The 2009 Little League champion team, the Tovar El Corozo, pose for a photo with Mets’ pitcher Johan Santana (back row, left in orange shirt) after being presented a championship trophy by Santana on the same field where he grew up playing baseball. Santana went back to Tovar, Venezuela last weekend for an annual charity event thrown by the Johan Santana Foundation and passed out 10,000 toys to local children. Before throwing the opening pitch of the little league championship, Santana also surprised every team in the league with new equipment.

Little league players in Tovar, Venezuela surprise Mets’ pitcher Johan Santana and his wife Yasmile with a banner decorated with handprints of local children as a sign of their appreciation for everything the Santana family has done for the children of their hometown.

Johan Santana sits in his old first grade classroom in Tovar, Venezuela. Santana returned to Tovar last weekend as part of a charity event hosted by the Johan Santana Foundation, and passed out 10,000 toys to local children.