The Atlanta Braves bested the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 on Sunday. But instead of walking away from the field after the game, both teams did something the MLB audience isn’t accustomed to. They formed a line to shake hands with each opponent.

With the Little League Series just steps away, it felt like the perfect fit for the occasion. And it portrayed how the game is much more than the final score. 

“A special tradition ❤️,” SportsCenter posted a 16-second clip on X. “Brewers and Braves players come together for a handshake line only seen in an MLB game at the Little League Classic. 🙌”

The Little League Classic became one of MLB’s most distinctive traditions since its introduction in 2017. Once every year, the major leaguers gather at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The original occasion is the Little League World Series. It allows the young players to witness the MLB stars and even interact with them.

The Little League Classic, organized by MLB and MLBPA, brought the Braves and Brewers together for a game where the former beat the Milwaukee side on Sunday. But the significance of the event goes beyond a game between two MLB teams.

The players forming a line, shaking hands with each other, is one of the most defining parts of the tradition. However, that wasn’t the only part. 

The event remembered the legacy of Hank Aaron, a 23-season MLB veteran who played for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves before finishing his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.

He made his major-league debut with the Milwaukee Braves in 1954 and played there through 1965. When the franchise moved to Atlanta in 1966, Aaron remained with the Braves for nine seasons before joining the Milwaukee Brewers for the final two seasons of his career

Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in front of 53,775 fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in 1974 by hitting his 715th homer. By the time he retired, he had reached 755, settling for second only to Barry Bonds’ 762 HRs.

But it wasn’t commemorating his records but the philosophy he left for his future generation. And the MLB stars, as well as the young players took the field to took the field to recite the “Keep Swinging” pledge.

“Today, I pledge to never quit,” reads the pledge. “No matter how hard or tough it gets. I’ll give my best, I’ll have fun. And make sure to include everyone. I will be myself, and keep on dreaming. And most of all, I promise to KEEP SWINGING!”

The handshake wasn’t just another routine. It was the perfect reflection of the message being presented to the young players. And Billye Aaron, Hank’s widow, offered her heartfelt gratitude for the homage.

“Let me just say thank you to each of you, for the love that you showed him, and for the legend that you continue on his behalf,” she added.

But one person pointed out an uncomfortable truth while everyone was praising the tradition as a whole.

An observation beyond the sport

Soren Petro, Sportsradio 810 WHB host, offered a serious question. While he isn’t against the handshake ritual, he asked the reasoning behind its limitation to just one event.

“Why only at the Little League World Series?  Because the kids are watching?” he posted on X, sharing the SportsCenter’s clip. “So the thought is there are no kids watching the other 2,429 Major League games. I laugh at the people who think sports is just too emotional to expect adults to act like adults and shake hands after a game.”

Shaking the hands of the opponents isn’t a foreign concept in Major League baseball.

There have been numerous examples of players greeting their opponents, hugging, exchanging jerseys, and, least of all, shaking hands with opponents. But it’s not a routine thing you’ll notice in regular games. And it’s certainly not a ritual. 

Whereas the fans of European Football are accustomed to watching their favorite stars form a handshake line every pre-game. Team sports like Hockey (both field and ice hockey), Volleyball, and cricket have a rule to shake hands or do a high-five after the game.

Individual sports like Tennis also have this trend. Even the MLS (which is the American league version of European football) and NHL postseason make it a routine to shake hands. But other American leagues like the NBA, NFL, and MLB don’t have this tradition. 

While the gesture from the Brewers-Braves game made it more than just a routine game, the surrounding question isn’t easy to ignore.