On August 17, 2017, Joey Gray stepped into the box at Lamade Stadium in Williamsport, PA and did what no one else within the Riptide organization has done: He hit a grand slam in the Little League World Series.
His home run was just one of the many moments that made for a memorable run to Williamsport for Gray and his 2017 Santa Margarita Little League team.
Now over a year removed from playing the game he grew to love, Gray has moved on to new endeavors. Through sports photography, he has channeled his passion for the game into a love for taking photos.
Baseball from Birth
Without a doubt, baseball runs in Gray’s blood. Growing up, he was constantly surrounded by the game, as his dad, Rich, played independent ball and in college at the University of Oklahoma. His mother, Robin, played softball at the University of Arizona and encouraged her sons to play baseball growing up.
“With both of them there baseball has been in my blood my entire life,” Gray said. “For as long as I can remember I’ve had a bat in my hand swinging in the backyard.”
Joey Gray (right) and his brother Bobby Gray (left) grew up playing baseball together and were key contributors to their Santa Margarita Little League team’s run to Williamsport. (Photo courtesy Robin Gray)
However, this love of baseball was not just passed down to Joey. His twin brother also became a prolific pitcher for Santa Margarita Little League.
Together, the tandem formed a dynamic duo that impacted the game on the mound and at the plate to help carry Santa Margarita Little League in their World Series run.
“It was a lot of fun being able to play with my brother in the Little League World Series,” Joey’s brother Bobby said. “We had been playing together our entire lives and to be able to make it to that big of a stage together was the greatest thing.”
The Road to Williamsport
To call Santa Margarita Little League’s run to the Little League World Series dominant would be an understatement. Gray’s team went undefeated, going on to finish 25-0 en route to winning the Western regional and securing a spot in Williamsport.
Familiarity and strong team chemistry were critical to the team’s success and made the season especially memorable for Gray.
“We just ended up having a really great group of guys [that felt] like a family,” Gray said. “We played as a team really well, so the winning was going to come.”
Joey Gray’s “Kodak Moment”
A Kodak Moment is often described as an unforgettable experience that can only be captured by a photograph. For Gray, this moment came in his first at-bat in Williamsport. In their opening game against Walla Walla Little League, Gray found himself in a scenario that kids dream of: A tie game, bases loaded and a full count. In fact, he even mentioned dreaming of this exact scenario just a few nights before his debut in Williamsport.
“The days leading up to the first game of the World Series I was thinking first at-bat grand slam,” Gray said. “I don’t know why… Laying in bed in Williamsport, I was thinking that’s my first at-bat.”
With one swing of the bat, Gray turned his dreams into reality, as he sent a fastball over the right field fence for a grand slam in his first at-bat in Williamsport.
The moment encapsulated in a snapshot, with all of its emotions of joy and relief as Gray’s teammates mobbed him at home plate after his grand slam.
Joey Gray gets mobbed by his teammates at home plate after hitting a first-inning grand slam at the Little League World Series. (Photo Courtesy llws2017.littleleague.org)
Gray’s homerun led the way in a dominant 9-0 win for Santa Margarita, and although it was the team’s only win in Williamsport, the victory cemented the team’s legacy among the all-time teams in Santa Margarita Little League history.
“I didn’t realize how many people were watching not only around the world but specifically in this area,” Gray said. “When we got back there was a big parade for us and we ended up throwing out the first pitch of the next little league season. Even five years later they’re still having us out to honor our team.”
Developing a Love For Photography
After the conclusion of his high school career at Trabuco Hills High School, Gray decided it was time to hang up the cleats and focus his energy on another one of his other passions: photography.
“I’ve been around photography my entire life,” Gray said. “My mom is a photographer, so growing up with her taking photos of us and being on the other end of the camera made me more comfortable [with photography]. My senior year I had a passion project that spanned the whole year, so I thought why not get into photography.”
That year, Gray got his first experience with photography by taking photos at Trabuco High School football, basketball, baseball and soccer games.
Currently, he attends Saddleback Community College and has continued taking photos of a variety of sports such as baseball and football.
In addition, Joey is a photography intern on the 2024 Riptide summer staff. Gray has enjoyed his summer so far with the Riptide and explains how it’s helped him learn about the impact that photography can have within a team setting.
“Shooting for them [the Riptide] is really fun because I’m doing what I love doing which is shooting baseball, Gray said. “Also, it’s cool working with the media team and seeing how my photos can be used, whether it’s on an article, a graphic or a social media post.”
Long term, the photographer hopes to one day work for an MLB team and stay involved with the game of baseball.
“I would say my end goal is to be a team photographer for a professional team,” Gray said. “Ideally an MLB team since baseball is my sport.”
You can follow Joey on Instagram @jgray.media and view his latest work including some of his recent photos with the Riptide.
