Daily Herald opinion: Hinsdale Little League Baseball team gave us something to cheer this glum sports summer

It’s been a rough baseball season on both sides of town this year.

The Cubs continue to frustrate fans with inconsistent play. Just when you think they’re going to make a run toward the playoffs, they lay a couple of eggs.

And the White Sox, well, at least they didn’t set the Major League Baseball record for consecutive losses. They could still break the 1962 Mets record for most losses, though. So at least, there’s a reason to check in every now and then.

Thankfully, though, we had a group of Little League Baseball players from Hinsdale to take our minds off pro baseball for a few days.

Five thousand teams started the journey to Williamsport this summer, and the group from Hinsdale was one of the last 20 standing after six weeks of playoffs.

They almost didn’t make it. Down to their last strike in the regional finals against a team from Indiana, Hinsdale tied the game and won in extra innings to punch their ticket to the Little League World Series.

Alas, they didn’t get the Hollywood ending in Williamsport that they hoped for, losing a pair of close games to teams from Hawaii and New York. The result doesn’t matter, though. The journey to the series and the memories the players, coaches and families made along the way will last a lifetime.

“It was a magical run and we were super-excited about our progress and just the energy, the support we received,” Hinsdale Coach Chad Wanless said.

The Little League World Series is one of those feel-good events every year that never fails to remind us about what makes sports great. These kids aren’t playing for money or fame. They’re playing because they love the game.

These boys are a great reminder of sports are all about.

The Little League World Series is always a sign that summer is coming to a close and fall is just around the corner. As the boys and girls of summer end their journey, high school athletes start theirs. Athletes across the state officially started practice for fall sports last week.

Boys and girls golf have already started competitions. Other sports begin in the coming days, and we wish all these athletes well.

There’s a new sport on the block this fall, too. Girls flag football makes its debut this year, and we couldn’t be more excited about that.

We can’t get enough of the great stories that come from the prep sports world. We’ll be doing our best to chronicle those stories in the sports section all season long.

For the seniors in high school, try to cherish every moment out there. It will be over before you know it.

Same thing goes for the freshmen. You’re at the start of your journey, but it will be over before you know it, and you’ll wonder where the time went.

Good luck to everyone this season. We hope you make memories that last a lifetime.