NUTLEY, NJ – Baseball players dream of playing in the World Series.
The Nutley Little League Intermediate Division 13-year-old All-Stars got to live out that dream this summer.
Consisting of players from Nutley East and Nutley American little leagues, the team traveled to Livermore, Calif. where they competed in the Little League World Series 50/70 Intermediate Division, which began July 28.
A crowd of family members and friends gathered in front of Jim Dandy’s on the corner of High Street and Franklin Avenue to welcome home the team on Monday, Aug. 5. The team arrived in a police escort as they received a hero’s welcome.
Nutley, representing the East region, went 1-2 in the World Series. They lost to the Southeast region team team on July 28. Two days later, they lost to the California region team. But they capped off their showing with a victory over the Australia region team on Aug. 1.
The team advanced to the World Series after winning the district, sectional, state and regional tournaments. It was the first time ever that a Nutley Little League made it to a World Series.
Photos by Joe Ragozzino
Team photo, courtesy of Silvia Haines:
Top row from left: Jon Paul LoMonaco, coach, Peter Breihof, manager, Jayden Velez, Jonathan Breihof, Kevin Jiratatprasot, Jake LoMonaco, Joey Haines and Joe Haines, assistant coach.
Bottom row: Anthony DiPaolo, Myles Gomez, Eric Thompson, Ryan Roque and Chris Sarno. Not pictured Rocco DeLitta