The Blue Jays had a little bit of throwback fun after being announced as one of the teams competing in next year’s Little League Classic game.
Major League Baseball announced that the Jays will take on the Chicago Cubs in the 2027 edition of the annual game that takes place in Williamsport, Pa., the home of the Little League World Series.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred shared the news during Sunday night’s broadcast from this year’s matchup, which featured the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers.
Next year’s Little League Classic will be the 10th time the Classic has taken place since 2017, with 2020 being the only year that it wasn’t held, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The game has become an annual fan favourite, especially for the LLWS players and their families in attendance, with MLB stars often signing autographs and mingling with the youngsters.
What did Blue Jays post on social media?
To mark the big news, the Blue Jays shared several photos of their current stars from their baseball experiences growing up.
Among the throwback snapshots were Vladimir Guerrero Jr. standing by his dad’s side in full Montreal Expos gear, Ernie Clement rounding the bases and a pint-sized Louis Varland holding a T-ball bat.
Fans joked that Trey Yesavage’s childhood photo “was taken about six months ago,” while another replied that George Springer was playing for the Connecticut Blue Jays in his photo.
The team also posted a clip asking several players about their favourite memories from playing Little League ball.
Vladdy replied that it was all about enjoying himself and having fun, while Andres Gimenez said that the friends he made are like family now.”
“The friends that I made, now they’re family for me,” Gimenez said. “We have so much fun, but at the same time, we know how to build a team to win.”
For Nathan Lukes, it was all about the friendship, too.
“I guess just being able to go out, have fun with your friends. We’re all there for the same reason and when you do it with friends, it’s even more special.”