Just before 1 p.m. on Sunday, Bayonne police halted traffic by the diner and bistro at the corner of Broadway and Ninth Street. Two parade floats pulled up, and the city’s 12-year-old Little League All Stars hurried atop them. A siren sounded; the parade stepped off.
Block after block, residents stood on street corners and stuck their heads out of third-floor apartment windows to fete the first team from the peninsula to reach the Little League World Series. Children held up signs emblazoned with “Bayonne vs. Everybody“; one house had “14A All the Way” banner above its porch. Players threw mini balls to supporters, and grew more competitive as they proceeded. Velocities leapt.
“Easy, easy!” Jaime Rincon, an assistant coach, said.
There were no promises from the players who re-wrote their Little League’s annals all summer to slow down. Red, white and blue confetti flew in the air. Fire trucks, an ambulance and police SUVs escorted the floats to First Street, where more supporters awaited them. At the Little League complex, commissioner Roger Malone watched the parking lot fill up.
“It’s insane,” he said. “One o’clock on the NFL’s opening day, and our lot is full for 12-year-old players. No one is bailing early. Amazing.”
Gallagher, a rock and roll band, played on a stage, and each player was announced during the roll call. Politicians issued proclamations and commended the pre-teens for their 15 straight wins before being eliminated with back-to-back losses.
“You put Bayonne on the map, and people know we’re more than just a bridge,” Mayor Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski. “Thank you for that. Thank you for representing us with such class.”
Bayonne has exported plenty of sporting talent to the national stage: boxer Chuck Wepner, McDonald’s All-American Corey Stokes and former Rutgers tight end Kenny Britt who reached the NFL as a first-round pick. Stokes was on hand for the celebration Sunday, wearing his own “Bayonne vs. Everybody” T-shirt and helping his sons, Nico, who is four years old, and C.J., who is eight years old, get autographs from the Little League All Stars like Mason Rincon.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Stokes said. “It’s a wonderful thing to see. This is a team thing, and the future is looking brought for the youth in Bayonne.”
Residents feted the Bayonne All Stars who won two games at the Little League World Series during a parade Sunday afternoon.Kevin Armstrong | NJ.com
Merchandise continues to move for the non-profit outfit run by volunteers. What started as a rallying cry – Bayonne vs. Everybody – morphed into a marketing slogan, and now more than 6,000 T-shirts have been printed and sold to defray the unexpected travel costs players’ parents experienced during August’s run to the Metro regional championship in Connecticut and the World Series in Williamsport. Hoodies are now available, as are car magnets and pins.
“We’re now a full retail business,” Malone said. “I didn’t expect to be this.”
The two and a half weeks since their last out in Williamsport, Pennsylvania have been filled with a mixture of rest, sifting through appearance requests and starting the school year. Last week, the team threw out a ceremonial first pitch at Citi Field. Rincon, who played five positions in Williamsport, was invited to Georgia, where he played in a Perfect Game All Star event for 12-year-olds. He will play in another event in Houston, then another in Florida before year’s end as prospectors evaluate his potential in the game. On Sunday, he reflected on his home run over the center field fence that gave Bayonne a victory in its Little League World Series opener against the New England All Stars from Bridgewater, Mass.
“I’ve always watched umpire point of view videos of other people’s home runs, so for it to be through my eyes this time, on the best field in Little League baseball, that was amazing,” Mason Rincon said. “It was like, ‘yo, I really just hit a home run on the biggest stage.'”
On and on the victory tour will wind through the change of seasons. Bayonne will visit Yankee Stadium for a game as a team on September 22, and New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, who was not present Sunday due to a military commitment, plans to host the boys at the statehouse in Trenton. LaMonica McIver, the state senator who represents Bayonne, has gained approval to recognize the players and coaches on the senate floor during a session on October 22, too. Perhaps most important to the team will be a party at Mona Lisa Pizzeria on Fifth Street.
“Pretty packed schedule,” said Mason Rincon, who rotated between posing for photos with kids and signing autographs on baseballs. “I’m just trying to be one of the best players in the country. Just always trying to get better.”
While Bayonne is a baseball town that does not have lacrosse leagues offered by the recreation department or high school, plenty of the players from the team will switch to other sports for a break from baseball. Chase Klimkowski, a pitcher and center fielder whose strong pitching effort against the Mid-Atlantic regional champions was pivotal in Bayonne securing a second win at the Little League World Series, plays hockey and also wrestles. Still, invites from travel baseball teams are coming for the fall, as well.
“Maybe he’ll make a guest appearance or two,” his father, Ryan, said.
As for the Little League, tee ball started Saturday.
“People were stopping by, still asking if T-shirts were for sale,” Malone said.
Bayonne Little League first baseman Leandro Anaya was introduced to the crowd at a celebration on Sunday.Kevin Armstrong | NJ.com
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