CHICAGO (AP) — A day after Little League International stripped Chicago’s Jackie Robinson West of its national championship, team officials announced they’ve hired a high-profile attorney to conduct an investigation they hope will end with the return of their title.
The sport’s governing body announced Wednesday that team officials had violated regulations by including players who didn’t qualify because they lived outside the team’s boundaries, then scrambled to get adjacent leagues to go along with the scheme. But attorney Victor Henderson said Thursday he will try to determine not only whether the team broke any rules but whether – as supporters in Chicago have suggested – Little League International unfairly singled them out.
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Whether the investigation could prompt Little League International to reverse its decision remains to be seen. On Wednesday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the organization to ask that the title be given back to the team because the boys did nothing wrong.
But the president and CEO of Little League International, who on Wednesday said there was no indication the boys were complicit in the scheme of the adults, told the mayor that the decision was final.
