What happened to Little League baseball? It was once all about children having fun playing the game they love. At least, that’s the way I remember it.
However, that simply doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. It’s gotten too competitive and political, which is a crying shame for the children who want to just play baseball.
The latest example of this is Chicago’s Jackie Robinson West, who was stripped of the U.S. Little League World Series title for using players from outside their boundaries—essentially ringers.
The allegations first came up after another team lost to Jackie Robinson West 43-2 in a sectional match prior to the World Series. According to USA Today, the game was called after four innings.
Little League International President and CEO Stephen D. Keener explained the decision to strip the team of its title (via ESPN).
Quite honestly, we had to do this. We had no choice. We had to maintain the integrity of the Little League program. … As painful as this is, it’s a necessary outcome from what we finally have been able to confirm.
Kids from both the team that was stripped of the title and those it beat on the way are victims here as well. They are victims of adults that have overstepped in an attempt to gain a competitive advantage in a game that’s meant to be fun.
A team from Mountain Ridge, Nevada has been awarded the U.S. Title in lieu of Jackie Robinson West.
Photo: Fansided