The “forgotten borough” is on the brink of making history as the South Shore team heads to the Little League World Series tournament Thursday.
The team beat out the Morristown Little League team from New Jersey 5-0 on Friday, winning the Metro Region championship title. It’s the third time the Staten Island team will compete in the World Series games, according to Little League Baseball and Softball — and now, they’ll face off against Nevada’s Paseo Verde Little League team in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, at 3 p.m. on Thursday, as part of the 10-team U.S. bracket.
The 38-game tournament will culminate in a championship game between the eventual winners of the American and international brackets, which is slated for Aug. 25.
On Wednesday, Tottenville sports facility Fastbreak was getting ready for the party, with people at the gym blowing up baseball-shaped balloons and preparing for about 200 people to come and watch the team on a big screen.
Owner Lori Ceciliani said she fondly remembers when her son, now 29, played for the team. She said she looks forward to getting the community together on Thursday to cheer them on.
“All these children, they work hard to come to this point and they love it and we all stick together as a community,” she said. “I love it and I think it brings everybody together and I hope they go far.”
City Councilmember Joe Borelli, who represents the South Shore, noted the series was a chance for “redemption” for one of the coaches, Bob LaTerza, whose Staten Island team lost out more than 20 years ago due to a well-known Little League scandal involving a pitcher on a team from the Bronx who was older than the league’s age limit.
“This poor coach has never brought a team back to Williamsport since, so it’s a great day for him, and he’s a friend and I’m a big fan,” said Borelli.
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella said the local team’s success is a reminder of the borough’s rich baseball tradition and is also an opportunity to come together.
“We’re over half a million people and it still has a small-town feel,” Fossella said. “There’s a good chance that if you don’t know one of the families directly, you know somebody who knows one of the families, so we share it, it’s [a] community experience and we’re just rooting for them to try their best to have some fun and if possible, bring home a World Series [championship].”
Fossella’s office is partnering with Community Media of Staten Island to host a free watch party at Fastbreak, starting at 2 p.m. on Thursday. The game will be streamed on ESPN.