Little League champs face new allegations of cheating

yahoo.com ^ | Dec. 23, 2014 | Mike Oz

[PROCON]

Jackie Robinson West, the Chicago-based Little League World Series U.S. champs, are facing more allegations of gaming the system in order to field a team with the best local players.

Last week, a clash between Jackie Robinson West and a neighboring rival went public, as Chris Janes of Evergreen Park Little League, accused Jackie Robinson West of using ringers from outside its boundaries. Little League International, however, scoffed at Janes' claims, saying it had looked into the players' residency and it considered the issue closed.

Now there's a new story out from DNA Chicago, in which reporter Mark Konkol spends another 2,000 words looking into more claims against Jackie Robinson West, which won the U.S. title but lost in the overall final to South Korea. Chief among the new allegations: The league secretly redrew its boundaries prior to the 2014 season so it could add additional star players, but didn't get the required approval from neighboring leagues, or even notify them.

[PROCON]

Chicago; Home of Barack Obama and Rahm Emanuel: Cheating, lying is what we do!

[1rudeboy]

Easy, cowboy. Chicago is not the first, by a long shot.

[Hot Tabasco]

See what happens when you get grownups involved in kids' sports?

[Oliviaforever]

Sounds like Texas high school football where boundaries have been redrawn to capture star players and boosters have moved star players into their school’s boundaries.

[nascarnation]

It’s changed so much.
I remember LL in the 1950s...often times the only adults there were the ump and the two coaches.

[Hot Tabasco]

I remember LL in the 1950s...often times the only adults there were the ump and the two coaches.

Yep, and where I grew up, I had to ride my bike 5 miles to the field and to practices....

[shove_it]

“Little League” was unknown when I was a kid playing “sand lot” pick-up baseball at a neighborhood park in Detroit in the 50s. No adults at all involved.

I love watching the Little League games now at the local park near my home in Central Florida and the LLWS on TV every year.

[nascarnation]

I was skinny then too...LOL

[Hot Tabasco]

I was skinny then too...LOL

And we wore a ball cap to keep the sun out of our eyes, not to prevent the top of our head from getting sunburned.......

[pallis]

I wish our little league and junior league teams in this district would put together a couple of all star teams to compete.

[ExCTCitizen]

I’m still thinking that the other teams threw their games so Jackie Robinson LL can win. I mean, they wore their baseball uniform baggy so when they ran the bases they use one hand to keep their pants from falling down... :-)

[Jacquerie]

That's my memory of 1960s Detroit as well. Lots of play in parks, vacant lots and streets.

[doug from upland]

Knew it. Here is a closeup of the big kid in the White House.

[PROCON]

Have you seen this one Doug?

[doug from upland]

Saw it. Not surprising. The apologists for the cheaters have come out in force on the net.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ILL-LV game.

Here is a key play in the game. Illinois player ruled safe. I watched it frame by frame. Here is the ball in the fielder's glove and the runner clearly out. Gee, perhaps they wanted the black kids to win? Just asking.