EXCLUSIVENew York Yankees Star Todd Frazier Reflects on Coaching His Son's Toms River Baseball Team After 1998 Little League World Series Win
Todd Frazier is a dad to his and wife Jackie's three kids: Blake, 11, Kylie, 9, and Grant, 6.
Todd Frazier is back where baseball all started for him — at Toms River Little League.
The retired MLB all-star third basemen, who is now a sports analyst for the New York Yankees, sits down for an exclusive chat with OK! about what it's been like to coach his son Blake, 11 — who plays on the very same field where his dad's 1998 Little League World Championship team played more than 25 years ago.
Frazier recently had a full circle moment shooting a campaign with his son for OFF! at that Jersey Shore baseball field, where they participated in filming a video for the insect repellant brand on how to "Squish the Bug" both on and off the diamond.
Returning to Toms River Little League Brings Back 'a Lot of Memories'
Todd Frazier was a Little League World Series champion in 1998.
Reflecting on what it has meant to him to return to Toms River Little League, Frazier tells OK!: "It brings a lot of memories, especially at the Little League where I first started and we eventually won. It means a lot to me, especially inside in my heart."
"I was in the same batter's box as I was when I was 10 years old," he says in reference to one of the scenes he shot for the campaign video. "And now to work with my son and have him get an opportunity to win maybe a district, maybe even more, has been special."
Todd Frazier Praises Wife Jackie
Todd Frazier tied the knot with his son, Jackie, in 2012.
Frazier notes, however, that he wouldn't be able to do any of the fun parts of his career without the help of his spouse.
"It's very hard," he admits about finding the right balance. "You gotta have a good backbone and I credit my wife, Jackie. She's been phenomenal through all of this."
Todd Frazier on Working With Son Blake
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Todd Frazier got to work with his eldest son, Blake, to shoot a campaign video for OFF!.
While Blake, his other son, Grant, 6, and daughter, Kylie, 9, have somewhat started to understand their dad's level of baseball fame, Frazier said his kids remain "very humble."
"[Blake] is very athletic. I'm trying to teach him the values in life and he couldn't wait when I told him about the OFF! brand partnership," Frazier shares. "He's like, 'This is the coolest thing ever.'"
"I said, 'Listen, you gotta be ready to go and they're gonna film you doing different things.' I'm looking at him while he's performing squishing the bug and [he's] doing it the right way and showing young kids how to hit the ball and then showing the youth as well how to put it on bug spray. I think it was it was really cool for [both me and] him," the New York Yankees and Mets alum reflects.
Frazier explains how "perfect" his partnership with OFF! ended up being, as playing baseball in the New Jersey, New York area during this time of the year comes with endless mosquitos and ticks.
"It makes me think about when I used to play and now I'm actually coaching my son, too, and what has been a problem in all these years? It's been mosquitoes. And what do kids want to do? They want to play baseball, they want to hit home runs, they don't want to worry about anything else," he mentions.
Todd Frazier Says OFF!'s 'Squish the Bug' Campaign Was the 'Perfect Thing'
Todd Frazier and his son Blake are teaching young baseball players how to 'squish the bug.'
Frazier continues: "When this came about, we talked about it and I said, 'This is a perfect thing.' Because it relates to me and the kids I teach and we talked a little about squishing the bugs. Squishing the bug is basically a baseball word usage of turning your back foot and driving your hips to the baseball."
"Parents talk to me all the time about, 'I want my kid to hit a home run.' Well, guess what? He can't hit a home run if there's bugs all in his face and his body! So it works out perfect for Little leaguers and to partner with the OFF! brand and with Little league, it was a home run," Frazier concludes.
