Nothing calls to mind the fond feeling of summer quite like baseball. The sport has an unusual way of cheering up its fans from the first pitch to the final out, and nowhere in the sport is this splendor more prevalent than in Little League. The shrunken-down fields that house big-time passion for the game are just as revered as any of the Major League cathedrals across America.
That's precisely what made the inaugural Little League Classic a prized moment in the 2017 MLB season; in the middle of the Little League Baseball World Series, it seamlessly melded together a small-town, unbridled love for the game with the glitz and glam of the Big Leagues. In fact, the game itself, played at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pa., took a backseat to a day filled with unique interaction between Major Leaguers from the Cardinals and Pirates and the young athletes vying for the world championship on one of the sport's hallowed grounds.
Here are some of last year's Classic highlights, which set the bar high for the Mets and the Phillies, who will take part in this year's version on August 19. Both teams have strong Williamsport ties: Mets infielder Gavin Cecchini played in the 2006 LLWBS; outfielder Michael Conforto is one of just three players ever to compete in the LLWS (in 2004), the College World Series (2013) and the MLB World Series (2015); his new teammate, Todd Frazier, will return to Williamsport 20 years after his LLWS title; and the Phillies' Scott Kingery played in the 2006 LLWS with his twin brother.
Homecoming
On a day inspired by the unfiltered passion of young ballplayers, a trio of Big Leaguers took a trip down memory lane at last year's LL Classic. Lance Lynn and Randal Grichuk, then of the Cardinals, and Pirates infielder Max Moroff were honored before one of the Little League contests as former LLBWS players. Lynn pitched for the Central Region team from Indiana in 1999, while Moroff's appearance came for the Southeast representative in 2005. Grichuk starred for Lamar (Texas) Little League in both the 2003 and '04 tournaments, leading all players in hits, home runs, slugging and RBI in his second year at Williamsport.
"To be fortunate enough to play in the Little League World Series was a dream come true," Grichuk said before the game. "To do it twice was incredible. It's special to come back here and I'm glad to be a part of it."
To celebrate their success then and now, all three players were given framed jerseys from their LLWS days during an on-field ceremony before the Classic kicked off.
Child's Play
Throwing out the first pitch at a Major League game is no small task, so instead of it falling on one player's shoulders, several Little Leaguers teamed up for the ceremonial toss before the Classic began. A representative from each of the 16 LLBWS squads lined up from the center-field wall all the way through the infield to take part in a perfect relay throw to Moroff, who was waiting at home plate to conclude the ritual.
Of course, the Pirates and Cardinals ended the contest -- a 6-3 Pittsburgh win -- in a similar fashion, copying a timeless Little League tradition and joining together at home plate for a post-game handshake line. The gesture wrapped up a full day of groundbreaking excitement and inspiration around Williamsport, feelings that many Major Leaguers shared with their Little League counterparts.
"I'm a firm believer that there are far more important things than what I do on the field," Pirates second baseman Josh Harrison said. "I want to go 4-for-4 and make every defensive play, but it's also cool to take a step back and meet those kids and realize they're the future of the game we're playing today."
Chilling Out
Above all else, though, the Classic was about Little Leaguers hanging out with their Big League heroes. The Pirates and Cardinals shared a bus ride into Williamsport with a few youth teams and shared everything -- from musical tastes, to George Kontos's World Series ring, to Team Australia's inflatable kangaroo mascot (appropriately named 'Rally Roo').
Once they arrived, the pros dispersed throughout the LLBWS complex, capitalizing on their rare chance to play spectator instead of spectacle. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle made the most of his limited free time, signing autographs literally everywhere.
"I've never signed so many autographs in the men's bathroom," he said.
From Ping-Pong and arcade games in the famed "Grove," where Lynn split his frozen pop in two and shared it with a Little Leaguer, the day long chill session continued even as games went on in Lamade Stadium. Two hundred lucky Little Leaguers enjoyed a free snow cone, courtesy of Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham and pitcher Carlos Martinez.
The snow cones and dance parties arose from the love of the game that every Big Leaguer, Little Leaguer, parent, coach, umpire and fan shared that day. It was baseball, a truly universal language, that pushed this idea from the start, and it was baseball that made it such a successful occasion. "It was almost like fireworks," Hurdle said. "Things kept happening -- things that made you smile, things that made you happy you were here, appreciative you had the opportunity to be a part of something that was happening for the first time ever."
Adam Berry, Anthony Castrovince and Jesse Sanchez contributed to this report.