El Segundo’s Little League champs feted by the Dodgers
LOS ANGELES — Stardom continued to shine on El Segundo’s Little League World Series champs on Tuesday. Southern California’s youth baseball superstars spent another day in the limelight topped by a night under the lights at Dodger Stadium.
Players and their families were treated to an afternoon on the field during pregame warmups and batting practice. Several Dodger players, as well as Manager Dave Roberts, signed autographs and posed for photos with the players behind home plate. Some players were interviewed by local television stations on the field.
The Dodgers recognized the El Segundo Little League team on the field before the game. Of course, the players and their families were invited to stay and watch the game.
Louis Lappe of El Segundo who just won the Little League World Championship interviews teammates prior to a baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers. @mlb #mlb @dodgers #baseball @billplunkettocr @jphoornstra @InsideSoCalSpts #ElSegundo pic.twitter.com/qX6C1js47G
— Keith Birmingham (@photowkb) August 29, 2023
The team started the day by returning to its hometown park, George Brett Field, to give interviews with regional and nationwide media. “It’s gonna be pretty cool,” catcher Lucas Keldorf told KNX News on Tuesday morning about the trip to Chavez Ravine. “I wanna meet all the players.”
“When you do something like this in this city, and all the sports teams that we have and all the legendary winning sports teams through the Dodgers, the Lakers, the Kings, Rams, Chargers – it just makes sense to honor teams that win,” Manager Danny Boehle said. “Winners win. So that’s what we do.”
Hundreds lined up along Main Street on Monday afternoon to give the team a boisterous welcome-home party.
El Segundo Little League in the house. Welcome, champs! pic.twitter.com/pFl5TzYNCT
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 30, 2023
The team arrived at Los Angeles International Airport around 2:30 p.m. on Monday and was immediately met by reporters and television cameras. After gathering their things, the team made the short drive to El Segundo for the loud, joyous crawl down Main Street.
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 Little League World Series uniform colors, lined the street and supporters waved signs reading “Go Gundo” as the team members passed.
The caravan provided a preview of the official championship parade, which will be held on the same street on Sept. 10.
“We’ve been on the road for a long time, and these boys are itching to come home and celebrate with their family here,” Boehle told reporters at the airport. “And we just couldn’t be more happy with the outcome and the way these guys respected the city of El Segundo, the state of California and the United States of America. It’s been an incredible journey. They finished the mission they started three years ago, and I love them all and I can’t wait to celebrate with our town.”
The title-clinching win came in dramatic fashion on Sunday, after relentless weeks of playoff action. Louis Lappe hit a walk-off home run in the sixth inning, becoming an instant legend and giving El Segundo the Little League World Series title with a 6-5 victory over Curaçao.
The leadoff hitter in the bottom of the sixth inning, Lappe lofted the second pitch he saw just beyond the left field fence. Lappe flipped his bat and threw his arms in the air as he trotted around the bases, leaping onto home plate as he was greeted by his teammates surrounding the batter’s box.
“This is a unique feeling that maybe only five or less people experience in their lifetime,” said Lappe, who finished the tournament with five homers, the most of any player. “I feel great. It’s hard to beat this feeling. I don’t know what would make me feel happier.”
El Segundo survived an early loss, overcame sickness and stood up to the pressure of playing in the 20-team tournament to win it all. El Segundo had to win five consecutive elimination games to become the first team from California to capture the title since Huntington Beach’s Ocean View Little League in 2011.
It is the eighth Little League World Series title won by a team from California – the most of any U.S. state – and the first for an L.A. County team since Long Beach won in 1993.
City News Service contributed to this report.