THE BOYS OF SUMMER
PERFECT GAME SENDS STATEN ISLAND KIDS TO LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES
At least one team from New York is going to the World Series.
The Mid-Island Little League team from Staten Island punched its ticket to Williamsport, Pa., with a win over Berlin, Md., on Sunday. It came in the form of a 4-0 victory in Bristol, Conn., that saw pitcher Gregory Bruno toss six perfect innings.
The triumph proved to be worth the wait for Staten Island fans. The game was supposed to have been played Saturday, but was postponed on account of rain. The S.I. Little Leaguers are 15-0 this summer and will be a force to be reckoned with in the tournament.
As with all great baseball stories, this one is a bit of a tearjerker. Staten Island coach Joe Calabrese dedicated this season to his brother John, a 45year-old baseball fan who died of a heart attack while working out in 2014. John’s son, John Jr., plays on the team.
“At that time, I thought I was at the end of my tenure for Little League,” Calabrese told SIlive.com last week. “But once my brother passed, I was locked and loaded again to coach John and the boys.”
Greeting the boys from S.I. on Thursday will be the Grandview Little League team from Des Moines, Iowa. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
The other six U.S. squads taking part in the tournament hail from Hawaii, Texas, Georgia, Rhode Island, Idaho and Michigan.
International competition will include teams from South Korea, Canada, Australia, Puerto Rico, Spain, Japan, Panama and Mexico.
A champion will be decided on Aug. 26. ESPN is televising the games.