CHICAGO — Jackie Robinson West’s de facto leader Bill Haley — the guy who said leaving behind Little League lets kids play “real baseball” — won’t field an All-Star team to take a shot at a national title at all this year.
And parents and coaches from the disgraced league aren’t happy about it, DNAinfo Chicago has learned.
After suggesting he severed ties with Little League International in protest of being stripped of the U.S. championship title in a cheating scandal, Haley opened this season claiming to have chartered the league with the Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth youth baseball organizations.
But come tournament time, Haley didn’t register Jackie Robinson West’s 12-year-old All-Star team to compete in the Cal Ripken World Series tourney and failed to charter its 13- to 15-year-old All-Star team, leaving it ineligible for postseason play, sources said.
That news blindsided at least one coach who told DNAinfo Chicago that some frustrated parents angrily demanded a refund on registration fees since their kids got shortchanged on the playoffs.
“A lot of parents wanted their money back … I’m not sure what the problem was and I’m not going to speculate,” said Brian Banks, who was set to coach the older teens' All-Star team.
“But that World Series team is costing a lot of people a lot of stuff. That one team shouldn’t cost a whole organization of kids playing in tournaments. That’s why you play during the season … to play in the tournaments. We had a pretty decent team. My guys are so frustrated.”
When Little League stripped the U.S. title, the Pennsylvania-based youth baseball organization also placed JRW on probation until Haley and his senior citizen mother, league president Anne Haley, are replaced by new board members, among other requirements.
But rather than step aside to get the league his father founded reinstated, Bill Haley has led a public relations campaign — and a fledgling legal fight — aimed at reinstating the U.S. title and maintaining control of the league and its finances.
At JRW’s Opening Day ceremonies, Haley said the league had chartered with the Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth youth baseball organizations.
Banks said he thought that was true until he inquired about Babe Ruth state tournament details.
“I found out on the last day of our schedule. I called to find out when the tournament started and was told we were not allowed to play. We were not chartered,” Banks said. “I can’t understand why none of the teams this year were chartered from [ages] 12 and up.”
Cal Ripken Ohio Region commissioner Mark Watkins did not return a call seeking comment.
Sources told DNAinfo Chicago that boundary disputes and potentially ineligible players — the same issues that lead to JRW being stripped of the Little League title — presented a major roadblock for Haley to put together a highly competitive team.
“I don’t think [Haley] wanted the scrutiny,” a source familiar with the situation told DNAinfo Chicago. “He was told that we know who was on their [11-year-old] roster last year and if those kids weren’t on the team and legit, that he’d have a problem.”
Another source said Haley started the process to charter Babe Ruth teams but didn't have enough kids in the 13- to 15-year-old age group to finalize the process.
Haley didn’t respond to a message seeking comment.
Little League International officials told DNAinfo Chicago that Jackie Robinson West remains a charter member but the South Side league is suspended until the Haleys step aside and the new leadership complies with sanctions levied when the title was stripped.
While Jackie Robinson West won’t be playing in the Cal Ripken tournament, the league’s leaders continue to raise plenty of cash from big-time donors, including Foundation To Be Named Later, the charity run by Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and his brother.
Jackie Robinson West, which has received more than $200,000 in public donations, is listed as one of the organizations set to receive part of the proceeds from the sold-out Hot Stove Cool Music concert featuring Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder produced by Epstein’s foundation at Metro earlier this month.
Recently, JRW also launched an online campaign on fundrazer.com seeking $100,000 in donations to fund its legal fight aimed to force Little League to give the 2014 team the title back.
That fundraising effort hasn’t done too well. So far, after 65 days online, four people have donated just $90.
It’s unclear if the sluggish legal-fee fundraiser signals a decline in public support for the Jackie Robinson West leaders who recently filed court documents asking a judge to answer questions about how Little League came to its decision to strip the title but refuse to answer important questions themselves including did they cheat? And how is money donated to the league being spent to benefit kids?
But coach Banks, a Jackie Robinson West volunteer for six years, said he’s had enough.
“As a coach, I am, and I had plenty of parents who are, highly frustrated,” he said. “As it goes with Jackie Robinson West baseball, I’m done with them. I’m done.”
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