Greatness can come from humble beginnings. There’s no better example of this in sports than Little League Baseball, which was founded in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in 1939.
Now, in communities around the world, Little League serves as a gateway to team play for boys and girls with the motto of “Courage, Character, and Loyalty.” The results are spread across professional sports. From Super Bowls to NBA titles to Stanley Cups to NASCAR championships, Little League products have dominated the sports landscape for almost a century.
And that’s not even mentioning the baseball players who graduated from Little League, many of whom have defined how we view the game itself.
Meet the greatest pro athletes who played Little League Baseball.
Honorable Mention: Brian Sipe
Little League: El Cajon, California, United States
Little League years: 1958-61
Pro sport: Football (quarterback)
Career: 12 seasons (1974-85)
Teams: Cleveland Browns (1974-83), New Jersey Generals (1984), Jacksonville Bulls (1985)
Key stats/accolades: NFL Most Valuable Player (1980), NFL All-Pro (1979, 1980), Pro Bowl (1980)
Pro championships: None
Bottom line: Brian Sipe grew up in California and was part of El Cajon Little League World Series championship team in 1961.
He then starred at quarterback for San Diego State and became one of the most unlikely MVPs in NFL history in 1980, when he led the Cleveland Browns back to the playoffs for the first time since 1972 after spending five seasons as a backup.
Sipe jumped to the USFL in 1984, signing a three-year, $600,000 contract with the New Jersey Generals.
Honorable Mention: Crystl Bustos
Little League: Country Canyon, California, United States
Little League years: 1986-89
Pro sport: Fast-pitch softball (designated hitter, third base)
Career: 21 (1998-2008)
Teams: Orlando Wahoos (1998), Akron Racers (1999-2008)
Key stats/accolades: Two-time Olympic gold medalist, WSBC World Championship, 1998 WPSL Most Valuable Player
Pro championships: 2 (1998, 2005)
Bottom line: Perhaps the greatest power hitter in fast-pitch history, Crystl Bustos is known more for her achievements during international competition than her pro career, but she was a mainstay of the Women’s Professional Softball League and National Pro Fastpitch as well.
Bustos was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame in 2018 and also is in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, as a member of the 2004 Olympic Fastpitch softball team.
30. Ray Ferraro
Little League Baseball Canada / Facebook
Little League: Trail, British Columbia, Canada
Little League years: 1973-76
Pro sport: Hockey (center)
Career: 19 seasons (1984-2002)
Teams: Hartford Whalers (1984-90), New York Islanders (1990-95), New York Rangers (1995-96), Los Angeles Kings (1996-99), Atlanta Thrashers (1999-2002), St. Louis Blues (2002)
Key stats/accolades: NHL All-Star (1992)
Pro championships: None
Bottom line: Before Ray Ferraro played almost two decades in the NHL, he played in the 1976 Little League World Series.
He had two 40-goal seasons in the NHL and had a starring turn in the 1993 NHL playoffs, helping lead the New York Islanders to the conference finals.
In his post-playing career, Ferraro has had a lengthy run as a commentator for NHL games, and his son, Matt, also played in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings.
29. Wilson Alvarez
Little League Baseball and Softball
Little League: Maracaibo, Venezuela
Little League years: 1979-82
Pro sport: Baseball (pitcher)
Career: 14 seasons (1989, 1991-99, 2002, 2003-05)
Teams: Texas Rangers (1989), Chicago White Sox (1991-97), San Francisco Giants (1997), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998-99, 2002), Los Angeles Dodgers (2003-05)
Key stats/accolades: MLB All-Star (1994), Carribean Baseball Hall of Fame (2010)
Pro championships: None
Bottom line: Wilson Alvarez led his hometown team in Venezuela to the 1982 Little League World Series and was signed by the Texas Rangers just four years later.
He made his MLB debut at just 19 years old, and two years later, he pitched a no-hitter for the Chicago White Sox in just his second major league start.
Alvarez fun fact: He threw the first pitch in Tampa Bay Devil Rays history when he started on Opening Day in 1998.
28. Austin Dillon
Little League: Southwest Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States
Little League years: 1999-2002
Pro sport: Auto racing (NASCAR)
Career: 9 seasons (2011-present)
Key stats/accolades: Daytona 500 champion (2018), NASCAR Nationwide Series champion (2013), NASCAR Truck Series champion (2011)
Pro championships: None
Bottom line: Before he became a star on the NASCAR circuit, Austin Dillon was part of a Little League World Series team in 2002.
The grandson of racing legend Richard Childress, Dillon hasn’t stopped giving back to baseball. He even took time to video chat with the Southeast Region team from Greenville, N.C., that qualified for the 2017 LLWS.
In 2018, Dillon was inducted into the Little League Hall of Fame.
27. Bill Bradley
Little League: Crystal City, Missouri, United States
Little League years: 1952-55
Pro sport: Basketball (shooting guard, small forward)
Career: 10 seasons (1967-77)
Teams: New York Knicks
Key stats/accolades: NBA All-Star (1973), NCAA Player of the Year (1965), Rhodes Scholar (1965), Olympic gold medal (1964)
Pro championships: 2 (1970, 1973)
Bottom line: Bill Bradley was a true renaissance man — the best college basketball player in the nation, Princeton grad, Rhodes Scholar, Olympic gold medalist, NBA star and, eventually, U.S. Senator.
It all started while Bradley was growing up and excelling at sports, including Little League baseball, in Crystal City, Missouri.
After his pro hoops career, Bradley spent 18 years in the U.S. Senate and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983.
26. Dwight Gooden
Little League: Belmont Heights, Florida, United States
Little League years: 1973-76
Pro sport: Baseball (pitcher)
Career: 16 seasons (1984-94, 1996-2000)
Teams: New York Mets (1984-94), New York Yankees (1996-97, 2000), Cleveland Indians (1998-99), Houston Astros (2000), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2000)
Key stats/accolades: NL Cy Young Award (1985), MLB All-Star (1984-1986, 1988), NL Rookie of the Year (1984)
Pro championships: 3 (1986, 1996, 2000)
Bottom line: Dwight Gooden and his cousin, fellow big league star Gary Sheffield, both got their start playing for the Belmont Heights Little League team in Tampa.
In 1984, Gooden became the youngest player in MLB history to appear in an All-Star game at 19 years old. He won the NL Cy Young Award in 1985 and led the Mets to the World Series title in 1986.
Substance abuse derailed his career, and he was suspended for the entire 1995 season after repeatedly testing positive for cocaine.
25. Gary Sheffield
Little League: Belmont Heights, Florida, United States
Little League years: 1977-80
Pro sport: Baseball (right field, third base, shortstop)
Career: 22 seasons (1988-2009)
Teams: Milwaukee Brewers (1988-91), San Diego Padres (1992-93), Florida Marlins (1993-98), Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2001), Atlanta Braves (2002-03), New York Yankees (2004-06), Detroit Tigers (2007-08), New York Mets (2009)
Key stats/accolades: MLB All-Star (1992, 1993, 1996, 1998-2000, 2003-05), Silver Slugger Award (1992, 1996, 2003-05), NL batting champion (1992)
Pro championships: 1 (1997)
Bottom line: Before he crushed 500 home runs over two decades in Major League Baseball, Gary Sheffield made it to the Little League World Series championship game in 1980, losing to Chineses Taipei.
Six years later, Sheffield was the National Gatorade Player of the Year at Hillsborough High School in Florida and the No. 6 overall pick in the MLB draft.
Sheffield learned to hit as a child facing off against his cousin, Cy Young Award winner Dwight Gooden.
24. Pierre Turgeon
Little League: Rouyn-Norandao, Quebec, Canada
Little League years: 1979-82
Pro sport: Hockey (center)
Career: 21 seasons (1987-2007)
Teams: Buffalo Sabres (1987-92), New York Islanders (1992-95), Montreal Canadiens (1995-97), St. Louis Blues (1997-2001), Dallas Stars (2001-04), Colorado Avalanche (2005-07)
Key stats/accolades: NHL draft No. 1 overall pick (1987), Lady Byng Trophy (1993), NHL All-Star (1990, 1992, 1994, 1997)
Pro championships: None
Bottom line: Pierre Turgeon was an elite hockey prospect when he led his Little League team to the 1982 Little League World Series, representing Canada alongside teammate and future NHL player Stephane Matteau.
Five years later, Turgeon was selected No. 1 overall in the NHL draft. He played 21 seasons in the league, becoming the second person in his family to play in the NHL after older brother Sylvain Turgeon.
23. Ozzie Newsome
Jeff Glidden / AP Photo
Little League: Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States
Little League years: 1968
Pro sport: Football (tight end)
Career: 13 seasons (1978-90)
Teams: Cleveland Browns
Key stats/accolades: Six-time NFL All-Pro (1979-81, 1984-86), NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, AP All-American (1977)
Pro championships: None
Bottom line: African-Americans weren’t allowed to play Little League in Alabama until Ozzie Newsome was an eighth-grader, when he joined a team and told his coach he “could play every position.”
Newsome went on to become one of the greatest football players in University of Alabama history and one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
22. Aaron Rodgers
Little League: Raleigh Hills, Oregon, United States
Little League years: 1993-95
Pro sport: Football (quarterback)
Career: 15 seasons (2005-present)
Teams: Green Bay Packers
Key stats/accolades: NFL Most Valuable Player (2011, 2014), Pro Bowl (2009, 2011, 2012, 2014-16, 2018), NFL All-Pro (2011, 2012, 2014)
Pro championships: 1 (2010)
Bottom line: Aaron Rodgers grew up playing Little League baseball as his family moved back and forth from Northern California to Oregon.
He drew little attention coming out of Pleasant Valley (Calif.) High School, including no Division I football offers, but starred at Butte Junior College, then Cal before leaving college early for the NFL.
One of the best quarterbacks of his generation, Rodgers has racked up $219 million in career earnings. And that doesn’t include endorsement deals.
21. Kurt Busch
Ted S. Warren / AP Photo
Little League: Spring Valley, Nevada, United States
Little League years: 1987-90
Pro sport: Auto Racing (NASCAR)
Career: 20 seasons (2000-present)
Key stats/accolades: Daytona 500 champion (2017), NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race champion (2010), Coca-Cola 600 champion (2010)
Pro championships: 1 (2004)
Bottom line: There’s probably no bigger baseball fan in NASCAR history than Kurt Busch, who was a Little League teammate and high school classmate of future major league player Ryan Ludwick.
Busch, who won a NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2004, visited every MLB ballpark over a 12-year stretch and was even allowed to take batting practice and shag balls at Great American Ballpark when Ludwick was playing for the Reds.
20. Drew Brees
Lenny Ignelzi / AP Photo
Little League: Western Hills, Texas, United States
Little League Years: 1988-91
Pro sport: Football (quarterback)
Career: 19 seasons (2001-present)
Teams: San Diego Chargers (2001-05), New Orleans Saints (2006-present)
Key stats/accolades: Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (2009), NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2004), NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2008, 2011)
Pro championships: 1 (2009)
Bottom line: NFL All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees’ athletic career could’ve gone a lot of different ways.
When he was in middle school, he was a standout Little League pitcher and also the No. 1 junior tennis player in Texas, even beating 2003 U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick on two occasions.
Football turned out to be the right choice for Brees, who holds the NFL career records for passing yards, pass completions, touchdown passes and is a surefire Hall of Famer.
19. Joe Montana
David J. Phillip / AP Photo
Little League: Monongahela, Pennsylvania, United States
Little League years: 1965-68
Pro sport: Football (quarterback)
Career: 14 seasons (1979-90, 1992-94)
Teams: San Francisco 49ers (1979-90, 1992), Kansas City Chiefs (1993-94)
Key stats/accolades: NFL Most Valuable Player (1989, 1990), Super Bowl MVP (1981, 1984, 1989), NCAA champion (1977)
Pro championships: 4 (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989)
Bottom line: Joe Montana started playing team sports one year earlier than he should have thanks to his father, Joe Sr., spotting him a year on the league’s sign-up forms.
Montana also excelled in basketball and football and was good enough in hoops that North Carolina State offered him a scholarship.
Montana chose football and crafted a career of logic-defying comebacks, beginning at Notre Dame and throughout his Hall of Fame career.
18. Mariano Rivera
Baseball For The Love Of The Game / Facebook
Little League: Puerto Caimito, Oeste Province, Panama
Little League years: 1978-81
Pro sport: Baseball (closer)
Career: 19 seasons (1995-2013)
Teams: New York Yankees
Key stats/accolades: World Series MVP (1999), ALCS MVP (2003), All-Star (1997, 1999-2002, 2004-06, 2008-11, 2013)
Pro championships: 5 (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009)
Bottom line: Mariano Rivera, the major league career saves leader, grew up playing Little League baseball in an impoverished fishing village in Panama.
He learned to play using old milk cartons as gloves, tree branches as bats and fashioned balls by taping together pieces of old fishing nets.
From those modest roots, Rivera became the first person elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in a unanimous vote, in his first year of eligibility in 2019.
17. Brett Favre
Morry Gash / AP Photo
Little League: Kiln, Mississippi, United States
Little League years: 1978-81
Pro sport: Football (quarterback)
Career: 20 seasons (1991-2010)
Teams: Atlanta Falcons (1991), Green Bay Packers (1992-2007), New York Jets (2008), Minnesota Vikings (2009-10)
Key stats/accolades: NFL Most Valuable Player (1995-97), NFL All-Pro (1995-97, 2001, 2002, 2007), NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
Pro championships: 1 (1996)
Bottom line: Brett Favre was blessed with one of the greatest arms the NFL has ever seen, so it’s probably no surprise that he also was a star baseball player for North Hancock Central High — good enough to start on the varsity as an eighth-grader.
Favre’s legend grew as a star quarterback at Southern Miss, then he became the first and only player in NFL history to win three consecutive Most Valuable Player awards.
He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
16. Boog Powell
Little League: Lakeland, Florida, United States
Little League years: 1951-54
Pro sport: Baseball (first base)
Career: 17 seasons (1961-77)
Teams: Baltimore Orioles (1961-74), Cleveland Indians (1975-76), Los Angeles Dodgers (1977)
Key stats/accolades: AL Most Valuable Player (1970), MLB All-Star (1968-71), AL Comeback Player of the Year (1966)
Pro championships: 2 (1966, 1970)
Bottom line: Boog Powell was one of the first Little League World Series stars to become a star in the major leagues as well.
After leading his Lakeland, Fla., team to the LLWS, Powell achieved stardom in the majors, winning two World Series titles with the Orioles.
Powell’s best season was in 1970, when he hit 35 home runs to go with 114 RBI, was named AL MVP and won the World Series.
15. Jim Palmer
AP Photo
Little League: Beverly Hills, California, United States
Little League years: 1955-1958
Pro sport: Baseball (sport)
Career: 19 seasons (1965-84)
Teams: Baltimore Orioles
Key stats/accolades: AL Cy Young Award (1973, 1975, 1976), Gold Glove Award (1976-79), All-Star (1970-72, 1975, 1977, 1978)
Pro championships: 3 (1966, 1970, 1983)
Bottom line: After Jim Palmer’s adoptive father died of a heart attack in 1955, Palmer moved to Beverly Hills with his mother to play Little League.
Palmer was a star prep pitcher for Scottsdale (Ariz.) High School and won his first major league game in May 1965, five months before his 20th birthday.
Palmer was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990, his first year of eligibility, and holds the distinction of winning a World Series in three different decades.
14. Dan Marino
Gene J. Puskar / AP Photo
Little League: South Oakland, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Little League years: 1970-73
Pro sport: Football (quarterback)
Career: 16 seasons (1983-99)
Teams: Miami Dolphins
Key stats/accolades: NFL Most Valuable Player (1984), NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1994), AP All-American (1981)
Pro championships: None
Bottom line: Dan Marino was almost as highly coveted as a baseball prospect as he was in football coming out of Pittsburgh’s Central Catholic High School.
The pitcher/shortstop was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the fourth round of the 1979 MLB draft, but decided to go to college to play quarterback for the Pittsburgh Panthers. Then, the Miami Dolphins drafted Marino in the first round (27th overall) of the 1983 NFL draft.
He retired with over 40 NFL passing records and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005, his first year of eligibility.
13. Chris Drury
Little League: Trumbull, Connecticut, United States
Little League: 1986-89
Pro sport: Hockey (center)
Career: 13 seasons (1998-2011)
Teams: Colorado Avalanche (1998-2002), Calgary Flames (2002-03), Buffalo Sabres (2003-07), New York Rangers (2007-11)
Key stats/accolades: NCAA Player of the Year (1998), NCAA champion (1995), NHL Rookie of the Year (1999)
Pro championships: 1 (2001)
Bottom line: Chris Drury became famous when he was just a middle-schooler, leading his Trumbull Little League team to the 1989 Little League World Series title, getting the complete-game win and driving in two runs in a victory over Chinese Taipei.
Drury then played college hockey at Boston University and was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques — who became the Colorado Avalanche — becoming the first player in history to win NCAA Player of the Year and NHL Rookie of the Year before helping lead the Avs to the Stanley Cup in 2001.
12. Troy Aikman
Denis Poroy / AP Photo
Little League: Henryetta, Oklahoma, United States
Little League years: 1975-78
Pro sport: Football (quarterback)
Career: 12 seasons (1989-2000)
Teams: Dallas Cowboys
Key stats/accolades: Super Bowl MVP (1992), Pro Bowl (1991-96), AP All-American (1988)
Pro championships: 3 (1992, 1993, 1995)
Bottom line: It’s not hard to envision what a pro baseball career might have been like for quarterback Troy Aikman, who turned down a contract offer from the New York Mets to play college football.
After the Cowboys made Aikman the No. 1 overall pick in the 1989 NFL draft, he led the team to three Super Bowl wins and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, despite having to end his career early because of concussions.
11. Russell Wilson
Little League: Tuckahoe, Virginia, United States
Little League years: 1997-2000
Pro sport: Football (quarterback)
Career: 8 seasons (2012-present)
Teams: Seattle Seahawks
Key stats/accolades: NFL Rookie of the Year (2012), Pro Bowl (2012-15, 2017, 2018), All-Big Ten (2011)
Pro championships: 1 (2013)
Bottom line: Russell Wilson grew up playing baseball in the same Little League as Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, if that gives you any idea of the level of competition.
In fact, Wilson has been drafted three times by MLB teams — the Orioles, Rockies and Rangers. He even spent two seasons playing minor league baseball while he was in college.
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback became the highest-paid player in the NFL when he signed a four-year, $140 million contract in April 2019.
10. Tom Seaver
Little League: Fresno, California, United States
Little League years: 1953-56
Pro sport: Baseball (pitcher)
Career: 12 seasons (1974-85)
Teams: New York Mets (1967-77, 1983), Cincinnati Reds (1977-82), Chicago White Sox (1984-86), Boston Red Sox (1986)
Key stats/accolades: NL Cy Young Award (1969, 1973, 1975), NL Rookie of the Year (1967), MLB All-Star (1967-73, 1975-78, 1981)
Pro championships: 1 (1969)
Bottom line: Tom Seaver began to learn the art of pitching while playing for Fresno’s North Rotary Little League team, where he made up for a lack of size by mastering his control on the mound.
He led the New York Mets to the World Series title in 1969 — still considered one of the greatest underdog wins in the history of sports.
In 1992, Seaver went into the Baseball Hall of Fame with a then-record 98.8 percent of the vote.
9. Dan O’Brien
Ross D. Franklin / AP Photo
Little League: Klamath Falls, Oregon, United States
Little League years: 1975-78
Pro sport: Track and field (decathlon)
Career: 16 seasons (1988-2003)
Key stats/accolades: Olympic gold medal, decathlon (1996), World Indoor Championships gold medal, heptathlon (1993), Goodwill Games gold medalist, decathlon (1994, 1998)
Pro championships: 3 (1991, 1993, 1995)
Bottom line: Dan O’Brien went from playing Little League baseball in rural Oregon to winning Olympic gold in 1996 in the decathlon.
O’ Brien is most famously known for missing out on the Olympics in 1992, when he was the reigning world champion, favorite and one of the faces of Reebok’s multimillion-dollar marketing campaign.
O’Brien set the world record in the decathlon from 1992 to 1999 and was inducted into the Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2006.
8. Nolan Ryan
Little League: Alvin, Texas, United States
Little League years: 1956-59
Pro sport: Baseball (pitcher)
Career: 27 seasons (1966, 1968-93)
Teams: New York Mets (1966, 1968-71), California Angels (1972-79), Houston Astros (1980-88), Texas Rangers (1989-93)
Key stats/accolades: All-Star (1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1985, 1989), MLB All-Century Team (1999)
Pro championships: 1 (1969)
Bottom line: Nolan Ryan’s legend began as a Little Leaguer in Texas and continued into high school, where he once struck out 21 batters in a seven-inning game — a record that stood for 44 years.
He threw a record seven no-hitters during his 27-year career and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999, his first year of eligibility, with 98.8 percent of the vote.
His iconic No. 34 is retired by three teams: the Angels, Astros and Rangers.
7. Tony Hawk
Little League: Encinitas, California, United States
Little League years: 1977-80
Pro sport: Skateboarding
Career: 21 years (1982-2003)
Key stats/accolades: Seven-time X-Games gold medalist, World Champion vertical skateboarding (1984-96)
Bottom line: Perhaps the most influential skateboarder of all time, Tony Hawk once famously hid in a ravine after striking out in a Little League game.
It turned out to be just a glimpse at the competitive drive that would push him to become the first to land a 900-degree turn in competition.
Hawk’s series of video games have made him very rich. Forbes estimated his net worth at $140 million in 2019.
6. George Brett
Little League: El Segundo, California, United States
Little League years: 1962-65
Pro sport: Baseball (third base)
Career: 21 seasons (1973-93)
Key stats/accolades: American League MVP (1980), ALCS MVP (1985), MLB All-Star (1976-88)
Pro championships: 1 (1985)
Bottom line: The bar for baseball greatness in George Brett’s family was set pretty high when he was just 14 years old. That was when his older brother, Ken Brett, became the youngest player to pitch in the World Series in 1967, when he was just 19 years old.
George Brett did alright himself. He became the only player to win batting titles in three different decades, and his 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in MLB history.
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999, on the first ballot.
5. Cat Osterman
Little League: Bear Creek, Texas, United States
Little League years: 1993-95
Pro sport: Fast-pitch softball (pitcher)
Career: 9 seasons (2007-15)
Teams: Rockford Thunder (2007-09), USSSA Pride (2010-15)
Key stats/accolades: All-National Pro Fastpitch (2009, 2011-2015), Olympic gold medalist (2004), NCAA Player of the Year (2003, 2005, 2006)
Pro championships: 4 (2009, 2010, 2013, 2014)
Bottom line: Cat Osterman played Little League growing up outside of Houston and became arguably the greatest fastpitch softball pitcher of all time.
She walked away from the University of Texas as a four-time All-American, holding the NCAA career record for wins, strikeouts, ERA, innings pitched and shutouts.
She was the No. 1 pick in the 2006 National Pro Fastpitch Draft and won four NPF titles. She was also the first softball player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated — the first of two covers for Osterman.
4. Mike Schmidt
Little League: Dayton, Ohio, United States
Little League years: 1958-61
Pro sport: Baseball (third base)
Career: 18 seasons (1972-89)
Teams: Philadelphia Phillies
Key stats/accolades: NL Most Valuable Player (1980, 1981, 1986), World Series MVP (1980), MLB All-Star (1974, 1976, 1977, 1979-84, 1986, 1987, 1989)
Pro championships: 1 (1980)
Bottom line: Philadelphia Phillies scout Tony Lucadello saw future Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt play for the first time in Little League, and jumped at the chance to draft him out of Ohio University in 1971.
Schmidt was one of the greatest third basemen to ever play the game, winning three MVP awards and making it to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995, picking up 96.5 percent of the vote in his first year of eligibility.
3. Cal Ripken Jr.
Mike Kullen / AP Photo
Little League: Aberdeen, Maryland, United States
Little League years: 1969-72
Pro sport: Baseball (shortstop)
Career: 21 seasons (1981-2001)
Teams: Baltimore Orioles
Key stats/accolades: AL Most Valuable Player (1983, 1991), All-Star (1983-2001), MLB All-Century Team (1999)
Pro championships: 1 (1983)
Bottom line: Cal Ripken Jr. grew up playing Little League under the tutelage of his father, longtime major league coach, manager and scout Cal Ripken Sr. And his father taught him well.
Ripken Jr. was named American League MVP the same year he led the Orioles to the World Series in 1983. On Sept. 6, 1995, he broke Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played, when his streak hit 2,131 games in a row.
Ripken was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Little League: Inwood, New York, United States
Little League years: 1956-59
Pro sport: Basketball (center)
Career: 20 seasons (1969-89)
Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1969-75), Los Angeles Lakers (1975-89)
Key stats/accolades: NBA career leading scorer (38,387 points), NBA Most Valuable Player (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980), NCAA Player of the Year (1967-69)
Pro championships: 6 (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)
Bottom line: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.) grew up in the Dyckman Street Projects in New York City and was a baseball player until he hit a growth spurt that saw him shoot up to 6-foot-8 by the time he was an eighth-grader.
Abdul-Jabbar led New York City’s Power Memorial Academy to three straight NYC Catholic championships, then led UCLA to three straight NCAA championships under legendary coach John Wooden.
Once he got to the NBA, Abdul-Jabbar became one of the game’s greatest players of all time.
1. Tom Brady
San Mateo National Little League / Facebook
Little League: San Mateo, California, United States
Little League years: 1986-89
Pro sport: Football (football)
Career: 20 seasons (2000-present)
Teams: New England Patriots
Key stats/accolades: NFL Most Valuable Player (2007, 2010, 2017), Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (2001, 2003, 2014, 2016), Pro Bowl (2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009-18)
Pro championships: 6 (2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, 2018)
Bottom line: Before his ascent to becoming the greatest quarterback in NFL history, Tom Brady was a highly coveted catcher out of Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, California.
How good was Brady? The Montreal Expos drafted him in the 18th round of the 1995 Major League Baseball draft and projected him as an All-Star, offering money equivalent to a second-round pick.
Brady turned his back on baseball, headed to the University of Michigan and was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2000. The rest is history.
Related: Big Leaguers Who Played in the Little League World Series
