Louis Lappe knew the ball was gone, he said, when he hit the now familiar walk-off home run to win the Little League World Series last month.
“I was floating around the bases,” Lappe said in an interview right before his team headed over to El Segundo’s Main Street on Sunday, Sept. 10 just before the city’s residents rolled out to applaud them one more time.
For the players, their families, the coaches, the local league — and the entire town — it was the culmination of a long journey.
From the baseball fields of El Segundo to the hallowed Little League fields in South Williamsport, Penn and back home, the El Segundo Little League All-Stars and the town that supported them throughout the journey, celebrated their world championship with Sunday’s official civic parade.
The team and coaches traveled from Imperial Highway to El Segundo Boulevard, a similar route when their homecoming was celebrated with a Main Street procession on Aug. 28.
This time they were led by cheerleaders, the El Segundo High marching band and throngs of powder-blue-clad fans, a tribute to the uniforms they donned as “West” and tore through the prestigious tournament.
Everyone wanted in on the action: From the high school girls who festooned themselves in bright blue and yellow wigs to the toddler egged on by his mom to shout, “Go Gundo!” as he waved a gold pom-pom.
A Player Recognition Ceremony following the parade included speeches from Manager Danny Boehle; Jamin Griffiths, El Segundo Little League president; and El Segundo and other dignitaries including LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell and Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi.
And now, about 15 more people have the symbolic Key to the City of El Segundo, at least a dozen of them still in middle school.
The players and coaches were all presented with the honorary keys on a stage on Stevenson field.
Boehle said the most important thing the team did this year was “we became a family.”
“You play as a family…
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