Crowds in hometown to cheer on Jackie Robinson West; mayor says young team 'pride of Chicago'

Mayor Rahm Emanuel can’t miss a game, and has organized two watch parties Saturday, one in the heart of downtown and the other at a Far South Side community center.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mayor Rahm Emanuel can’t miss a game, and has organized two watch parties Saturday, one in the heart of downtown and the other at a Far South Side community center.

CHICAGO — The success that a baseball team from Chicago’s South Side has had at the Little League World Series is giving the whole city something to cheer about.

Large crowds are expected at watch parties in Chicago as the 11- and 12-year-olds from the Jackie Robinson West All Stars take on a team from Las Vegas in Saturday afternoon’s U.S. final in Pennsylvania. The winner will face an international team in the championship game Sunday.

The Chicago team has captured the attention of politicians and residents.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel can’t miss a game, and has organized two watch parties Saturday, one in the heart of downtown and the other at a Far South Side community center.

Emanuel says the team has brought neighborhoods together and is the “pride of Chicago.”