Jackie Robinson West Hires Attorneys
By Chuck Sudo in News on Feb 13, 2015 3:00PM
The adults who were responsible for the Jackie Robinson West Little League baseball team being stripped of its U.S. championship and Little League World Series wins are not handling their punishment in a graceful manner. The team hired attorneys who promise a thorough investigation is in the works to determine if Little League International’s Wednesday decision to strip JRW of the title was above board, yet offered few details about the false boundary map allegations made against the team and didn’t rule out the possibility legal action would be taken to reverse Little League’s decision.
From what we gathered, attorney Victor Henderson is working from the Bob Loblaw playbook. (Emphasis ours.)
“I have advised the team I am taking the position — and I think they should take the position — that they are still the champions unless and until we find out that there was fair process that was even-handed and applied to every other team that may find itself in the same situation,” attorney Victor Henderson said during a news conference Thursday.
But we aren’t here to talk nonsense to Bob Loblaw or Victor Henderson; Henderson seems quite capable of doing that on his own.
So right now, Henderson's argument seems to be "if everyone else does it, why can't we?" This is going to be very entertaining.
Here is what Little League International determined in its statement stripping JRW of the title. (Emphasis again ours.)
In September 2014, following the conclusion of the Little League Baseball World Series, a league official from a neighboring district in Illinois first expressed concerns pertaining to players’ residencies to the attention of the Little League Central Region staff in Indianapolis, Ind. At the end of October, that local league official then provided additional documentation to support his allegations. Little League International operations staff fully reviewed the allegation and information. Using age and residency/school attendance and boundary documentation provided to Little League International by Jackie Robinson West Little League and verified by the District Administrator, Little League International determined the players’ eligibility based on all of the information that had been provided at that time. In mid-December, during this process, however, Little League began to learn of multiple issues with boundary maps and operational process with multiple leagues in Illinois District 4. In an effort to be fair to all the leagues in Illinois District 4, Little League International began organizing one-on-one, private meetings with leagues in the district where they could discuss their concerns and work on preparing for the 2015 season. In early January, through a media report, Little League first learned of a league within Illinois District 4 alleging misconduct by Jackie Robinson West Little League.On January 31, Little League International officials held meetings with Illinois District 4 officials and the leagues in the district. During these meetings, Little League International learned of several operational issues within the entire District that have occurred over the course of many years under different leadership at the District level. These issues are spread amongst leagues throughout the district and include a breakdown in communication of roles and responsibilities among District and league leadership and misunderstandings in multiple league boundaries. Various local league officials confirmed that the boundary issues stem from a boundary map redrafting process that started prior to the 2013 season and includes maps that were agreed upon amongst all the leagues, but had never been properly submitted to Little League International through the official process. Little League International also learned that Jackie Robinson West Little League knowingly expanded its boundaries to include territory that belonged to other leagues in the district without approval from the other leagues or the Little League International Charter Committee, as stated in Little League’s Official Regulations and Playing Rules. Little League International also found that Jackie Robinson West Little League used a falsified boundary map for their 2014 tournament, and that Jackie Robinson West Little League officials met with other leagues in Illinois District 4 to try to get the territory they wrongfully claimed was theirs for their 2014 tournament. The decision is based on falsifying documents and illegally expanding boundaries to include residences that would verify the players’ eligibility.
What isn't known is what JRW manager Darold Butler, director Bill Haley and Little League District 4 administrator Michael Kelly knew about the false boundary map and who they recruited using it, and they certainly won't be talking now that lawyers are involved.
According to DNAInfo Chicago's Mark Konkol, who broke the story in December, the three "told the truth" to Little League International officials when questioned during the investigation. Konkol told WSCR-AM morning hosts Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley that JRW recruited at least four key players from outside its boundaries and as many as six players should have been playing on other squads.