Decision coming on whether Little League champs used ringers
CHICAGO — A verdict is expected to come as early as Wednesday on whether last summer's Little League World Series national championship team from Chicago's South Side violated rules by using out-of-boundary ringers to boost their roster.
Little League International officials met on Tuesday to discuss charges against Jackie Robinson West, whose magical ride to the cusp of winning the 2014 world championship captivated the Windy City and charmed the nation.
But the team has been under a cloud since an official from a suburban rival charged last month that JRW was recruiting top players from outside of the city team's boundaries. The allegations were first reported by the web site DNAinfo Chicago.
Little League officials met Tuesday to discuss whether Jackie Robinson West violated residency rules in putting together its team.
"Today's meetings are over and a decision will likely be announced tomorrow," said Little League Baseball spokesman Brian McClintock.
JRW, which had an all African-American roster, became the first Chicago team to reach the international final since 1967.
They captured Chicagoans hearts along the way. After their loss in the world championship game to a team from Seoul, the city honored them with a parade that started at their home ballpark on the South Side and culminated with a rally at the downtown Millennium Park that drew 10,000 people.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel even put on a fireworks show in their honor, and later announced Jackie Robinson's field is one of three in the city that would receive $6.5 million in upgrades.
The Chicago Cubs and White Sox feted the team at their ballparks. The team of 12 and 13-year-olds even got to take the field to sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame at Wrigley Field last summer following their run in South Williamsport, Pa. They even earned a visit to the White House, where they met President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama.
Allegations of violating residency requirements first surfaced in December when officials from suburban Evergreen Park contacted Little League officials and publicly charged that some of JRW's players were, in fact, from the suburbs of Chicago. Evergreen Park lost to JRW 43-2 during the sectional match. The game was called after four innings.
Little League rules require players to reside or attend school within the boundaries of a league to be eligible to play on that team.
Evergreen Park officials noticed that politicians and pastors from communities outside of Jackie Robinson's boundaries were laying claim to some of the players as residents of their towns and Chicago neighborhoods.
Rep. Robin Kelly, a Democratic lawmaker whose district includes some of Chicago's south suburbs, wrote on Twitter during JRW's run to Pennsylvania that three of the players were from suburbs in her district.
It's not just Evergreen Park that's raising concerns. Jackie Robinson won the U.S. Little League crown by defeating Las Vegas' Mountain Ridge West.
But the Las Vegas coach, Ashton Cave, said JRW should lose its title if the team broke the rules.
"There has to be some accountability," he said.
Contributing: Associated Press