Tigers welcome LLWS champs to Comerica
This browser does not support the video element.
DETROIT -- Two days after Taylor North won the Little League World Series, the team enjoyed a day in the big leagues, taking the field at Comerica Park while the Tigers took batting practice on Tuesday.
It was a fitting reward for the first Michigan team to win the Little League World Series since 1959.
“It’s awesome to see what they did,” pitcher Tarik Skubal said, “and how they represented the state of Michigan and won the whole thing. It was awesome to watch.”
For a while, it was hard to tell who were the celebrities and who were the fans. New 500-homer club member Miguel Cabrera fist-bumped everybody on the team and posed for pictures. Former LLWS champ Jonathan Schoop chatted them up, as did A’s infielder and former Tiger Josh Harrison.
While the Tigers signed autographs for them, the Taylor North players were signing autographs for seemingly everybody else. One player told Bally Sports Detroit that he’d signed 20 autographs and taken 20 pictures.
Taylor North players and coaches were back on the field shortly before the game against the A's for a ceremony honoring their championship. After they were all introduced, Detroit players and manager A.J. Hinch presented them with Tigers jerseys and took photos with them.
“We’ve talked about earning things around here, and they earned every bit of our love and appreciation,” Hinch said. “Those games were on in our clubhouse and people were talking about it. A team from Michigan beats a team from Ohio; that matters around here. Just a really, really cool opportunity for us to give back something to a group of kids that love the game, and it brought a lot of special memories to a lot of people.”
This browser does not support the video element.
Taylor, Mich., is on the southwest side of Detroit, between downtown and Metro Airport. Its most famous baseball product is former Major League pitcher Steve Avery, who won a World Series with Atlanta in 1995 and finished his big league career with his hometown Tigers in 2003.
“The baseball has always been good here,” general manager Al Avila said. “My own son played summer ball, travel ball here in Michigan, all over the state. They also played and won championships outside of the state. So I know how good the baseball is here in Michigan. Obviously the Taylor team has proven it this year.”