In celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Little League Baseball® World Series this August, Little League® International is excited to welcome one of its most notable graduates, Todd Frazier, into the Little League Hall of Excellence.
“More than 20 years since he helped lead the Toms River East Little League team to the 1998 Little League Baseball World Series championship, Todd Frazier continues to be synonymous with our iconic event each summer,” said Stephen D. Keener, Little League President and CEO. “Since his time as a player here in Williamsport, and throughout his entire MLB and Olympic Baseball career, Todd has been a tremendous supporter, friend, and advocate of the Little League program and we are honored to welcome him into our Hall of Excellence this year as we celebrate 75 years of this incredible event.”
A member of the 1998 Little League Baseball World Series Championship team from Toms River (N.J.) East American Little League, often referred to as “The Beast from the East,” Mr. Frazier was nothing short of a hero in Williamsport. Throughout the series, Mr. Frazier hit a home run in every game he appeared in except for one. In the five games his team played, he went 9-for-15 with four home runs (including a grand slam), drove in 10 RBI, and scored 11 runs. In the Championship Game alone, he went 4-for-4 with a lead-off home run and was the winning pitcher. Following his team’s iconic run, Mr. Frazier had the unique opportunity to stand alongside then-New York Yankee shortstop and fellow Little League graduate, Derek Jeter, a photo that would be remembered for years to come.
Following his standout Little League career, and an impressive college career at Rutgers University that landed him a first-round draft pick, Mr. Frazier then went on to become the first LLBWS graduate to ever win the MLB Home Run Derby in 2015, the same year that his parents, Charlie and Joan, were named the George and Barbara Bush Little League Parents of the Year.
In addition to being named a two-time All-Star during his 10-year MLB career, Mr. Frazier helped lead Team U.S.A. to a gold medal at the 2006 World University Championship in Havana, and a silver medal in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, before later announcing his retirement from the sport on April 5, 2022.
In 2021, Mr. Frazier also had the opportunity to relive his moments in Williamsport as he got to watch his own nephew, Carson Frazier, compete on the Toms River (N.J.) East Little League team at the Little League Baseball World Series.
Off the field, Mr. Frazier has continued to be a role model for players, parents, and volunteers over the years as well, including leading relief efforts after Hurricane Sandy devastated his hometown of Toms River, New Jersey, and developing a special bond with the Reds’ bat boy, Teddy Kramer, who has Down syndrome, during his time in Cincinnati.
With the honor, Mr. Frazier joins fellow Little League Baseball World Series graduates Don Beaver (1952), Brian Sipe (1961), Ron Ricks (1962), Lloyd McClendon (1971), Staff Sgt. Wilbert Davis (1975), Pierre Turgeon (1982), Chris Drury (1989), Michael Cammarata (1991), Krissy Wendell (2004), and Austin Dillon (2002) as members of the Hall of Excellence.
