Red Sox reflect on Little League memories: 'It's how I grew up'

This story was excerpted from Ian Browne's Red Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The memories of Little League never go away. It doesn't matter if you're a Major League player or someone like me, who will never forget the thrill of being the starting third baseman for the 1984 Dodgers, in Cohasset, Mass., at 12 years old.

For people who truly love the game, Little League memories represent some of the most precious moments of life.

When the Red Sox went to Williamsport, Pa., to play the Orioles in MLB’s Little League Classic this past Sunday, those memories came flooding back in different ways.

Xander Bogaerts, Boston’s classy leader, cried when he was a kid and his squad from Aruba fell just short of a trip to Williamsport. Getting there finally as a big league ballplayer was nothing less than a thrill.

“I cried so much, because that was my dream,” said Bogaerts. “I always wanted to come to Williamsport as a kid. I had two chances, I lost against Curaçao both times. I went to the finals, lost, went to the semifinals, lost. Curaçao got me both times. It’s crazy.”

And when Bogaerts finally got to fabled Howard J. Lamade Stadium, it was only fitting that Team Curaçao was there again. But that didn’t create a sting for Bogaerts. Instead, it brought him joy to talk to the kids and families from that team.

“It was fun just being able to see everything that I dreamed about participating in as a kid,” Bogaerts said. “I had an interview in the booth with a couple of guys, and just looking down, it was an amazing view. It looks like a big league field. I played in multiple tournaments away. That grass is definitely greener. I [finally] made it in a different way, and very unexpected.”

For Red Sox manager Alex Cora, a day surrounded by Little Leaguers brought back warm memories of his father, the late Jose Manuel Cora, who founded Caguas Little League in 1969.

“It is how I grew up,” Cora said of Little League. “This is baseball at its purest. Have fun with the kids, enjoy it and turn the page.”

One of the most poignant scenes of the day came in just after Cora’s postgame press conference. As he walked in the concourse and back toward the clubhouse, Cora spotted a boy and spontaneously started playing catch with him. Then he signed something for the boy and said, “Keep having fun with your dad.”

Earlier in the day, just after the team plane landed, Cora walked on the tarmac and joyfully handed out ice-cream bars to a bunch of Little League players.

Then there was Jason Varitek, Boston’s game-planning coordinator and former World Series-winning captain. The first time Varitek ever won big was as a 12-year-old in 1984, when his team from Altamonte Springs, Fla., captured the United States Championship in Williamsport.

Talk about reliving great memories.

“Oh, yeah, especially when you look up over there where the barracks were, where the dorms were,” said Varitek. “This is pretty cool.”

All these years later, Varitek still feels fortunate to experience the stage at such a young age.

“I think it’s irreplaceable. At that point in your baseball life, there’s no higher pinnacle than getting to come to Williamsport,” Varitek said. “It wasn't as grand as it is now. It was more centralized into the final game. Only the final game was televised on national television on ABC. Now, 10 to 15 years later, ESPN 3 has got regional games, they’ve got a lot of different coverage.

“But yeah, playing on that type of stage does help. My first time signing autographs was at age 12 at Williamsport.”

It hit Varitek during the trip how meaningful it was for all the current 12-year-olds who got to meet the Red Sox and Orioles up close.

“On the [Little League World Series] telecast, they always do the ‘Who’s your favorite player?’ Well, for some of them, their favorite player is here and they got an opportunity to meet them and get an autograph,” Varitek said. “More importantly, we could go the other way and congratulate them on their opportunity to be here. It’s a pretty big feat at that age.”