Scott Bandura’s first days in the Major Leagues have come with a familiar face in the crowd. On Tuesday night at Busch Stadium, Mo’ne Davis watched the friend she once shared South Philadelphia fields with help the Giants beat the Cardinals, 10-3.
Bandura’s big-league week brings an old teammate back around
On-page headline: Mo’ne Davis Watches Scott Bandura’s Major League Dream Take Shape in St. Louis
SEO title: Mo’ne Davis Reunites With Giants Rookie Scott Bandura in St. Louis
SEO description: Former Little League World Series teammates Mo’ne Davis and Scott Bandura reunited at Busch Stadium after Bandura’s first call to the Giants.
Davis was in the area because the Los Angeles Queens are scheduled to open the inaugural Women’s Professional Baseball League Championship Series in Springfield, Illinois, on Wednesday. With Springfield only a couple of hours from St. Louis, she made the trip to see Bandura play.
“Reaching the majors was always what he wanted,” Davis said. “Getting to see him there was really special for me.”
From a South Philadelphia youth program to the big leagues
- In 2008, Steve Bandura was tending to the infield after an Anderson Monarchs 10-and-under game, part of the South Philadelphia youth program he has operated since 1995.
- His players were tossing a football in the outfield when he noticed 7-year-old Davis competing right alongside the boys. She had come to the park because her cousin played in the program.
- Steve introduced himself, then gave Davis his number and invited her to a basketball practice for a recently formed group of 7-year-olds.
- Davis’ mother called, and Davis arrived at the next Tuesday practice. She became part of the same group as Steve’s son, Scott.
- The group stayed together through baseball, basketball and soccer, and Davis’ talent carried from one game to the next.
Steve still recalls an early indoor baseball workout, when Davis took the mound despite having little experience with a glove. He caught one of her pitches and fired the ball back harder than he meant to, an early glimpse of the arm that would later draw national attention.
Williamsport made them household names, but the bond ran deeper
In 2014, Davis and Bandura helped Philadelphia’s Taney Dragons reach the Little League World Series semifinals. Davis became the first girl in Little League World Series history to record both a victory and a shutout. Bandura caught for her and batted first in the lineup.
Their connection was never limited to the dugout. After Davis’ family relocated to New Jersey following that Little League World Series run, she stayed with the Bandura family while attending school in Philadelphia. Steve’s daughter had left for New York to pursue ballet, leaving a bedroom available. Davis moved into that room and remained there for about five years.
Steve describes Davis as part of the family, calling her a daughter to him and a sister to Scott.
Their baseball paths eventually split, though the support remained. Davis played softball at Hampton University before returning to the diamond with the WPBL. Bandura attended Princeton, became a seventh-round Giants selection in 2023 and worked his way from Double-A Richmond to Triple-A Sacramento this season.
- Earlier this year, Davis threw a ceremonial first pitch on Jackie Robinson Night for the Hartford Yard Goats.
- Richmond, Bandura’s club at the time, was the visiting team.
- Bandura came from the visitor’s dugout to receive the pitch from Davis.
- On Sunday, Bandura received his first Major League callup with San Francisco.
- He debuted at Oracle Park, collected his first hit and scored a run before 35,115 fans.
- Two days later, Davis was in the stands at Busch Stadium as the Giants handled St. Louis.
Bandura said the Oracle Park crowd stirred memories of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where he had last experienced a crowd of that size as a 12-year-old.
Davis marked his promotion on Instagram with a message celebrating her “brother” becoming a Giant and encouraging him to enjoy the moment.
A shared habit of staying level
Davis said distance has not changed the way the two former teammates pull for one another. They have tried to show support whenever possible, she said, with the understanding that the relationship remains steady even when their schedules and cities do not line up.
Steve sees the same steadiness in the old group of kids he coached. What he remembers is not only the attention and the big stages, but their temperament through it all: they did not become carried away after wins, and they did not let losses bury them.
Twelve years after Bandura crouched behind the plate for Davis during her Little League World Series run, Davis was back in a ballpark to see him chase the dream they shared as kids. For both, the reunion in St. Louis was another reminder that baseball has kept finding ways to bring them together.
