Showalter remembers Schoop in LLWS (plus game update)

ANAHEIM, Calif. - It is a storyline that comes up it seems every August. Right about the time that the Little League World Series begins in Williamsport, Pa.

Someone will interview Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop about the time his team won the championship. Schoop and the kids from the tiny island nation of Curacao played in the LLWS not once, but twice. They had a strong showing in 2003. They won the championship in 2004.

Schoop began that final game batting third and playing shortstop, and went 2-for-3 with an RBI. He ended it on the mound. He got the last two outs to get a save as Curacao beat Thousand Oaks, Calif., 5-2.

During this interview I did with Schoop in 2015, he called that title "the best experience of my life." Now ESPN is doing a story on current major leaguers Schoop and Jurickson Profar, who both played on that 2004 team.

O's skipper Buck Showalter spent a few moments during his pregame media session talking about the upcoming story on Schoop and Profar.

"In the Little League World Series in 2004, they both played together. Schoop said, 'We didn't realize how big a deal it was until we came back and there was a parade.' They also got a lifetime of free food at McDonald's in Curacao. He said that was big. They got a cell phone and back in 2004, that was really big. They got a laptop. He kept talking about all the stuff they got and that it was life changing. I asked him, 'What was the best thing you got?' He said, 'Cell phone and McDonald's. That was close.' " Showalter said.

O's fall behind: After eight scoreless innings for the Orioles, right-hander Jeremy Hellickson allowed a run in the second inning tonight as the Angels took a 1-0 lead. Hellickson pitched seven scoreless last Wednesday in his O's debut.

Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons, batting .400 his last 16 games, singled with one out and later stole second base. With two outs, C.J. Cron singled to left for his 26th RBI and the 1-0 lead on Hellickson and the Orioles.

Right-hander Parker Bridwell blanked his former team through the first three innings on one hit. Bridwell has thrown 35 pitches - 28 four-seam fastballs between 93-95 mph.

Now it's tied: Caleb Joseph's RBI single tied it 1-1 in the fifth during an inning when the Orioles hit four shots over 100 mph off Bridwell. But they got just one run as Cameron Maybin made a diving catch in left to rob Manny Machado and end the frame with runners on first and second.