Report: JRW Leaders Changed League Boundaries To Get Star Players
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The national champion Jackie Robinson West Little League team was facing new allegations team leaders broke league rules to expand the team's boundaries, and bring in star players who otherwise couldn't have played for them.
Chris Janes, president of the Evergreen Park Athletic Association, had previously claimed some players on Jackie Robinson West did not live within their league's boundaries. Little League International cleared JRW of violating residency rules, citing the new map submitted by the league, but if the neighboring leagues in the same district did not approve the new map, it would be a violation of Little League rules.
"They need to put one and one together, and finally admit that it equals two. They need to admit that Jackie Robinson is in violation of very clear Little League rules," Janes said.
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He said Jackie Robinson West leaders expertly gamed the system by redrawing their league boundaries, and he believes Little League International is now protecting a team that generated a lot of good publicity as the first urban youth team to make it to the Little League World Series.
"For that reason, Little League's really reluctant to hold these guys as accountable as they should be. I think if it were any other league, the action by Little League would have been a little swifter, and a lot sooner," he said. "Jackie Robinson has Little League International in a really bad spot."
Janes said he asked Little League International for the Jackie Robinson boundary map in August, when he first sought an investigation of possible residency violations, but was refused.
Jackie Robinson West officials did not respond to WBBM's attempts to reach them for comment.
