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CLARENDON HILLS, Ill. (WLS) — A parade for the Clarendon Hills Little League team stepped off Friday.
The village celebrated history made in Clarendon Hills as its Little League baseball team received a warm welcome home. The show of pride streamed through village streets for the next generation of baseball players.
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Cheers greeted the 12-year-old athletes as the Clarendon Hills Little League baseball team makes their way through the streets in a well-deserved parade after making their first-ever appearance in a historic three-game run in the Little League World Series before being eliminated Sunday by Hawaii.
Friday’s parade stepped off from the Clarendon Hills police station.
Ahead of the parade, the players signed their autographs as local celebrities for their newfound fans.
“We’re proud of these boys,” team supporter Chris Finch said. “We hope that the future is bright beyond them all.”
The day of celebration in Clarendon Hills continued as part of downtown transformed into a huge party, honoring the village’s Little League baseball team after the young players made history.
“Our baseball team will all go on to be great baseball players,” player Christian Gernot said. “We learned a lot this summer.”
For players like Brody Herold, his learning doesn’t stop. His dad, Brian Herold, is the team’s head coach.
“He’s amazing,” Brody Herold said. “He tells me what to do at home and what to do on the field.”
“Coming together and having this success on multiple levels, from district to state to regionals to making it to Williamsport was just an unbelievable achievement,” Brian Herold said.
The boys put a fight in several games in the LLWS tournament After first losing against this year’s Mountain Region champions from Las Vegas, they bounced back last Saturday, beating Pennsylvania’s team. They came up short against Hawaii Sunday, and were knocked out the World Series in the double-elimination competition.
Sloan Triangle in the downtown area was filled with fans Friday, honoring the team’s championship and history-making effort, representing Clarendon Hills.
“We just did a book, 100-year anniversary book, and I kind of feel like we have to do an addendum to it because here is our 101st year and we get such a great outcome,” Clarendon Hills Village President Eric Tech said.
This was final year for those young history-makers since the age limit for team is 12 years old, but the players say they’re hoping the next athletes coming up after them will take the team back to the Little League World Series next year.
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