Yankees share Little League memories ahead of Sunday's game vs Tigers in Williamsport

CHICAGO – Having grown up in Toms River, New Jersey, where the youth baseball scene can be pro-level competitive, Mark Leiter Jr. is wistful about his Little League days.

Before the talent truly separates, taking the better players to travel baseball, “I think there needs to be an emphasis on Little League and how important it is to the community,’’ the Yankees reliever told The Record/NorthJersey.com.

“Including everybody is important at that (pre-teen) age,’’ said Leiter Jr. “That’s how you grow our game.’’

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And that’s why the Yankees are in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, this weekend, for Major League Baseball's annual game at the Little League World Series, playing Sunday night against the Detroit Tigers.

Leading up to that event, here are a few Little League memories from current Yankees:

Gerrit Cole, California

Like many future big-league pitchers, the Yankees’ ace was a fearsome hitter as a kid.

On occasion, “I did get a little bit of the (Aaron) Judge treatment,’’ Cole told The Record/NorthJersey.com, recalling an important playoff game for a Newport Beach, California-area championship at age 12.

At a key moment, “They wanted to intentionally walk me, so they got to 3-and-0, and I swung,’’ said Cole. “At 3-and-1, I swung again, and my dad (an assistant coach) was furious.’’

At that point, the opposition decided to pitch to the young Cole, who hit a game-winning home run.

Until he was 13, Cole was mostly a catcher, then he moved to third base, and eventually the outfield in high school.

Asked if he was always the best player on his Little League teams, Cole said, “I probably had the best arm, that’s why I was catching a lot.’’

Juan Soto, Dominican Republic

The Little League scene “was big when I was a kid,’’ said Soto, raised in Santo Domingo.

“I grew up with a really good team, really good guys – it was a great experience for me,’’ Soto told The Record/NorthJersey.com.

The Yankees slugger was the Gerrit Cole of his 11-and-12-year-old team.

“I didn’t play much outfield, but I was a really good pitcher,’’ said Soto, whose 11-year-old team won regionally, “but we weren’t able to travel to play in the Caribbean Series.

“The other year, we won it all and went to the Caribbean Series and lost in the semifinals.’’

Mark Leiter Jr., New Jersey

The son and nephew of big-league pitchers, Leiter Jr. wasn’t always on the mound.

“I played short and caught. I liked catching,’’ said Leiter Jr., whose youth teams had several players who made it to pro ball.

“We had dreams of going to Williamsport,’’ he said. But at age 12, a local issue resulted in Central Little League dividing what had been a championship team Leiter Jr. played for at ages 10 and 11.

“They cut our team in half, made us play each other, and neither of us got out of our first round,’’ said Leiter Jr. “Kind of devastating.’’

Anthony Volpe, New Jersey

Spending a lot of his youth in Manhattan, the Yankees’ shortstop never really played in an organized, official Little League.

“But my little sister did," playing with and against boys, “and we’d always go watch her (in Watchung),’’ Volpe told The Record/NorthJersey.com. “She pitched, she did everything.

“A lot of my Little League memories are of being a big brother and supporting her.’’

Later, some teammates of Volpe’s from Pennsylvania made it to Williamsport, and he went to support them.

“They lost in the championship game,’’ said Volpe. “But it was a lot of fun to be a part of that.’’

Alex Verdugo, Arizona

One of the coaches that had a big influence on the young Verdugo was in Little League, hosting barbecues and organizing events.

“One year, he surprised all the kids with new Easton composite bats – they had just come out,’’ Verdugo told The Record/NorthJersey.com. "That was one of the cooler memories for me.’’

Growing up in the Tucson area, Verdugo also remembers a road trip where he and his teammates constructed a Wiffle Ball field nearby.

“We all loved it – we had a lot of fun,’’ said Verdugo.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees share Little League memories ahead of Sunday's game vs Tigers in Williamsport