Sliding down that hill: J-Rod, Mets stars renew Little League Classic tradition

Ahead of tonight’s Little League Classic in Williamsport between the Mets and Mariners, several players from each team renewed a ritual that has become a staple of this event.

Seattle superstar Julio Rodríguez drew quite the crowd of young fans while he went down the famous hill at Williamsport’s Lamade Stadium, and some of his teammates followed suit.

Not to be outdone, New York had a handful of players participate in this activity, with Brandon Nimmo, Brett Baty, Jeff McNeil, Sean Manaea and Tyrone Taylor all showing up as Mets representatives.

This has become something of a tradition at the Little League Classic. In last year’s event between the Yankees and Tigers, New York’s Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells slid down the hill with Little Leaguers, while Detroit reliever Will Vest was one of several Tigers to participate in the journey to the bottom of the hill.

In the 2023 version of this event, the Nationals’ CJ Abrams, Jeter Downs and Josiah Gray all took part in sliding down the hill with Little Leaguers.

This, in essence, is what this event is all about: the connection between MLB stars and Little League players who can dream big and hope to one day make their way to the Major Leagues.