Editorial: JRW Little Leaguers winners in every way

Will it settle the racial divide that still exists in this country and that Ferguson, Mo., has highlighted this month?

Does it obscure the fact that gang shootings continue to climb each weekend in the city of Chicago, leaving many innocent people injured or killed in the process?

The answer to both those questions is no.

But, oh, did those kids from the Jackie Robinson West Little League team, an all-black squad from the South Side, provide a different story for all of us to embrace - one of determination and hope. They've captured our imagination and our hearts, both in victory as the U.S. champions and in honorable defeat to South Korea in the world championship game.

Sports heroes are usually found among professionals - Ernie Banks, say, or Michael Jordan, two great Chicago examples. But these kids are sports heroes themselves, proving that hard work and sportsmanship can take you far. And the pros have taken notice.

"To go on the run they've gone on does a lot, especially for African-Americans in baseball," said Colorado Rockies reliever LaTroy Hawkins, who helped raise money so the players' parents could attend World Series games in Williamsport, Pa. "Other kids around the country, around the world, see those kids playing and say, 'I want to play some baseball, too' "

How cool is that, if they can provide that sort of inspiration to kids growing up in a similar situation as them but without the guidance of strong parents or an organization like Jackie Robinson West?

And it's not only other children who have been inspired.

"I have never seen the community come together like this," said Eldridge Dockery, who lives in the Morgan Park neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. He attended a watch party this past weekend when the Chicago Little Leaguers drew more viewers than the White Sox or Cubs. "We're usually behind our walls or gates - but this team brought us out, talking and celebrating together."

"It means a whole lot to the community and the kids. With all this violence going on, it gives them hope," said Sabrina Johnson, at a similar watch party Saturday, as quoted by the AP.

And it wasn't just in the city. The team captured the imaginations of many in the suburbs as well, as social media and even our letters to the editor section can attest.

So today, with a parade marching from the South Side to Millennium Park, these special kids get one last acknowledgment and thank you from a grateful city, a city proud of how they played and how they dealt with both their success and the disappointment of losing on Sunday.

We all could take some lessons from this extraordinary group of 11- and 12-year-olds.