Two years ago, organizers of Washington’s Pony League World Series questioned whether hosting an international youth baseball tournament was worth the effort.

Today, organizers are confident its future is bright.

“We got a real clear picture last year what it meant to the community,” said Bob Gregg, who has served as World Series chairman for 30 years. Last year’s championship game drew 2,600 fans, the most since 1998, he said.

The 63rd annual tournament started on Friday at Lew Hays Pony Field featuring Washington, Johnstown and eight other teams from around the country and world. A champion will be crowned on Wednesday.

All but 11 Pony League World Series tournaments have been held in Washington, where the league for 13- and 14-year-old players started in 1951.

Gregg, 54, remembers watching his first Pony League World Series in 1969. Then 9, he sat in the stands munching on a snow cone and watched a team from Honolulu win the championship.

In 2012, however, organizers considered whether there was enough interest to justify the volunteer-driven effort. A German team pulled out midway through the tournament, and days of rain dampened attendance.

“It really was a gut-punch,” said Gregg, who is sports director of Washington’s WJPA radio station, which broadcasts the games.

The tournament lost $30,000 — about a third of what it cost to host it, he said. “But we knew if this thing went away, it would be hard to get back,” Gregg said.

Last year, sponsors donated enough money to cover the $95,000 in expenses before the first pitch was thrown, and profits from concessions, souvenirs and ticket sales replenished the group’s reserves, Gregg said.

The rebound reinvigorated the tournament’s organizers — they’ve added entertainment, fireworks and a regional marketing campaign that grew this year’s budget to more than $130,000.

“We recognize the significance of this tournament and the uniqueness of this event,” said J.R. Shaw, executive vice president of tourism for the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, which provided organizers with a $25,000 tourism marketing grant. “It brings athletes from around the world to Washington every year.”

The World Series draws 20,000 to 35,000 fans each year — with attendance impacted not only by weather but by how well the host team does, Gregg said. Washington last made the championship game in 1998. The only time it won the championship was in 1955.

The tournament accounts for about $1.5 million of the approximately $750 million visitors spend each year in Washington County, Shaw said.

By comparison, the Little League World Series contributes about $30 million a year to the Williamsport economy, studies show.

“We think we have a better product, but it just hasn’t gotten the attention,” Gregg said. “I don’t begrudge them of what they’ve got. We’re just trying to grow this bigger than what it is.”

Jason Cato is a Trib Total Media staff writer. Reach him at 412-320-7936 or jcato@tribweb.com.

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