NAUGATUCK, Conn. -- The words from former Red Sox player Kevin Millar on Thursday night reverberated from the pitcher’s mound throughout Peter J. Foley Stadium, the oldest Little League stadium in New England.

“You’re not as far away as you think you are, if you want to play in the big leagues -- and this is where it starts,” he said.

The Naugatuck, Conn., stadium, which was founded in 1949, was given the big league treatment by Major League Baseball and Scotts as the winner of the nationwide Little Field, Big Experience contest.

Every element of the evening had a Major League feel to it, starting with the coaches. It was a New York-Boston rematch of sorts with Millar and former Yankees pitcher David Cone, a pairing which provided plenty of rivalry fodder in Connecticut, where both teams have loyal fans.

“Cowboy down,” Cone joked to a laughing Millar during the pregame ceremony.

The mayor of Naugatuck, Pete Hess, got the games underway by throwing the first pitch. Cone, a Cy Young Award winner, also threw one over the plate to Millar. Former Little League players from all generations who had competed at Peter J. Foley Stadium, lined the basepaths during the ceremonies.

Every player in Thursday’s matchups completed a biography, which appeared with their photograph on the outfield scoreboard. They were announced at the plate by Cespedes Family BBQ, which provided play-by-play from the press box.

Near the field, food trucks, face painting and inflatable games provided entertainment in the fan fest area. The games wrapped up with a fireworks display.

“Not only do we love giving kids the access and opportunity to play outside and enjoy the outdoors and get the grass underneath their feet, we have a great partnership with Major League Baseball where we give back to a lot of field refurbishments and underprivileged communities and kids in need,” said John Sass, Scotts' vice president of advertising.

“About a year ago we said, sitting around the office, 'What if we actually brought the big-time experience to Anytown, U.S.A.?’ That’s really where this idea came together. We got more excited about the event itself and what you could add to it, which then sort of snowballed into what we have here today. Everything from the video board to the walk-up music to the fireworks postgame, adding MLB talent, we really wanted to make this a moment not just for tonight, but for this entire community to remember for a long time.”

Thomas Didato, an 8-year-old Yankees fan who was happy to meet Cone, was excited to play defense in the revamped infield. Ariana Galarza, 12, looked forward to playing her final game in the stadium before moving up to another age group, noting, “I love this field.”

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance. It’s unbelievable,” said coach John Didato. “It’s so great for this town, for these kids to be able to have what was done to the field and be able to play on it. These kids all love baseball so much that this is going to be something they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.”

That’s exactly the impact Cone and Millar hoped the event would have. Stepping onto a Little League field gave them flashbacks to where their World Series-winning careers began. Cone recalled his mother keeping score at every game, describing her as “the first sabermetrician I ever met.” Millar remembered pushing himself to develop from “a skinny little kid … [who] couldn’t throw” and never hit a Little League home run into a Major Leaguer. On Thursday, they had the opportunity to enhance the Little League memories of the players by coaching them.

“We’ve all seen the photos of Todd Frazier when he was 12 years old standing next to Derek Jeter at Yankee Stadium,” Cone said. “I have a picture that Adam Ottavino sent to me when he was 10 years old and he went to a fan fest and got my autograph and took a photo of it. Those kind of things happen, and they really do make an impression on a young kid. These are the type of events that these kids remember, and that’s why it’s important to be able to do it as a former player.”

Seventy years after Peter J. Foley Stadium was built, it continues to be a place where the Naugatuck community comes together to watch its young players pursue their big league aspirations. On Thursday, the big leagues came to them.

“I want to be an MLB player for the Yankees,” said the younger Didato. “I’m happy that we won it.”