Little League International has stripped Chicago's Jackie Robinson West Little League team of its U.S. title after it determined that the team knowingly used ineligible players who lived outside of approved geographic boundaries, the league announced Wednesday morning.
The title will be awarded to the team from Las Vegas that Jackie Robinson West defeated in the U.S. championship game.
The Jackie Robinson team will also have to vacate all wins from the 2014 Little League World Series tournament, including their Great Lakes regional title.
The Little League organization said that "after an extensive review," it determined that the team "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 a falsified boundary map for their 2014 tournament," it added.
In addition to voiding all of the team's wins, team manager Darold Butler has been suspended from Little League activity and Michael Kelly has been removed as administrator of Illinois District 4.
The organization said the team "has been placed on probation, with its tournament privileges suspended, until such a time that new leadership. . .have been elected or appointed, and that the league is fully compliant with all Little League International Regulations."
A parent of one of the Jackie Robinson players said her son feels he "did something wrong."
"I know what they did and what they came from," said Nedra Jones. "Actually, I'm upset and disappointed because now my son has the mad face because he feels like he did something wrong and he didn't."
Jones said the Nevada team is getting the title as a default and JRW owns it.
Venisa Green, mother of Jackie Robinson West player Brandon Green, said she found out about the team's title being revoked this morning on the news.
"We're just blown away by this," Green said. "All of the parents and kids together -- we had no knowledge or forewarning, no communication from the league."
Green said she's talking to other parents of Jackie Robinson West players and she's trying to organize a place for them to meet Wednesday.
Green said she "can't even imagine that this has happened." She said she wondered if the team's title would've been questioned if the kids weren't African American.
"Would they rather the boys be killed in the Chicago streets than actively engaged in the sport they love?" she said. "My breath is taken away."
Rick LaSpaluto, whose son Drew is second basemen for the Las Vegas team, said hearing the news early Wednesday was "bittersweet."
"I don't think we're going to be jumping up and down celebrating. We're happy, but I don't know we still have to get together and see what we're going to do. There'll be something. This is a huge deal but right now it's more shock than anything."
LaSpaluto said the team found out about the investigation into Jackie Robinson West's boundaries in September but had "moved on."
"We kind of forgot about it," he said, adding that he feels for the Jackie Robinson players.
"I don't believe they had anything to do with this. This was about the adults," LaSpaluto said, adding: "I just pray those kids get past this."
Little League International CEO Stephen D. Keener released a statement saying the move "was 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, he said.
"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."
In December, Little League had said it was confident Jackie Robinson West committed no residency violations after investigating allegations made by an official from a suburban Chicago league that some players live in districts with already-established Little League teams. It said it would reopen the investigation if necessary. Citing "new information," league officials met Tuesday in Williamsport, Pa. to discuss possible action.
After falling to South Korea in the world championship game, Jackie Robinson West was feted with a parade and a visit to the major league World Series and the White House. The story of the first all African-American team to win the U.S. title in a sport that normally struggles to attract African-American players attracted headlines nationwide and the good sportsmanship the young players showed on the field made them one of the tournament's fan favorites.
Chris Janes, vice president of the Evergreen Park Athletic Association, said in December he began expressing concerns about the authenticity of residences reported by Jackie Robinson West team members in late August. Jackie Robinson West defeated Evergreen Park 43-2 in a sectional playoff during its run to Williamsport.
According to the rules posted on the Little League International website, each local league determines its geographic boundaries within which it can select players.
This is the third time in the 68-year history of the Little League Baseball World Series that punitive actions have led to vacating wins from a league. The first time was in 1992 with the disqualification of Zamboanga (Philippines) City Little League and again in 2001 with Rolando Paulino Little League from Bronx, N.Y.
Tribune wires contributed.