Former Giants quarterback Eli Manning throws the first pitch at Yankee Stadium
Former Super Bowl champion and Giants quarterback Eli Manning throws the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, August 4, 2024.
CHICAGO – Mark Leiter Jr. grew up in Toms River, New Jersey, where baseball can be played at a professional level, and looks back wistfully on his time in Little League.
Before the talent really takes off and the better players are taken to travel baseball, “I think the emphasis needs to be on Little League and what it means to the community,” the Yankees relief pitcher told The Record/NorthJersey.com.
“At this age (before puberty) it’s important to get everyone involved,” says Leiter Jr. “That’s how we develop our game.”
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And that’s why the Yankees are in Williamsport, Pennsylvania this weekend for Major League Baseball’s annual Little League World Series game, playing the Detroit Tigers on Sunday night.
In anticipation of this event, here are some Little League memories from the current Yankees:
Gerrit Cole, California
Like many future major league pitchers, the Yankees star was a fearsome hitter as a child.
At times, “I was treated a little bit like (Aaron) Judge,” Cole told The Record/NorthJersey.com, recalling a key championship playoff game in the Newport Beach, California, area when he was 12 years old.
At a crucial moment, “they were going to run me on purpose, so it was 3-and-0 and I struck out,” Cole said. “At 3-and-1, I struck out again and my dad (an assistant coach) was furious.”
At this point, the opposing team decided to throw to young Cole, who hit a game-winning home run.
Until he was 13, Cole played primarily as a catcher, then moved to third base and finally to the outfield in high school.
When asked if he was always the best player on his Little League teams, Cole said, “I probably had the best throwing arm, which is why I was catching so much.”
Juan Soto, Dominican Republic
“The Little League scene was big when I was a kid,” said Soto, who grew up in Santo Domingo.
“I grew up on a really good team with really good guys – it was a great experience for me,” Soto told The Record/NorthJersey.com.
The Yankees’ batter was Gerrit Cole on his team of 11- and 12-year-olds.
“I didn’t play much in the outfield, but I was a really good pitcher,” said Soto, whose 11-year-old team won regionally, “but we couldn’t travel to play in the Caribbean Series.”
“Last year we won everything, went to the Caribbean Series and lost in the semifinals.”
Mark Leiter Jr., New Jersey
Leiter Jr., the son and nephew of major league pitchers, wasn’t always on the mound.
“I played shortstop and caught. I enjoyed catching,” said Leiter Jr., whose youth teams produced several players who made it to the professional game.
“We had dreamed of going to Williamsport,” he said. But when he was 12, a local dispute led the Central Little League to split the championship team that Leiter Jr. had played for at ages 10 and 11.
“They split our team in half, made us play each other and none of us made it past the first round,” Leiter Jr. said. “Pretty devastating.”
Anthony Volpe, New Jersey
The Yankees shortstop spent much of his youth in Manhattan and never actually played in an organized, official Little League.
“But my little sister did,” she played with and against boys, “and we always went to watch her (in Watchung),” Volpe told The Record/NorthJersey.com. “She pitched, she did everything.”
“A lot of my memories of Little League are being her big brother and supporting her.”
Later, some of Volpe’s teammates from Pennsylvania came to Williamsport and he went to support them.
“They lost the championship game,” Volpe said. “But it was a lot of fun to be there.”
Alex Verdugo, Arizona
One of the coaches who had a big influence on young Verdugo was in Little League, where he hosted barbecues and organized events.
“One year he surprised all the kids with new Easton composite bats – they had just come out,” Verdugo told The Record/NorthJersey.com. “That was one of the cooler memories for me.”
Verdugo grew up in the Tucson area and also remembers a road trip where he and his teammates built a Wiffleball field nearby.
“We all enjoyed it – we had a lot of fun,” said Verdugo.
