Bryce Harper told the kids from suburban Philadelphia who had been eliminated from the Little League World Series that they should use the experience in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, as a stepping stone toward something great.
Hours later, after Harper went zero for three and the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies dropped two of three to the Washington Nationals, the slugger might want to take his own advice.
Trevor Williams tossed two-hit ball over six shutout innings and led the Nationals to a 4-3 win over the Phillies on Sunday night in front of hundreds of the best Little League World Series players from around the world.
Photo: AFP
Little Leaguers from 20 teams — from Taiwan to Nevada to Venezuela — helped fill Historic Bowman Field, many of the kids using dugout tops as makeshift coasters for Gatorade bottles, hot dogs and other favorite ballpark snacks.
Some lucky ones even got to chew the fat at the sixth MLB Little League Classic with big leaguers such as Harper and Washington’s Joey Meneses.
Meneses, out of Culiacan, Mexico, advised the Mexican Little Leaguers to “stay calm” in the spotlight. Harper tried to cheer up the Media Little League team from suburban Philadelphia, and fist-bumped some players after the team lost Sunday.
Photo: AFP
“It’s a stepping stone to being great,” Harper told the kids. “That’s what you kids are all going to be, is great.”
If they needed to take notes, grab a pencil.
OK, how about a bat such as the one used by Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott that was painted to resemble a No. 2 pencil? Yes, the end of the barrel was decorated as an eraser. Harper used one with the Phanatic, the Phillies mascot, on the bat.
While the Phanatic may easily be the most recognizable — let’s say, celebrity? — in Philadelphia, ESPN announcer David Cone confused the creature with SpongeBob during the broadcast.
The Little Leaguers were treated like stars. They tossed T-shirts from atop the dugout to fans, mingled with players during the game, got interviewed on television and kept the soda vendors hustling.
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