The crowd welcoming back the Bayonne Little League on Aug. 26 (Photo courtesy of Bayonne OEM / Facebook)
When Lynne Klimkowski heard Bayonne Little League Assistant Coach Jaime Rincon tell her son and his teammates, “You’re gonna see us sliding down that hill in Williamsport, Pennsylvania,” she thought the coach was crazy.
Not only did that happen, but the “boys from Bayonne” turned heads in the 2026 Little League World Series with their two-game victories, stamping themselves as just the second Hudson County team to march their way into the annual international tournament.
And though the boys wrapped up their season on Aug. 25 against Hamilton, Ohio, Klimkowski joined the dozens of people who roared with love and gratitude as the boys returned home on Aug. 26. She told Slice of Culture that she’s so proud of her son, Chase, and the whole team for working so hard.
“It’s not the ending we wanted… [But] he worked so hard. The team worked so hard. We’re ready to have our boys back,” Klimkowski said, who stood beside Chase’s younger brother.
“The coaches got us to this point. And to see strangers [and] other kids asking for our kids’ autographs is insane. But we’re so proud.”
‘The Boys From Bayonne’
A peninsula point of Hudson County, Bayonne was represented by 12 players plus their three coaches Justin Smith, Rincon and Gabe Garcia:
- No. 0: Gabriel Garcia Jr. – Shortstop, pitcher
- No. 1: Mason Rincon – Catcher, outfielder, pitcher
- No. 2: Connor Reed – Outfielder
- No. 3: Jett Bridges – Catcher, pitcher
- No. 5: Leandro Santiago Anaya – First baseman, outfielder
- No. 6: Chase Klimkowski – Pitcher, outfielder
- No. 8: Joseph Dwyer – Outfielder
- No. 9: Owen Feliz – Second baseman
- No. 10: Brayden Gaitan – Outfielder
- No. 20: Aaron Jay (AJ) Tapia – Third baseman
- No. 24: Connor Oliva – First baseman, outfielder
- No. 48: Dex Zimmerman – Outfielder, utility
Viewers slowly started picking up on the name “Bayonne” once the Bees overcame Black Kiwanis 9-3 and captured the New Jersey Little League championship on Aug. 3. Hudson County had become king of Little League baseball in New Jersey for the fifth time, and the first since Roberto Clemente (Jersey City) in 1988.
As state champions, Bayonne’s 11- and 12-year-old team’s next stop was the Metro Region Tournament, which ran from Aug. 8 to Aug. 14 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Bees opened up that tournament with a bang, defeating Connecticut’s Darien Little League 8-2.
On Aug. 10, the agenda stayed the same as Bayonne mercy-ruled Port Washington 12-2. In the Metro Region championship game on Aug. 14, the Bees met Darien again and secured the 8-6 dub with a comeback performance—thanks to players like Mason Rincon, Jett Bridges and Chase Klimkowski—solidifying themselves as the Metro Region Champions.
Hudson County, at this point, repped “BAYONNE VS EVERYBODY” across their chests as the Bayonne boys stepped onto the Bristol, Connecticut field on Aug. 19. They served as the Metro Region representatives and outslugged the New England Region 2-1. They ran the win back in their next game, defeating the Mid-Atlantic Region 3-1.
But their winning streak was snapped on Sunday, Aug. 23 against the Midwest Region, who won 6-0. The LLB World Series’ double-elimination format allowed the boys another chance, but they fell short 2-5 to the Great Lakes Region on Aug. 25.
While the Bees’ run ended early, locals who waited outside of their 200 W 1st Street facility on Aug. 26 showed that there was so much to celebrate.
“We’re celebrating the welcoming of the kids of Bayonne Little League that went to a World Series at Williamsport. They made it there, but we didn’t win the championship, but they’re already champions here at their hometown,” Cinthya Chalet-Tapia, the mother of Aaron Jay (AJ) Tapia, told Slice of Culture.
“[They] put Bayonne on the map, got Bayonne well-known… That’s what we’re celebrating: the welcoming of their progress [and] their success.”
Amidst the crowd who held signs thanking the team, cardboard cutouts of the boys’ heads and “BAYONNE VS EVERYBODY” flaunting in the inconsistent breeze, Chalet-Tapia admitted that she’s proud she and her husband decided to move to Bayonne.
“AJ was born in Brooklyn. He started here [in pre-k] so he’s a Bayonne boy. I’m excited the fact that he’s able to be part of this and enjoy it and celebrate and grow with them together as a team, as a family, as the community, as neighbors, as everything…,” she added.
“My husband and I are proud that we made the choice to come to move into Bayonne because [of] everything that [it] has brought to his life and, and also to his future.”
Walking down from 4th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard was Lorraine Watson, a Bayonne native, who works as a crossing guard in town. She told Slice of Culture that she needed to walk the few blocks to show love to her hometown team and No. 0, Gabriel Garcia Jr.
“I crossed Gabriel for many years on 5th [Street] and Broadway… I still support him. I’m so proud of him and his family and all the whole team,” Watson smiled.
“… [To the team:] Don’t give up on your dreams. Keep on moving forward because God has something more in store for you. Keep on doing what you’re doing. Focus on your achievements.”
– Lorraine Watson
Bayonne Little League will kick off their next season in April.
