New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo and Mr. Met joined dozens of Little Leaguers from the Greater New York area in a fun sandlot baseball game on Tuesday, Aug. 13, at Baseball Field 10 in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Nimmo pitched to the kids during the game and cheered them on. This marked the third year in a row that Nimmo has partnered with the Amazin’ Mets Foundation to bring together local Little Leaguers for a fun afternoon of baseball. The Amazin’ Mets Foundation also gave out backpacks to the kids as the school year approaches.
For the parents and organizers of the local Little League programs, having a well-regarded professional baseball player like Nimmo take the time to come over meant a lot to them and their kids.
“My son’s here and he couldn’t sleep last night. When he was told about the event, he was jumping up and down,” Teresa Reid, who runs special events for Bayside Little League, said. “[The kids] couldn’t believe they were going to meet him and take the field with him. Kids idolize Nimmo and MLB players. These opportunities don’t come around. The Amazin’ Mets Foundation is just truly amazing. What they do for local communities and leagues is just such a blessing.”
“Getting the kids from local little leagues involved with the Mets and involved with MLB players is a dream come true,” Reid continued. “They idolize these major league ballplayers, and getting the chance to be on the field with them and playing a game is amazing. The Amazin’ Mets Foundation goes above and beyond for these kids.”
For Nimmo, taking part in something like this also acts as a great reminder of his love of the game of baseball and how he got started when he was a kid. He takes a lot of joy in being able to make these kids’ day.
“Obviously, it’s great to be able to get out on the field with the kids,” Nimmo said. “This is what I grew up doing, finding wherever we could to play baseball. To be able to put on this game and have fun with the kids, this is what it’s all about. Trying to sow seeds for the next generation to enjoy the game as much as I have. This is a huge part of it. This is how I started, and they can achieve the same dream if they work at it and have fun with it.”
Nimmo also noted that Little League Baseball programs can help kids make lifelong friends and learn valuable life skills. He stressed to the kids that the main goal of playing the game is to have fun.
“For every person that comes to a baseball game and every person that’s grown up playing it, they’ve had that love of the game and where it started,” Nimmo said. “Whether it was something like, for me, catch in the backyard with their dad, or, for somebody else, their first experience going to a ballgame and enjoying the atmosphere of it, whatever it is, it takes you back to the love of the game.”
Nimmo said it is humbling to know how much joy kids like these little leaguers take in getting to meet him. He remembered losing sleep as a kid out of excitement for getting to meet major league players himself.
“To be able to have that impact is amazing to me and I never want to take that for granted,” Nimmo said. “This moment does mean so much. It might just be an hour of your time, but it makes a lifetime impact.”
Nimmo and the Mets will soon have the opportunity to meet with and make the days of many more little leaguers when they travel to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to play in the 2025 MLB Little League Classic against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, Aug. 17. Players from the Mets and Mariners will be spending the day attending Little League World Series games. When the Mets and Mariners play that evening, the kids from the tournament and their families will be filling up Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field.
Being able to take part in the Little League Classic further adds to Nimmo’s efforts to help grow the game of baseball on Tuesday.
“Growth and the future of the game is all about the kids,” Nimmo said. “If this isn’t for you and you just want to come out and enjoy being with your friends, I love that too. But baseball gives that atmosphere, to be able to come out and enjoy it with your friends and be able to have that time. For me, to be able to put that on and be able to give that opportunity for the kids that want to explore baseball and see what it’s all bout, it’s about coming out, having fun, being in the sun, being in nature and having fun with your friends, playing a competitive game and learning life lessons. It all starts with the kids and giving back to them. The game has given me so much, and I want to be able to give back where I can. This and Williamsport are a huge part of that.”
Nimmo seemed to have taken the joy from Tuesday’s event with him, as his go-ahead three-run homer in that night’s Mets game proved to be the difference in a 13-5 win over the Atlanta Braves.
