SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — You know those commercials on NESN that show a dramatic moment as play-by-play man Don Orsillo screams out a memorable call? The ones that end with the expression "this is why we watch"?
Standing on top of the grassy hill in the outfield overlooking Lamade Stadium, home of the Little League World Series, I had only one thought: that's hogwash.
This is why we watch.
You don't need to look any further than Peabody West's magic carpet ride from the practice field at Lt. Ross Park back home all the way to Williamsport to understand why some of us choose to make our living covering sports — the veritable toy department of life.
What else can bring an entire community together the way these 12 youngsters did, getting support from family, friends, businesses and total strangers? All over Peabody, stores and banks changed signs that usually tout sales in favor of messages encouraging Peabody West.
In the middle of a deep recession, local businesses found ways to help make the trip to Williamsport easier for Peabody's finest, be it with donations or extra time off for their parents.
A bunch of seventh and eighth graders bringing out the best in their city, and giving an entire region something to cheer about for three weeks in the dead of August is something that cannot be duplicated in another walk of life.
They made history, and they made us smile.
"We're the only team from our area that ever made the World Series, never mind won a game there," manager David Batchelor said. "We're the only team from Peabody, and from District 15, that's ever been to Williamsport."
Professional athletes are often accused of being grown men playing a kid's game. Peabody West showed us everything that's right about sports: kids playing a kid's game, doing it the right way and smiling all the way.
One thing that stood out about Peabody West as they fought their way through the New England Regional and into the World Series was that it was a group of young men that were wise beyond their years. Each of them took time to cherish the moments they shared with their teammates and parents in Williamsport, and every one of them was aware of how special this once-in-a-lifetime chance was.
They weren't upset that they didn't win the world championship; they were grateful that they got to finish their Little League careers in Williamsport. That truly is a credit to their parents and the community that raised them.
"It was amazing. All these fans (32,800 over three games) coming to your games — and they don't even know you," said Austin Batchelor, one of the team's standouts. "It was just so awesome to see the whole hill (at Lamade Stadium) filled up with people."
There isn't much else in this life that can send folks some 400 miles from home, to the middle of rural Pennsylvania, at the drop of a hat to cheer on their local heroes.
Peabody West probably hasn't had much time to reflect on just how much they've changed the local landscape this summer. Every kid between the ages of 10 and 13 dreams about playing in Williamsport, and for boys and girls all over the North Shore that dream seems a little more real now.
Soon enough, the city will probably have "Entering Peabody: Home of the 2009 New England Regional Little League champions" signs put up, staking these guys up there with the likes of the fellow Tanner athletic heroes such as the 1999 Babe Ruth World Series champions and Olympic gold medalist Sam Arsenault.
"Honestly, I haven't had the opportunity to think about what we've done," said David Batchelor. "Everything goes by so fast, especially after you win a state title. You're at the regional for a week and then you're here. I haven't even seen any of the newspapers at home.
"It really is going to take some time to reflect on it all."
After Peabody West won the New England Regional on Matt Hosman's immortal walk-off grand slam, a friend of mine who has a young son took him to a local baseball diamond for a catch. The little guy was jumping around the field pretending to be Matt Hosman, my friend said. Not David Ortiz or Dustin Pedroia; Matt Hosman.
That, in a nutshell, sums up exactly what Peabody West did this summer. They distracted us from reality, gave us unbelievable highs and reminded us that anything is possible. They made their dreams come true, and gave new dreams to youngsters for generations to come.
They are why we watch.
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Matt Williams is a staff writer at The Salem News. Contact him at 978-338-2669 or e-mail MWIlliams@salemnews.com.
