The Cardinals and Pirates Shook Hands After MLB Little League Classic
By Kyle Koster
The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-3, Sunday at the MLB Little League Classic played in Williamsport, Pa. After the final out was recorded, the two teams lined up and shook heads in an homage to the sportsmanship encouraged (and required) in Little League.
Handshake line. Awesome. #Pirates #STLCards pic.twitter.com/iBYbwomHU4
— Anthony Castrovince (@castrovince) August 21, 2017
"Good game, good game, good game ... " #MLBLittleLeagueClassic pic.twitter.com/7ZiwFo7aWj
— Play Ball (@PlayBall) August 21, 2017
Members of both teams had taken in a LLWS series game across town earlier in the day, where they met with players, signed autographs, and acted like kids again. MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez published a thorough documentation of the special day and it’s sure to soften even the most cynical heart.
The event went off without a hitch and restored Bowman Park shined brightly. Major League Baseball will surely explore turning this into an annual thing. It’s easy to see it becoming a Bucket List item for Little League players and their families.
There’s no secret MLB takes its fair share of lumps for not marketing the game to younger fans so there should be credit given when due. Yesterday was fantastic. The upcoming players weekend — full of wacky jerseys and nickname plates — should be a huge hit with the kids as well.