The Jackie Robinson West Little League All-Stars are Little League champs no more.
The Chicago-based team has been stripped of its national title from last summer’s Little League World Series after an investigation found the team violated residency rules, Little League officials announced Wednesday. According to ESPN, Jackie Robinson West added top players from neighboring Little League districts to “build what amounts to a superteam.” The investigation also found JRW used an incorrect boundary map to build the team.
The first all African-American team to win the U.S. championship must vacate all wins from the 2014 Little League World Series tournament, including its Great Lakes regional title. In addition, team manager Darold Butler has been suspended from Little League activity.
“For more than 75 years, Little League has been an organization where fair play is valued over the importance of wins and losses,” Little League International CEO Stephen D. Keener said in a statement. “This is a heartbreaking decision. What these players accomplished on the field and the memories and lessons they have learned during the Little League World Series tournament is something the kids can be proud of, but it is unfortunate that the actions of adults have led to this outcome.
“As our Little League operations staff learned of the many issues and actions that occurred over the course of 2014 and prior, 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.”
The South Side squad was one of the feel-good stories of the summer, as they captivated the nation en route to their historic run before falling to South Korea in the championship game.
As a result of the investigation, the U.S. title has been awarded to Mountain Ridge Little League from Las Vegas.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@Suntimes
