The El Segundo Little League All-Stars got a hero’s welcome on Monday, Aug. 28.
Hundreds lined up along Main Street on Monday afternoon to show their love for the world hampionship El Segundo Little League All-Star team, which brought back the lauded title after a nail-biter final game Sunday in Williamsport, Pennsylvania — which ended with a walk-off home run.
The team traveled from Los Angeles International Airport and made its way to Imperial Avenue.
Then, a short parade of SUV’s, a bus and the El Segundo Fire Department took them along Main Street before a cheering crowd. White, yellow and blue balloons, representing the team’s color, lined the street and supporters waved signs reading “Go Gundo” as the team members passed.
“I think it’s awesome,” said El Segundo’s Sandi Black after the homecoming. “These boys worked hard to get where they are now that they’re world champions.
“It was a big turnout,” she added, “bigger than I thought it was going to be.”
El Segundo Councilmember Lance Giroux was president of El Segundo Little League, which was first formed in 1954, for three years and on its board of directors for five years.
Giroux said he has known many of the current players since they were playing tee-ball and a lot of their older brothers were playing when he was president.
With the Little League success and community support — including raucous watch parties since the journey began — Giroux said it has been “pretty electric during this time.”
Many people don’t realize how challenging it is for teams in Southern California to get that far, Giroux said. In California’s southern region, he said, there are 440 Little League teams.
“Just to get out of California is more than any of those other teams have to deal with,” Giroux said. “So what they accomplished was truly amazing for many reasons.”
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