Dave Kennedy/Courtesy of Express From left, Australia's Hudson, Fletcher and Spencer Dobb talk about the excitement of playing in the Little League World Series during a recent players picnic at Penn College.
WILLIAMSPORT — With Little League Baseball founded in 1939 and the first World Series played just eight years later, one might think that every conceivable scenario has come true at some point in the past, but that assumption would be wrong.
This will be the second consecutive year that Hills Little League, from Sydney, New South Wales, will be competing in the series and when 12-year-olds Spencer, Fletcher and Hudson Dobb take the field they will make history as the first triplets to play as a team in the series.
“It's incredible. All of our coaches have sons so it's nice to share it with them and this journey has been amazing,” said Adam Dobb, team manager and father of three sons.
“I'm a father of five children and these three boys are the most recent additions to my family,” he explained.
“There's no prouder moment than having these three boys in Williamsport,” he said.
Adam has visited the United States seven or eight times, including trips with his eldest son, but this is the first time that the current team has visited the United States.
“My dad and brother played in Australia and we followed in their footsteps, so now we're here to represent Australia,” Fletcher said.
The boys and their father said the very nature of playing on the same team as their siblings often brings out the best in them.
“It's fun playing with my brothers because we can be so competitive at times,” Fletcher said.
“Yes, it's very competitive, but it helps us improve a lot and it helps us win,” Spencer agreed.
“They've always loved baseball. All three of them love baseball, so it's always been easy to be on the same team. And the competitive nature of the three of them helps them support each other,” Adam said.
“When those three guys compete at a high level and play with the right mentality, they're tough to beat, but when they're fighting on the bench, things can go the other way quickly,” the coach explained.
The boys spoke of their feelings about playing on the world stage, with a mixture of nervousness and excitement, while also savoring the whole experience.
“I love watching games from countries like Japan and I want to understand because I have to translate,” Fletcher said, adding that the team can now use mobile phones to communicate across language barriers.
While meeting, hanging out and making new friends with so many Americans has been the highlight of their time here, the siblings said, their sons have bigger ambitions to make the most of their time in the States.
“I want to see all the places in America, like Hollywood, and meet some famous people,” Hudson said.
“I'm looking forward to meeting MLB players when I get the chance and getting their autographs,” Fletcher added.
“Once I'm done playing, I'd like to visit a major league ballpark or two, go to Penn State, and attend some local events while I'm in town,” Adam said.
For anyone wanting to achieve their goals, especially those with their sights set on a Little League future, the boys say the key is to always believe in yourself.
“Don't listen to anyone and just give it your all,” Fletcher said.
“Always take action towards your dreams. If you dream towards something, you can achieve it,” Spencer suggested.
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