There is major news coming out of Little League Baseball: the 2014 Little League World Series Champion Jackie Robinson West has been forced to “vacate” its wins from the 2014 Little League World Series - because the Chicago team was found to have cheated.
Jackie Robinson West was found to be using players that were out of district. A statement from the Little League Office reads:
"After an extensive review of the operations of Jackie Robinson West Little League and Illinois District 4, the Little League International Charter/Tournament Committee has determined that the Jackie Robinson West Little League and Illinois District 4 Administrator knowingly violated Little League International Rules and Regulations by placing players on their team who did not qualify to play because they lived outside the team’s boundaries."
“Little League International found that Jackie Robinson West Little League used 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.”
"As our Little League operations staff learned of the many issues and actions that occurred over the course of 2014 and prior, as painful as this is, we feel it 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."
According to the Little League Residence Eligibility Requirements:
Each local Little League determines the actual geographic boundaries of the area from within which it shall select players. These boundaries must be described in detail and shown on a map and dated when making application for a Little League charter. Players will be eligible to play with that league only if they reside or the physical location of the school where they attend classes is within the boundaries provided to and approved by Little League Baseball, Incorporated.
I. A player will be deemed to reside within the league boundaries if:
A. His/her parents are living together and are residing within such league boundaries, OR;
B. Either of the player’s parents (or his/her court-appointed legal guardian) reside within such boundaries. It is unacceptable if a parent moves into a league’s boundaries for the purpose of qualifying for tournament play. As detailed later in these rules, the penalty for violation of this rule may, in Little League Baseball, Incorporated’s discretion, result in the disqualification of a player, team or entire league from regular season and/or tournament play.
“Residence,” “reside” and “residing” refers to a place of bona fide continuous habitation. A place of residence once established shall not be considered changed unless the parents, parent or guardian makes a bona fide change of residence.
The U.S. Championship will be awarded to Mountain Ridge Little League out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Jackie Robinon West beat Mountain Ridge 7-5 in the US Championship.