Looking Back At Former Padres Who Played In The Little League World Series

[Ryan Hernandez]

Baseball is such a popular sport that even those who play in Little League get a chance to participate in their own “World Series,” known as the Little League World Series (LLWS). There were several Little Leaguers who would go on to become professional baseball players, and some played for the Padres.

The first such player to have played in the LLWS and then played for the Padres was Rick Wise, who played for San Diego from 1980 to 1982. Wise also played for Philadelphia, St. Louis, Boston and Cleveland in his career. Hector Torres is another player who transitioned from the LLWS to the MLB, and he played for the Padres from 1975 to 1976. A third player who went from LLWS stardom to the MLB and the Padres was Ed Vosberg. Gary Sheffield played for the Padres from 1992 to 1993; he is another baseball player who participated in the LLWS. Derek Bell made the significant league jump from the LLWS and played in San Diego from 1993 to 1994. Another former LLWS star to make it to the majors was Ed Vosberg, who was a Padre in 1999. 

There are plenty of other players I could list who had a stint with the Padres, but the main point is that achieving professional success is not easy. These are just a few names of individuals who participated at the top level in Little League and were talented enough to eventually make it to Major League Baseball.

While watching the LLWS between Nevada and Chinese Taipei, the Taipei pitcher, Lin Chin-Tse, was throwing MLB-equivalent fastballs, and the highest I saw him throw was 82 MPH. Tse has the talent and ability to make it to the majors; he’s only 12 years old, but he was dominant and very locked down throughout the LLWS. Less than one percent of Little Leaguers make it to the majors; however, the odds increase when it comes to those who play in the LLWS. A total of 64 players have made it to MLB from the LLWS since 1947, the first year of the LLWS. 

The LLWS is a chance for kids to showcase their talent and improve their skills, while also having fun and gaining a glimpse of what MLB players do, including traveling, preparing, and playing many games consecutively. It gives the kids a chance to step into the spotlight and gain a firsthand experience of what it is like to be an MLB player in some capacity, offering a unique experience for them to participate in the biggest game of the Little League season. 

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