Just more than three months ago, members of Chicago’s Jackie Robinson West Little League championship team were celebrating in the White House. Today, Little League International has stripped the team of its’ American title for using players who lived outside the team’s boundaries.
According to a press release this morning, “Little League International 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.”
Stephen D. Keener, Little League International President and CEO added, “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.
Read more of this story and a timeline of events on youthletic.com.