Todd Frazier is returning to the place where his baseball fame began.
Frazier — formerly a little league hero for his hometown of Toms River, N.J. — will make his ESPN broadcasting debut Monday as a part of the station’s coverage of this year’s Little League World Series. The 36-year-old Frazier will call a New England region tournament game in Bristol, Conn., before serving as a TV analyst once the tournament shifts to Williamsport, Pa.
Frazier led Toms River East to the Little League World Series title in 1998, starring as both a shortstop and a pitcher.
“Everything is coming full circle a little bit,” Frazier said, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, especially for the Little League World Series since I’ve been a part of it. I know it and I understand it really well. Kind of (a) kickstart (to) my second career here.”
The Little League World Series is a family affair for the Fraziers. Last summer, Frazier’s nephew, Carson, appeared in the tournament with Toms River East; Frazier’s brother, Jeff, did the same in 1995.
Frazier’s eight-year-old son, Blake, has a dream of reaching Williamsport, too.
“There is always something we want them to look forward to,” Frazier said. “It helps out for the next generation. These kids on the team, a bunch of kids that saw what we did and what everybody else did, and they have a dream now.”
Not only is Frazier returning to Williamsport as a broadcaster, but also to be forever immortalized: He is scheduled for induction into the Little League Hall of Excellence later this summer.
Frazier went 9-for-15 with four home runs and 10 RBI in his LLWS career.
