Illinois Politicians Diving Into Little League World Series Controversy

Jim Anderson -- Illinois Radio Network

Illinois politicians are nosing into the Little League World Series situation.

This is about the Jackie Robinson West team from Chicago, which won the state, regional and national titles last year, before being stripped of the titles last week for using players who live outside the league boundary.

State Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) introduced a resolution in the Illinois House of Representatives urging Little League International to:

• Explain the decision to strip the title after twice declaring the team in compliance with residency rules
• Scrutinize the residency of the players on other teams in the tournament
• Restore the Jackie Robinson West national title.

“Things like this are supposed to lift kids up and join people together, and that’s what it did for our nation. We stand behind these kids, we stand behind Jackie Robinson West, and hopefully we will see them with their title again,” said State Rep. Jerry Costello II (D-Smithton).

The resolution is not a law. It’s just a suggestion.

A lawyer is working on behalf of Jackie Robinson West to discover the facts of the case, but has not filed litigation.