Glove Conquers All

When Zach Wesley stepped off an airplane at the Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday and was met by about 40 fans, all he could think about were the memories of a Little League World Series.

The sting of losing the final round to Greenville, N.C., was already fading and all he really wanted to do was to eat and play with his dog.

His father, Kevin Wesley, on the other hand, was more excited. He was one of the phalanx of parents, relatives and friends gathered at the airport to greet the Cypress Federal all-star team returning from Williamsport, Pa.

For Zach and the other players on the Cypress Federal team, it was time to get a good night’s sleep for the first time in weeks, put away their gloves for a bit and relish the experience of being the one of the best teams in the country.

Trevor Rice, 11, who played second base and right field, said he felt great even though he didn’t get to play very many innings.

“It was a bummer to lose, but we got to play on the best field there is,” he said about the Howard J. Lamade Stadium.

The bliss of his experience went beyond baseball: “I even made a girlfriend . . . but she’s from Pennsylvania.”

Besides meeting new friends on and off the field, the players made some of the tourist rounds and took photos walking against the backdrop of a Pennsylvania cornfield--simulating a scene from the baseball movie “Field of Dreams.”

“There were no losers in Williamsport,” said Zach’s father, who recalled when his son watched the Little League World Series on television and longed to be one of the boys on the field.

“Two years later, there he was on the mound in the Super Bowl of kids sports,” Wesley said. “It’s a dream that only a tiny speck of kids can realize.”

Wesley arrived from Williamsport at the airport two hours before the team, put on his yellow Cypress “West” T-shirt, locked up his luggage and took a shuttle from the Continental to the USAir terminal so he could be there when his son stepped off the plane.

There were wide smiles under yellow brims of the Cypress Federal caps as the players walked down the jet way into the throng of supporters who were chanting “Cypress!” and holding signs.

Some parents pointed video recorders and cameras at the boys as they stepped into the gate area. One parent covered the kids with yellow Silly String from an aerosol can.

The loss in Williamsport was tough for the players, but they bounced back with aplomb, according to the parents.

The Cypress team members said they would focus on their success; like being one of the best in the nation and the only team to arrive in Williamsport undefeated with a 17-0 record.

“On any given day, any of those teams could’ve won,” Wesley said. “I think we were the best team out there, but our hitting went to sleep.”

Anthony Raffler, 12, said the team’s winning streak made them overconfident. “We got big-headed and thought we were the best team there.”

Pat Cassa, father of center-fielder, Pat, said his son will be left with many wonderful memories of the trip, as well as more confidence.

“They’re our own little celebrities,” he said.

Dorothy Mayercheck, grandmother of left-fielder Eric Koscielak, said the boys fielded their loss with grace. She said it was the relatives who took it hard. “We all had tears,” she said. “It was tough to lose.”