Pearland All-Stars come home from LLWS

HOUSTON The Pearland team arrived at Bush Intercontinental Airport on Monday afternoon after spending more than a week in Williamsport, PA.

Eyewitness News was there when they got off the plane, and though they looked tired, they were all smiles as they were greeted by family, friends and fans. For them, it was a plane-load of winners that pulled up to the terminal.

One by one, the weary travelers, carrying their own luggage, entered the gate and were met with cheers, clapping, tears and smiles.

"It's been an awesome experience to go to Williamsport to go play baseball, being fourth in the World Series and just going to the World Series is awesome, but just knowing that you're No. 4 in the world is really cool," player Jorge Gutierrez said.

The players seemed tired but still riding high from their once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"Besides the home runs and all that, getting to meet all these guys from international countries like China and Japan," player Beau Orlando said. "Yesterday, we exchanged some stuff."

The players exchanged some pretty cool stuff, including hats.

Meanwhile, parents collectively showed their pride for a group of boys who played hard. And despite losses this weekend, the team is coming home to a city thrilled at what it accomplished and hopefully learned.

"That's a life lesson that I teach my kids every day," Pearland fan Willie Sullivan said. "I have a daughter that plays volleyball at Dawson, and good times, bad times, just hang in there and just learn. The team experience is great."

"Well, you give it your best," fan Belinda Patton said. "Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't, but it came from the heart and that's all you can do is give your best."

From the epic elation of last week's win to Saturday's stunning shutout, nowhere was the journey experienced more intently than at one of Pearland's biggest boosters, Beef O' Brady's. The restaurant is now quiet, re-cooperating from last week's wild ride.

"It was amazing. We had people from Conroe, from Spring, from different areas calling us saying congratulations," employee Stephanie Parkin said.

It is an event people here will talk about for years to come; but for right now, one fan offers a message for the team who experienced a trip of a lifetime.

"We want them to know we are very proud of them. They represented us well, and number four in the nation - that is a great honor," fan Mary Evans said. "They put Pearland on the map."

The city of Pearland is planning a parade, though the details are still being hammered out.

Pearland ISD said it expects the players to be resting at home, since they have to start their first day of school on Tuesday.