A.J. Perez

USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates will play in the first "MLB Little League Classic" in August, although they won't forgo wooden bats, 90-foot bases or abide by age/residency restrictions.

Major League Baseball announced Thursday that a special regular season game will be played at BB&T Ballpark in Williamsport, Pa. on Aug. 20, near the longtime home of the Little League World Series.

Formerly known as Bowman Field, BB&T Ballpark opened in 1926 and is the second-oldest minor league ballpark in the U.S. It’s the home of the Class A Williamsport Crosscutters of the NY-Penn League.

Originally scheduled to be played at PNC Park, the Pirates are giving up a home game to play about 200 miles away from Pittsburgh.

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The game will begin at 7 p.m. ET, an hour earlier than most ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts.

“Major League Baseball’s greatest responsibility is to ensure that today’s youth become active participants in our game as players and fans. The ‘MLB Little League Classic’ exemplifies our entire sport’s commitment to building a stronger connection between young people and the National Pastime," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.

"Our players will honor the great tradition of the Little League World Series and create lifelong memories for the Little Leaguers, their families and the city of Williamsport. I thank the Pirates and the Cardinals, Little League Baseball, Governor Wolf, the Crosscutters, the City of Williamsport, and ESPN for helping us organize an unforgettable weekend.”

ESPN’s regular Sunday night crew – Dan Shulman, Aaron Boone, Jessica Mendoza and Tim Kurkjian – will call the game

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