Chicago's Little League championship team stripped of title

[Brian in Mesa]

Chicago's Little League championship team stripped of title

http://www.abc15.com/sports/sports-...le-league-championship-team-stripped-of-title

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They made America feel good, those kids from Chicago's South Side who beat the odds and beat all contenders en route to the U.S. Little League championship.

But now those feelings, like the championship, are no more.

Little League International announced Wednesday that it is vacating all of the Jackie Robinson West squad's wins from last year's tournament, including from the Great Lakes regionals and U.S. championship, because some of its players lived outside its assigned boundaries. The organization also suspended the team's manager, ousted the local district administrator and barred Jackie Robinson West from tournament play.

Reflecting on what he called "a heartbreaking decision," Little League International President Stephen Keener said the Chicago team's players can still be proud of what they accomplished last year.

"But it is unfortunate that the actions of adults have led to this outcome," Keener added. "... As painful as this is, we feel it a necessary decision to maintain the integrity of the Little League program. No team can be allowed to attempt to strengthen its team by putting players on their roster that live outside their boundaries."

Named for the icon who broke baseball's color barrier and consisting entirely of African-Americans, the Jackie Robinson West squad proved that, despite talk to the contrary, baseball was not dead among inner-city youth.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

And here comes Jesse Jackson and the race card. That was quick.

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Little League cheating call raises allegations of racism

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/jesse-jackson-race-factor-chicago-little-league-cheating-call/

 

[Ronin]

Unfortunate for the kids.

 

[Southpaw]

Unfortunate for the kids.

Why?

 

[Ronin]

Why?

I thought they where clueless to what was going on? If not then I don't pity them.

 

[Southpaw]

I thought they where clueless to what was going on? If not then I don't pity them.

My thought also. Don't know how they wouldn't know.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I thought they where clueless to what was going on? If not then I don't pity them.

My thought also. Don't know how they wouldn't know.

+1

 

[Brian in Mesa]

When I was growing up, every kid knew the boundaries they lived within and what it meant for schooling (before open enrollment), sports leagues, etc. Not sure if that has changed a lot over the years.

I bet most of those kids - active in team sports - had an idea of which team they should be on without any adult intervention. Just saying.

 

[Southpaw]

When I was growing up, every kid knew the boundaries they lived within and what it meant for schooling (before open enrollment), sports leagues, etc. Not sure if that has changed a lot over the years.

I bet most of those kids - active in team sports - had an idea of which team they should be on without any adult intervention. Just saying.

South Florida is a hotbed for youth sports. District jumping is a common occurrence at every level of youth sports, from Pop Warner/Little League/Youth Soccer to the high school level. Seems as if every year a major scandal pops up on just this practice. The "kids" know. Risk reward is the choice. There are even scandals about illegal big buck gambling by "adults" at Pop Warner Games with star players getting "tips"($$$). Youth sports is big business.

 

[NJCardFan]

Jesse Jackson's message to these kids: "It's ok to cheat and skirt the rules just as long as blacks do it and if they're caught and reprimanded, it's not because you cheated and skirted the rules, it's because you're black."

Nice message there Jesse. Dr. King would be proud. /sarcasm

 

[NJCardFan]

South Florida is a hotbed for youth sports. District jumping is a common occurrence at every level of youth sports, from Pop Warner/Little League/Youth Soccer to the high school level. Seems as if every year a major scandal pops up on just this practice. The "kids" know. Risk reward is the choice. There are even scandals about illegal big buck gambling by "adults" at Pop Warner Games with star players getting "tips"($$$). Youth sports is big business.

This is part of the reason why I got out of youth sports. I used to coach Little League and CYO basketball and I umpired youth baseball(from farm league up to American Legion), refereed basketball and street hockey(men's league as well). In LL, what killed it for me aside from the parents treating the league as a baby sitting service were coaches telling kids who they knew were good players to lay down at tryouts or parents giving bogus addresses(usually using the addresses of relatives) in order to get their kid playing for a certain league or coach.

 

[MadCardDisease]

When I was growing up, every kid knew the boundaries they lived within and what it meant for schooling (before open enrollment), sports leagues, etc. Not sure if that has changed a lot over the years.

I bet most of those kids - active in team sports - had an idea of which team they should be on without any adult intervention. Just saying.

Yet they are still KIDS. It's the role of the parent to ensure that their child is registered properly.