Crouched behind home plate for an elongated seventh inning, Lower Bucks Minutemen Navy catcher Robbie Ellis squeezed his glove tight to hold onto the third and final strike of the Philly Select League 13U Championship game. Covered in dirt and sweat, he took off his mask and let out a deep, symbolic exhale.
He and his teammates had just held on for a thrilling 9–8 win after Kings 13U sent eight batters to the plate in the final inning, scoring four runs and stranding the tying run in scoring position. Once Ellis removed his stars-and-stripes chest protector and red shin guards, the celebration began — with a group of teammates who have become an extended family.
“It means the world. I get to always get to hang out with them. It’s like we’re one big family,” Ellis said.
Family means everything to the young catcher — especially the memory of his late grandfather, Bob Warner, who passed away two years ago.
“My Poppy helped me learn the game of baseball. He helped me love it. Same with my brother, but my grandpa was really my mentor,” Ellis said.
Whether it was grabbing a glove for a quick catch in the driveway or hauling a bucket of balls down to the local field, Warner never missed a chance to pass along his love for the game.
“Whenever I wanted to have a catch in the driveway, he’d always get his glove. He’d always throw and he’d always take me down to the fields to hit and it was just a blessing. I miss him very much,” Ellis said.
“The day before he passed we had a scrimmage and I hit my first ever over-the-fence home run. I sort of think he helped me with that,” he added, glancing skyward for a quiet moment.
All that time and effort has paid dividends. Ellis has become a cornerstone of the Minutemen — the catcher every coach wants, the teammate every kid respects.
“He’s the heart and soul of the team. He wants to be nothing more than the best teammate,” Minutemen head coach Matt Wolski said. “He’s also a great three-hitter.”
Wolski has known Ellis for years and saw the position find him early on.
“He’s like the catcher from Sandlot, [Hamilton Porter]. He thinks he wants to play other positions, but he’s only allowed to be a catcher. He is a catcher. When he was seven or eight years old he came out as a catcher and now he owns it,” Wolski said with a smile.
And Ellis does own it — right down to the details. He talks about his arm care routine with the maturity of a veteran: icing, resistance bands, plyometric work.
“It takes dedication and I’m willing to give it. I’m always trying to get better, no matter what I do,” Ellis said. “I like the amount of work you have to put in.”
That work hasn’t just come behind the plate — it’s also come with the challenge of adjusting to a full-size field after dominating in Little League. It’s a leap that takes time and toughness.
“It’s adjusting 13-year-olds to a bigger field. By the end of the year, they understand you can’t do things differently because you’re small. You just got to be a little bit better at it,” Wolski said.
“It’s a big jump, but I feel like I adapted well,” Ellis said. “The pitching slows down so the hitting gets easier, but the throws down to second and third are a lot harder. You have to stay on top of your arm and keep it very healthy.”
With that mindset — and his coach’s trust — Ellis turned in what he called the best season of his life. It all culminated with him driving in three runs in the championship game and earning MVP honors.
“This means the world,” Ellis said, smiling as he looked at the MVP trophy.
“I’ve done this for my grandpa. I’ve always been trying to play to honor him.”
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