North, South--All Hailed by Hometown

MISSION VIEJO — For the boys of summer, the party continues.

This time, their hometown was putting on the show, complete with stretch limos, pizza, 1,500 cheering parents and fans and accolades from city officials Wednesday evening in honor of both the South and North Mission Viejo baseball teams.

The Little League national champions have been to Disneyland, where they marched down Main Street before cheering crowds, and they’ve been to Anaheim Stadium, where they were honored again before the Angels-Indians game Tuesday.

And the celebrations will continue this week, when the South Little Leaguers fly to Sacramento to receive congratulations from Gov. Pete Wilson and the Legislature.

But Wednesday’s tribute at the Saddleback College baseball stadium was particularly sweet, because it was home. And it was community pride at work, honoring the Mission Viejo Junior League team, which also made it to the World Series, as well as the champs.

“We knew this was going to happen, but we didn’t expect all these gifts!” said North Mission Viejo Junior League shortstop Mike Thompson.

“This is really cool,” said South pitcher and shortstop Adam Sorgi. “I knew there were going to be a lot of people here.”

From the hundreds of parents and relatives beaming in the stands under the hot afternoon sun to the hordes of photographers and camera people eager for a shot of the champs, it was the kids’ chance to shine.

Families whistled, they cried, they held up signs reading, “Welcome back our hometown heroes.”

“We are really, really proud,” said Linda O’Donovan, whose son Ryan is a pitcher for the South team. “It just absolutely blows my mind that this many people would come out. It’s so cool!”

The celebration began around 5 p.m. with a police escort, sirens blaring, leading a pack of limos from Marguerite Parkway to Avery Parkway and winding their way through the campus toward the baseball stadium.

The South team, hanging out of the sunroof, headed up the caravan in none other than a white stretch Lamborghini limo. Next followed the Junior Leaguers in Lexus cars, honking and waving.

“I think this is marvelous,” said Saddleback College swim coach Flip Darr, who has been in a few parades with champion swimming teams. “They’ll never forget this.”

Once the limos curved around the corner behind the stadium, the Mission Viejo High School marching band struck up, and in marched the boys in uniform.

After sitting patiently for nearly two hours as scores of politicians ranging from Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer to Rep. Christopher Cox congratulated them, they received their trophies and bags of goodies such as video games and candy.

There was no mention of the South’s loss to a Mexican team at the world championships last week nor the North’s loss to a New Hampshire team in the Junior League’s World Series finals.

“I think this is the most positive experience they have ever had,” said Paul Nestor, whose son Tommy played for the North. “It’s been an eye-opener and it has expanded their world. They got to see different settings, they were on their own, they learned to speak in public and share their feelings with complete strangers.”

Now it’s back to reality for the boys. They start school in two weeks, and all agreed they were anxious to have a vacation in between. And for some, planning has already begun for next year.

“It’s been really cool,” said Matt Cox, pitcher and outfielder for the North team. “Next year we are going to win. We are gonna go to [the finals] in Florida.”