Pirates, Cubs to meet in 2019 Little League Classic

The Pittsburgh Pirates will play the Chicago Cubs in the 2019 Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement Sunday during ESPN's telecast of the 2018 edition of the game, played by the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies.

Manfred said the Little League Classic "has been a fun summer highlight for baseball the past two years.''

The 2019 game will take place on Aug. 18, 2019, at Bowman Field, according to Manfred. The league did not disclose whether the Cubs or Pirates would serve as the home team.

Bowman Field, home of the Phillies' team in the Class A New York-Penn League, is about five miles from the site of the Little League World Series. It's the second-oldest minor league ballpark in the U.S.

The first Little League Classic was held in 2017, when the Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.