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Jackie Robinson West Fans: 'It Proves We Don't Give Up'

By Josh McGhee | August 24, 2014 5:36pm | Updated on August 24, 2014 5:37pm
 Fans, family and politicians were in attendance to cheer on the Little Leaguers in the 8-4 loss Sunday.
Fans, family and politicians were in attendance to cheer on the Little Leaguers in the 8-4 loss Sunday.
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DNAinfo/Josh McGhee

WEST PULLMAN — Life had been sucked out of the Ray and Joan Kroc Center when Timesha Wharton took over the microphone at the Jackie Robinson West watch party rallying the crowd to their feet for a "team USA" chant.

"I just wanted to lift their spirits. You could tell as the game went on inning by inning their energy was down," said Wharton, whose cousin Cameron Bufford plays third base for the team.

Still, even as the Chicago team lost to South Korea in the final game, Bufford felt "at the end of the day we've still done something historic."

"This is a blessing," Bufford said. "They're representing a part of the city that doesn't get represented enough."

With the Jackie Robinson West team over 500 miles away and down 8-1 to South Korea going into the bottom of the 6th and final inning, the team put up a valiant effort to rally back with a three run effort. The last minute push wasn't enough to win the game but was enough to continue to rally the city fighting for them at home.

The representation of the boys of the field was matched by the intensity of the parents and family at the watch party, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said.

"It's great ... the kids hung in there," he said. "These are 12-year-old young men and they are poised and unbelievable beyond their age."

The city "could not be more proud of them," Emanuel said. "It was an opportunity to bring our city together as a community."

Stevie Smith, a member of the 1972 team was almost in tears after the victory Saturday that made the Little Leaguers National Champions. He was just as proud Sunday despite the loss and thought the boys represented the city the best they could with their effort.

"It proves we don't give up. These kids didn't give up all the way until the end that shows all the other kids never to give up," Smith said.

Meanwhile hundreds of other fans gathered Downtown and at the House of Hope, 752 E. 114th St. for watch rallies.

 

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