DAVE KENNEDY/FOR THE EXPRESS (from left): Hudson, Fletcher and Spencer Dobb of Australia talk about their excitement about playing in the Little League World Series at the players’ picnic recently held at Penn College.
WILLIAMSPORT — With the founding of Little League Baseball in 1939 and the first World Series games just eight years later, you might think every possible scenario has been played out at some point over the years. But that assumption would be wrong.
Hills Little League, based in Sydney, New South Wales, is taking part in the series for the second year in a row, but when 12-year-old players Spencer, Fletcher and Hudson Dobb step onto the field, they will be making history as they become the first triplets to compete on one team in the series.
“It’s incredible. All of our coaches have sons on the team, so it’s nice to share this with them. And the journey is great,” said Adam Dobb, team manager and father of the three boys.
“I am a father of five children and these three boys are the newest addition to the family,” he explained.
“I can’t think of a prouder moment than having these three boys with us in Williamsport,” he said.
Adam has been to America seven or eight times, including with his eldest son, but said this is the first time the current team has been in the country.
“My dad and big brother played in Australia and we kind of copied that. Now we’re here to represent Australia,” Fletcher said.
According to the boys and their father, simply playing on a team with siblings often brings out the best in them.
“We are very competitive sometimes and it is fun to play with my brothers,” Fletcher said.
“Yeah, really competitive, but that helps us a lot to get better and win,” Spencer agreed.
“They’ve always loved baseball. All three of them have, so it’s been pretty easy for them to always be on the same team. And that competitive spirit between the three of them helps them help each other,” Adam said.
“When these three compete at a high level and play with the right attitude, they are a difficult group to beat. But when they struggle on the bench, things can quickly go in the opposite direction,” the coach explained.
The guys describe their feelings about performing on the world stage as a mixture of nervousness and excitement, but at the same time enjoying the experience as a whole.
“I like to watch countries like Japan so we can understand them because we have to translate,” Fletcher said, adding that teams can now use their phones to communicate across language barriers.
Getting to know so many Americans, playing with them and making new friends has been a highlight for the siblings so far, they say, but the boys have very big ambitions to fill their time in the States.
“I want to see all the places in America, like Hollywood, and meet some celebrities,” Hudson said.
“I look forward to seeing the MLB players when we get the chance and am excited to see some of their signatures,” added Fletcher.
“When our games are over, we want to visit one or two major league baseball stadiums and drive to Penn State. While we’re in town, we want to check out some of these local events,” Adam said.
For anyone who wants to achieve a goal, especially young people who are considering a possible future in Little League, the key, according to the boys, is to always believe in yourself.
“Just don’t listen to anyone and do your best,” Fletcher said.
“Just keep pursuing your dreams. If you dream of something, you will always achieve it,” Spencer said.
