JODIE VALADE
PLAIN DEALER REPORTER

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Matt Keen started hearing the stories soon after he began swinging a bat. He heard the sweet recollections of his father, Randy, whose greatest childhood moment was when he made the trip to the Mecca of youth baseball, the Little League World Series.

Father to son, the stories of Williamsport have been passed down in the Keen family with a kind of reverence that is an indication of where baseball stands among Tallmadge's priorities.

Randy Keen made the trip here as a player back in 1974 when he lived every Little League-playing kid's dream. He shared the time with his father, Randy Sr., who was his coach for that magical Tallmadge team that finished fourth in the tournament.

Father to son, the stories continue to be woven. Matt is the third generation of the Keen family with tales of a Little League World Series experience. All will be at Volunteer Stadium today for Tallmadge's 3 p.m. game against New England's regional qualifier.

"It kind of runs in the family," laughed Randy Sr. Every one of the Keen boys has payed baseball at the Little League level. Randy Sr. coached Little League teams for 12 years, with both his sons playing. Randy Jr. was just excited to be in the group that qualified for the World Series, where it bowed out to a team from Taiwan, the eventual tournament champion.

"I was just a bench warmer and happy to be there," Randy Jr. said. His father remembers it a little differently, calling Randy Jr. "modest."

But his most cherished memory of that World Series team is that it won a sportsmanship award.

"It isn't all life and death (in sports)," Randy Sr. said.

After his trip to Williamsport, Randy Jr. lasted just one more year in organized baseball before finding other interests in things like cars and girls. But he never lost the family passion for the sport, and soon gravitated back to Little League. He's coached for the past 14 years.

Now, he's here with Matt, the second baseman who is creating his own memories.

"It's hard to put it into words," Randy Jr. said. "It's a great time."

"He always said it was fun," Matt said. "It's a lot of fun to get to spend time with all my friends."

That's what he's always heard, father to son.