Horacio Pina, 1973 World Series winner with the Athletics, is the only MLB player from the city.

CITY: Guayama

COUNTRY: Puerto Rico

SUMMARY IN ONE SENTENCE: Sports-loving city on the south coast of the island state.

Notable locals: Eddie Rosario, Atlanta Braves outfielder and 2021 postseason hero.