Maybe Little League Classic win is just what Braves needed

WILLIAMSPORT, PA. – The Braves spent their afternoon with Little League baseball players, sliding down hills and laughing alongside children who will remember Sunday for the rest of their lives.

These Braves players were once those kids. Not necessarily as little leaguers, but as bright-eyed youths fantasizing about one day wearing a big-league uniform, competing in major league stadiums and making their living by playing this children’s game as adults.

“It’s a reminder for the big leaguers why they started playing the game,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s easy to forget when you do this for a living. The stakes are high, the pressure is high. It’s a good reminder why you started to play the game. I think (Sunday) was a perfect example of that. It’s a great event that Major League Baseball puts on.”

Perhaps a little carefree time was just what these Braves, in a bit of a rut during this busy road trip, needed. They defeated the Brewers 4-2 in the franchise’s first appearance in the Little League Classic.

They surely felt happy and relieved about this one on the flight home, winning one of MLB’s signature special events. It was even the same score that won them their last marquee event, last summer’s MLB Speedway Classic.

But this was a much different environment. The Speedway Classic set a record with over 90,000 attendees. This affair had just over 2,300. There’s not a more intimate scene in the sport.

“These kids got to see us in such close quarters, something not a lot of people get to do,” Braves starter Tyler Mahle said. “I’m happy for them because I know that was something special. I would’ve loved to have done that when I was a kid, so that was cool.”

For many of the little leaguers, this was their first opportunity to meet and interact with professional baseball players. The Braves organizationally are known for their community efforts, particularly with kids, but this is a unique chance rarely provided to any franchise.

Braves players visited Lamade Stadium for around 90 minutes earlier Sunday afternoon to visit with the young players. The Braves signed autographs, took pictures, practiced with them and even slid down a hill on cardboard boxes. Outfielder Brewer Hicklen, added as the 27th man for the special game, drew wide laughter as he tried to entertain by sliding down the hill (it took him three tries to pull it off).

One of the most heartwarming parts of the day was Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies, a Curaçao native, visiting with the Curaçaoan team. It made Albies emotional to the point he said he had tears in his eyes. He was once a child idolizing Hall of Fame Curaçaoan Andruw Jones. Now, Albies is the Jones for today’s Curaçao youth.

“I was five years old when I met (Jones),” Albies said. “It was super special to me. So I’ll do anything on my side for these kids to have the answers they need. They asked a ton of questions. ... I’ll just do whatever it takes to help them keep believing in themselves.”

MLB has hosted the Little League Classic annually since 2017. This was Braves designated hitter Dominic Smith’s third time in the event.

“The kids are what it’s about,” Smith said. “We all got bombarded and couldn’t walk anyway. That’s a memory I’m sure all the guys will take away. We explored it, went down the hill and took it all in. We were all kids who wanted to experience that as a kid. To be able to do that, we appreciated it and it was neat to see how unique it is.”