Chicago Little League team stripped of U.S. title
Little League International has stripped Jackie Robinson West of the United States title that the Chicago team won last summer after an investigation revealed it had falsified boundaries to field ineligible players.
Wednesday's stunning announcement came months after the team, whose ages ranged from 11 to 13 years, captured the attention of the country and the hearts of its hometown.
As a result of the decision, the Las Vegas team has been awarded the U.S. championship.
Philadelphia's Taney Dragons lost to Las Vegas in a third-round playoff game that advanced Las Vegas to the final. Taney then lost to Chicago in the double-elimination round.
In December, Little League International launched an investigation when a coach from a nearby suburb alleged that Jackie Robinson West had violated rules by poaching top suburban players.
The story - which was first reported by DNAinfo.com - appeared to end at that time, when the national organization said it had uncovered no violations. But the organization said it would reopen the investigation if new information surfaced.
About that same time, the organization learned of questions about boundary maps involving multiple leagues, and the investigation resumed.
On Wednesday, Little League International said it found that after the league had changed the boundaries of the team's allowed region for players, some team officials went to surrounding leagues to convince them to let those players play for Jackie Robinson West.
"Little League International ... learned that Jackie Robinson West Little League knowingly expanded its boundaries to include territory that belonged to other leagues in the district without the approval from the other leagues or the Little League International Charter Committee" and used the "falsified boundary map for their 2014 tournament," the organization said.
Throughout the investigation, the team has maintained that no cheating occurred.
"This is a heartbreaking decision," Stephen D. Keener, the Little League International president and CEO, said in a statement. "As painful as it is, we feel it is 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 team has been suspended from Little League tournament privileges until new leadership is found. The team's manager, Darold Butler, is also suspended, and an administrator from the district that includes Jackie Robinson West has been removed from his position, according to the statement.
"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," Keener said.
In Philadelphia, parents connected with the Taney program opted to stay out of the controversy.
Steve Bandura, parent of Taney catcher Scott Bandura, coached the Anderson Monarchs, where many of Taney's players got their start in Little League. He declined to comment on the news.
Quyen Shanahan, mother of outfielder Tai Shanahan, offered a short statement: "It's an unfortunate thing, but that's their business."
When Taney faced Chicago in August, the matchup was extremely rare for Little League, where inner city teams typically do not arrive in large numbers to the top games or advance as far as their suburban counterparts. The success of Taney and Chicago was hailed as a sign the sport was extending its reach into inner-city and African American communities, underrepresented in the sport since the 1970s.
The Anderson Monarchs - a precursor to Taney's World Series squad - were formed in the 1990s because Bandura wanted to give city children the same opportunities as ball players in the suburbs.
Chicago's Jackie Robinson West team began in 1971 as a way to use the baseball diamond as a classroom for teaching self-discipline, leadership, and teamwork. The squad that played at Williamsport was the city's first in 31 years and was composed entirely of African Americans.
Jackie Robinson West's championship run captured the attention of the nation and turned the all-black team into heroes in their hometown. Thousands of people lined Chicago's streets to catch a glimpse of the boys as they were paraded by bus from their South Side baseball field to a downtown park.
There were countless heartwarming stories about the team, including an effort by major league players to contribute money so the parents in the blue-collar community could attend the World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and another about Cubs players huddled around a television watching the team during a rain delay at Wrigley Field.
The team was treated to a trip to the major league World Series and to the White House to meet President Barack Obama and the first lady, Michelle Obama.
This is the third time in the 68-year history of the Little League World Series that Little League International had vacated wins after an investigation had revealed wrongdoing. In 1992, a team from the Philippines was disqualified, and in 2001 a team from the Bronx was disqualified.
This article includes information from the Associated Press.