It’s a success story three years in the making, pushed forward at every step by coaches, parents and the players, and all to give Louis Lappe one swing of his bat.
The 11- and 12-year-old champions from El Segundo Little League, on the power of Lappe’s game-winning hit on Sunday, claimed the 2023 Little League World Series in the most dramatic way – via a walk-off home run.
“I knew it was gone. He crushed it,” catcher Lucas Keldorf said. “I just chucked up my helmet because we’d just won Williamsport in a walk-off.”
The team returned home from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Monday to a massive crowd of family, friends and supporters at LAX and a caravan with a sizeable police escort from Imperial Highway south to El Segundo Boulevard.
“When you’re in Williamsport and you’re in the isolated bubble, you have kids asking for autographs and they haven’t really re-entered their world yet,” Lucas’ mom Michelle Keldorf said. “So we’re all really curious to see what happens when they get home. All of us are a little bit holding our breath.”
THE BACK STORY
More than half the team attended the same elementary school and the core group of players has been together as El Segundo Little League All-Stars going back to when they were all 9 years old.
“I’ve been playing with these boys since 10U,” center fielder Max Baker said. “We all know each other really well.”
Danny Boehle has managed the team from the start, guiding the group with his own personal combination of love, humility and accountability.
Lappe was added to the roster ahead of this season, giving the team another front-line starting pitcher and an emerging power threat.
“With the addition of Louis, who I’d say is one of the best pitchers in the country, the confidence was there,” Michelle Keldorf said.
THE PARENTS
This summer will live long in their bank accounts but even longer in their memories.
“You scramble to try to find flights and places to stay in this tiny, little town,” Max’s dad, Jack Baker, said. “There are no five-star hotels or anything like that. You’re scraping to find Air B&Bs, but no complaints at all.”
They’ve been a traveling support system for more than a month, fundraising and even splitting time in Williamsport.
“Someone’s got to hold down the fort at home,” said Chris Keldorf, who was in Williamsport for the first eight days before switching places with wife Michelle. “The other kids still need to go to school.”
“It’s been an adventure, and I think that’s part of this journey as a parent,” Baker said. “Each round it becomes more of a scramble, and if you go through the loser’s bracket then you have to be there every other day, so it’s a crazy experience for the parents for sure.”
THE LOSS TO TEXAS
Boehle was criticized for the loss to Texas – the team’s only defeat in all-star tournament play – but he always said the response was more important.
“If you look at that game, and everyone’s a Monday quarterback and that’s fine, but I think we beat ourselves more in that game,” Boehle said.
The result forced El Segundo to play the next day and regain its momentum.
They toppled Rhode Island and Tennessee to work their way out of the consolation bracket and earn a rematch against Texas in the U.S. championship game, which they won easily.
“I wasn’t concerned about Texas. We hit their guys hard and so I never felt worried about how good they were,” Boehle said.
THE TITLE GAME
The Southern California and West Region champions – no small feat – El Segundo won one more nail-biter, this time after a grand slam from Curacao’s Nasir El-Ossais tied the score in the fifth inning.
“We were down to Del Rey in sectionals and came back to win that game (and) we came back to beat Sherman Oak in the last at-bat,” Boehle said. “In my mind, it’s basically 0-0 and we have the top of our lineup up.”
Boehle, wearing a microphone for the game, told the ESPN crew in the broadcast booth that he expected Curacao to walk Lappe.
“You just cannot pitch to Louis,” Boehle said. “Tennessee did it. Texas did it. Curacao did it. It’s like, are these managers not watching?”
THE SPOILS
They’ll all start 7th grade Tuesday and then will be honored ahead of Tuesday night’s Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium, a big day for anybody.
“The flight home wasn’t as good as the charter flight to Williamsport but we mostly slept,” Lucas Keldorf said. “We celebrated pretty late.”
Messages of support and congratulations from classmates, community leaders and even the Lakers’ LeBron James are on everyone’s phones, and calls have come in from “Good Morning America”, “Good Day L.A.” and all the morning shows seeking interviews.
“I got calls, messages and texts telling me it was the greatest baseball game they’ve seen since Kirk Gibson hit the home run for the Dodgers in the 1988 World Series,” Boehle said.
The attention is deserved and this team will keep it in perspective.
“As a parent, my biggest concern is that I don’t want this to be the peak,” Michelle Keldorf said. “There’s still a lot of life ahead for these boys and let’s hope that this is just one of many magical moments and not the defining moment.”
Welcome home El Segundo Little League! LAX is proud to celebrate the #LLWS champs! @LittleLeague @united pic.twitter.com/1u55zg7sA6
— LAX Airport (@flyLAXairport) August 28, 2023
So proud of our El Segundo squad. Can’t wait to see you champs at Dodger Stadium on 8/29! pic.twitter.com/yPvoNEBA6r
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 28, 2023
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