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Cody Bellinger recalls 2007 Little League World Series trip: ‘It was so fun’

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Cody Bellinger recalls 2007 Little League World Series trip: ‘It was so fun’

PHILADELPHIA — When Cody Bellinger made the cross-country flight to participate in the 2007 Little League World Series, he had no clue where Williamsport was located in Pennsylvania.

How about almost two decades later for the now-New York Yankees outfielder? 

“I still don’t know,” Bellinger jokingly told USA TODAY Sports last month.  

While Williamsport’s exact location may still escape Bellinger, the memories haven’t. Nearly two decades later, the 2026 MLB All-Star Game MVP can still vividly recall what he considers the “100%” no-questions-asked most fun summer of his life before turning pro.

To reach Williamsport, Bellinger and his team defeated Hawaii 8-1 in the championship game of the West Region Tournament in San Bernardino, California. It marked just the second time that Chandler National had sent a team to the Little League World Series. 

“It was just so fun. It’s a lot of baseball to get there,” Bellinger said. “… San Bernardino was cool because that was one of the nicest fields and we had a new dorm set up. That was our first time living together. I thought that was really fun. Then we got to Williamsport. 

“It’s just a sleepover with your boys for however long you’re there.”

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Little League Baseball World Series champions over the years

The Little League Baseball World Series has produced generations of champions and unforgettable moments on youth baseball’s biggest stage.

See the teams that won the LLWS title through the years.

Above, 2025 Little League World Series: Asia-Pacific Region team from Taoyuan City, Chinese Taipei pose for a team photo after defeating the Mountain Region from Las Vegas, Nevada to win the 2025 Little League World Series Championship at Howard J. Lamade Stadium on August 24, 2025, in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)

Cody Bellinger at the Little League World Series

The significance of reaching the Little League World Series hit Bellinger — who was coached by his dad, two-time World Series champion Clay Bellinger — almost immediately. He said it came in the first inning of Chandler’s opener against Maryland, the Mid-Atlantic representative, at Howard J. Lamade Stadium, when he paused in the outfield and had a “holy crap” realization that he made it to Williamsport, where over 10,000 fans packed the grandstands of one of baseball’s historic ballparks on top of the 30,000-plus around the berm.

“I was in center field and I looked behind me and the whole berm was filled with people. I was like, ‘This is actually crazy,'” Bellinger said. “And then later that night we ended up going on the ESPN Baseball Tonight set and had a microphone on my face. The whole thing was just wild.”

Bellinger hit the ground running in that opener against Maryland, as he went 4-for-5 at the plate with three runs and three RBI, two of which came on an opposite-field two-run homer. 

“I was really nervous my first at-bat,” Bellinger recalled. “I ended up hitting a single, which was really nice.”

Chandler would finish 2-1 in Pool B play on the United States side of the bracket, with wins coming against the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Bellinger would hit .400 overall in the tournament to go along with six runs scored, two extra-base hits and three runs driven in.

The Little League World Series experience

Cody Bellinger at the 2007 Little League World Series.

Cody Bellinger at the 2007 Little League World Series.

While in Williamsport, those who compete in the tournament are the town’s celebrities for their entire stay, as spectators who flock from all over to the small Western Pennsylvania town ask players for photos and autographs.

However, Bellinger said that with the tournament keeping the players “secluded” from the general public during their stay, it was what took place inside The Grove, the players’ village, that made it an “unbelievable experience” for him.

Take, for example, the ping-pong games against Chinese Taipei and Canada, the latter of whom Bellinger and his teammates shared the dorms with in The Grove. And don’t forget the food in the cafeteria, a vivid memory Bellinger still has today.

“(Just) remember the food room being filled with a bunch of kids from different parts of the world,” Bellinger said. “Then the playroom … there was ping pong and arcade games. And on top of all that, just being in the dorm with the whole team and watching ESPN and seeing your highlights of the game. It was just unreal.”

The trip to Williamsport marked one of Bellinger’s final Little League experiences, as Chandler National split into two teams and the future MLB star moved on to club baseball the following summer.

“I was sick about it because I really thought that we would’ve went back (the next year) but they split us up,” Bellinger said. “I don’t even think I ended up playing Little League that next year just because. 

“… That literally was my last Little League experience.”

Bellinger said it wasn’t until their loss to Georgia in the semifinals of the United States bracket that the two-time World Series champion fully understood the magnitude of the Little League World Series.

“We were devastated. (In) tears,” Bellinger said. “Think just as a kid, we were just having so much fun. Baseball was just added fun.”

For the 200-plus players that have advanced to Williamsport this season and will experience the LLWS in its fullest over the next few weeks, Bellinger’s advice is simple — and one that he included in a video for the Chandler National Team a few weeks back. 

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You’re with your boys for two weeks, having a sleepover, eating together, playing together. At the end of the day, you want to win, but priority number one is enjoy (it). That’s it,” Bellinger said. “You might not go back, and it’s such a fun experience.”

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cody Bellinger recalls 2007 Little League World Series trip: ‘It was so fun’

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