Moorpark Little League Team Waved Home

The screams, cheers and chants began the moment the plane carrying Moorpark’s Little League all-stars taxied into view at Los Angeles International Airport.

They continued well into Sunday night at Arroyo Vista Community Park as nearly 4,000 Moorpark residents welcomed home their team with a very large, very loud party.

The youngsters may have flown home without the Little League’s World Series championship, but family members and fans could not have cared less. They were still savoring the first trip to Williamsport, Pa., in Moorpark league history.

“Out of 6,000 teams, only four get to go,” said Mike Drummond, a former Moorpark Little League coach. “Getting there is the thing.”

About 60 parents and friends mobbed Gate 12 at the airport Sunday afternoon, wearing freshly printed Moorpark T-shirts and waving banners and pom-poms.

After a USAir employee threw open the gangway door, the team walked straight into a gauntlet of news crews, cheerleaders in green skirts and parents straining for a glimpse of their kids.

“Who’s in the house?” someone screamed.

“Moorpark!” the crowd roared in unison.

Other travelers unlucky enough to have booked the same plane struggled to clear the gate as the crowd surged forward. Manager Hector Garcia, one of the first to break through, said his team and their families deserved the celebration.

“They’re a great bunch of kids, and a great bunch of parents,” he said. “Look at this. They’ll never forget this.”

Matt Davenport, 12, Moorpark’s first baseman, said reaching the World Series had fulfilled a fantasy.

“I’ve been dreaming about this since I was 7,” he said, watching the crowd around him. When he actually found himself taking the field in Williamsport, he recalled: “I couldn’t believe it. I was in shock.

“I thought we did all right,” he added. “We definitely could have done better, but we were just happy to get there.”

His mother, Diane, caught him in a hug. “I’m so proud of you, baby!” she said.

Outside, Sunday afternoon traffic steered around two spotless, white stretch limousines parked in the loading zone and provided by Chuy’s restaurant in Moorpark. The players piled in, testing out the sunroof and posing for photos. The limousines pulled onto the road, led by a California Highway Patrol escort and trailed by a small fleet of cars and vans with green and gold ribbons--Moorpark’s team colors--flying from auto antennas.

The motorcade hit Moorpark about an hour later, making its way slowly down High Street past 200 well-wishers waving banners.

As the limousines approached Arroyo Vista Community Park, the fans went wild. The sirens of a fire engine and ambulance blared over the cheers of a crowd that had grown to nearly 4,000.

Dave Cruz, 79, of Moorpark was among those waiting to greet the players. Three decades ago he coached Moorpark Little League, and he could not have felt more pride for today’s players if they were his own.

“I’ve been waiting for this for 33 years,” he said. “There’s a lot of heart in these kids.”

Green and gold dominated the day. There were green balloons, green umbrellas, cheerleaders outfitted in green-and-gold, shaking green and gold pom-poms.

Sisters Emily Jacalone, 13, and Carianne, 9, of Moorpark, colored their hair green for the occasion.

“Half of my friends are on the team and I wanted to support them with green hair,” Emily said.

The players made their way to a stage where they were introduced one by one.

Laura Burchfield, whose son Joel played Little League baseball before drowning in the Arroyo Simi earlier this year, was thrilled with the reception.

“This is amazing,” she said. “It is beyond anybody’s expectations, but with the way this town has come together nothing surprises me at this point.”

“This feels great,” said Kevin Rossen, 12, the team’s right fielder. He was sitting atop one of the limousines--a perfect place to see all who came out to welcome home the town’s champions. “There’s a lot of people here.”

Although exhausted, several players’ parents said they were eager for next year’s competition.

“I’m ready, right now,” said Paul Burckin, whose son David plays left field for the team.

“I need to sleep first,” Diane Davenport said.