“It’s been a long day, but well worth it,” said Frazier, who hadn’t been back to Williamsport since 1999. “That’s crazy, because I remember when I was sitting in that dugout.”įrazier, who sparked a four-run second with a leadoff single, helped Toms River, New Jersey, win the 1998 title when he led off the game with a home run and struck out the final batter.

“Pretty surreal because I walked into the dugout and they were getting ready to play a game and one of them was like, ‘Whoa, that’s Scott Kingery!’” said the rookie infielder, who doubled in the fifth. Players and families from the 16 teams competing in the nearby LLWS packed into 2,500-seat Bowman Field, the 92-year-old home of the Phillies’ Class A affiliate in the New York-Penn League.Īnd the spotlight shined on New York’s Todd Frazier and Michael Conforto and Philadelphia’s Scott Kingery, who are among 54 players who reached the majors after playing in the LLWS.

“It’s something I experienced for the first time since I was in Little League.” “I thought the handshaking gesture was huge,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. “They were having a great time.”Ĭarlos Santana hit a two-run homer for the Phillies, but Nick Pivetta (7-10) allowed six runs in 3 2/3 innings in Philadelphia’s seventh loss in 11 games.Īfter the final out, players lined up across the diamond for a postgame tradition for kids that’s never seen in the majors. “I had some cool interactions with the kids,” Vargas said of his in-game dialogue. Philadelphia dropped into a three-way tie for the top NL wild card. Jeff McNeil added a two-run single to back Vargas (3-8) as the Mets claimed the second Little League Classic and prevented the Phillies from moving into first place in the NL East.

Alfred delia baseball