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 Wednesday, August 22, 2001
Bronx team bedazzling the crowds
By Brent Musburger
Special to ABC Sports Online
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- The Baby Bombers are causing a huge stir in South Williamsport, Pa., site of the Little League World Series. The kids from the Bronx, N.Y., are one win away from playing for the U.S. championship on Saturday afternoon on ABC's Wide World of Sports (4:30 p.m. ET).
|  | | Danny Almonte has struck out 32 batters in his last two starts. |
Thursday night, their ace, the "Little Unit" himself, Danny Almonte, squares off against the youngsters from Oceanside, Calif.
Almonte is fashioning the pitching performance of the year in baseball, and yet, that includes Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, Pedro Martínez and anyone else you want to throw into the mix. Young Almonte has not given up a run this year. That's this year, as in, 2001. He's coming off a perfect game against the sluggers from Apopka, Fla. He has pitched back-to-back no-hitters, and if the Baby Bombers reach the finals Sunday night, it will be Mr. Almonte again.
This team deserves an enormous amount of credit for what they've overcome. The Little League fields in the Bronx are mainly vacant lots littered with broken glass and discarded cans. The league received a major donation from Merrill Lynch, and the youngsters took it from there.
In large part, the Rolando Paulino team represents what's happening to the United States population as a whole. They are the latest wave of immigrants to be welcomed with open arms in the United States. Three of the youngsters were born in Puerto Rico, and the rest come from the Dominican Republic.
Back in the 1920s and '30s, a lot of youngsters who came to our shores grew up as boxers. Times change, immigration patterns change and the Latino kids now dance to the beat of baseball.
When they posed for their team photo the other day, an American flag was proudly displayed in front of the team. They would be a great representative for the U.S. against the champion of the International bracket. That game will be played on Sunday night (ABC, 6:30 p.m. ET).
Before we discard Oceanside, rest assured that the California youngsters are not going to walk away just because of the publicity being showered upon the Baby Bombers. The Cal kids are determined not only to score the first run of the year against Almonte, but to shock the world and put up a "W." To a young man, they say they are not intimidated by Almonte's blistering 75 mph fastball.
For the first time, the field here in South Williamsport was doubled in size. A second park was built, eight teams came representing the United States instead of the usual four, and there were eight international representatives. From all indications, it was the greatest success in the history of Little League baseball.
The team from Moscow, Russia, was especially endearing, as most of the youngsters showed up without baseball cleats. A couple of kids were without gloves. They also featured the only girl at the Little League World Series this year. They became instant heroes and were outfitted with the latest in baseball gear.
The kids from Russia endured a 20-hour bus ride just to play in their regional final in Poland. It's the first time a team from Russia has ever made it to South Williamsport, and they're vowing to return.
When you think about it, this is really the only world series played in baseball.
Brent Musburger will call the play-by-play for the Little League World Series for both ABC Sports and ESPN.
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 Rolando Torres leads the "Baby Bombers" past Bainbridge Island and into the U.S. semifinals.
avi: 1941 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Danny Almonte throws the series' first perfect game in 44 years, striking out 16 of 18 batters.
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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