Little League City Championship Returns to Peter Kirk Park on Wednesday

For the first time in perhaps decades, the Kirkland City Championship Little League baseball game will be contested in the heart of town, Wednesday on Peter Kirk Park's Lee Johnson Field, starting at 5:30 p.m.

The title game, traditionally played at either or parks, will pit the top majors fastball teams from the formerly rival Kirkland American Little League and the Kirkland National Little League.

"This is really cool," said John Rudolph, KALL president.  "This will be the first time in years we've had a city championship game at Lee Johnson, on the big field. We're expecting 1,000 people plus."

The two leagues, with American fielding players from Kirkland proper and National fielding players from northern neighborhoods, including those recently annexed, have often been rivals and somewhat at odds.

But Rudolph said the two have entered a period of cooperation in recent years, and with Little League in Kirkland celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, it was decided to bring the city championship back to the downtown area.

"We all belong to Kirkland now with annexation and we all want to join together in Kirkland," he said. 

After the game, both leagues will announces boys and girls All-Star teams, kicking off a series of playoffs for the right to move on to state and possibly national competition.