'The kid in me is coming out': Tigers, Little Leaguers bond in LLC

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- From the moment the Tigers stepped off the plane at Williamsport Regional Airport, a sea of bright blue and orange greeted them. It was the start of a day full of excitement, as players from Cuba and the Southwest Region eagerly held their signs up for the Tigers to see as they descended the stairs to the tarmac.

“It was just a cool experience to just see all those kids waiting to greet us and to see how excited they were to meet us,” said left-hander Bryan Sammons, who led the Tigers off the plane. “It’s just a really exciting time and it’s going to be kind of cool to see everything that goes on.”

Throughout the day, ahead of their Little League Classic matchup against the Yankees, some of the Tigers' players were transported back to their own Little League days. They participated in activities like making appearances on the dance cam and riding down the hill slide. Conversely, the Little Leaguers at the airport also had a very rare opportunity: getting a taste of the big leagues.

The players from Cuba and Texas rode back to the Little League International Complex with the Tigers sitting side by side with them on the bus.

“It was kind of nerve-wracking, but it was fun,” said Southwest Region’s Gage Steubing, who sat in between Alex Faedo and Jason Foley. “It’s kind of scary talking to them, because you don’t know what to say.”

Faedo already had topics in mind, asking Steubing several questions on the ride from the airport to the complex.

“I was asking if they were nervous or anything with all the fans here, and they were way more mature than I was at this age,” Faedo said. “They were like, 'Oh yeah, 15,000 [people] here, just a little nervous, but we’re just playing baseball.'”

As the Tigers arrived, the Mexico-Canada International game at Volunteer Stadium was already underway. It was the first stop players made after signing autographs and taking photos with the fans lined up to welcome them.

Will Vest, along with his teammates, sat in the stands with their ride-share friends. During the top of the second inning, the dance cam caught one of the Southwest Region players. Sitting next to him was Vest, who did not hesitate to show off his dance moves -- highlighted by the classic "sprinkler."

“The kid in me is coming out,” Vest said as he made his way up the hill to slide down. “I think some guys would say the kids are always in me because I act like a child, but now I get to act natural and have fun and just be a kid again.”

While they were still preparing to play in a regular-season game later that evening, Detroit's players embraced being in an environment that brought them back to when they were 12. One thing Little Leaguers and Major Leaguers share: passion and love for baseball. The Little League Classic is a reminder of that.

“I think it just brings you back and gives you a good perspective of why we started playing in the first place,” Vest said. “Along the way, it does become a job whenever you get to this level, but when you first started, it was just a game you were playing with your friends. It’s good to be reminded of that.”