WEST ENGLEWOOD — Little League baseball could make a triumphant return to Jackie Robinson West’s South Side territory without the disgraced league that was stripped of the national title amid an adult-orchestrated cheating scandal.
In recent weeks, leaders from two youth baseball organizations — Skyline Youth Athletic Association’s Bruce Wilson and Dennis Butler Jr., who runs the West Englewood Tigers travel league — have filed separate applications seeking to charter new leagues within Jackie Robinson West’s boundaries, DNAinfo.com Chicago has learned.
Jackie Robinson West’s Little League charter remains on administrative hold through the end of the year because its de facto leader, Bill Haley, has refused to comply with Little League International’s sanctions related to the cheating scandal.
Those sanctions included requiring Haley, the league treasurer, and his mother, league president Anne Haley, to resign from the organization.
Little League International spokesman Brian McClintock confirmed there have been “multiple inquiries regarding the Jackie Robinson West Little League territory and surrounding areas.” He refused to comment on those “incompleted requests” because JRW has until Dec. 31 to “make the decision to reaffiliate with Little League under the terms of the probation status.”
“Until that time Little League International cannot make any decisions or comments about the future of that territory,” McClintock said.
Haley did not return a call seeking comment.
On Monday, Wilson, said he was pushing to regain the Little League affiliation and recruitment territory the West Englewood-based league lost — and was ultimately claimed by JRW — because his teams had no place to play while ball fields at Lindblom Park were under construction.
“I’m trying to bring Little League baseball back for all of the Englewood and West Englewood area,” Wilson said. “Right now, we’re being patient. We’re ready to play next year. The hold up has to do with JRW and the boundary. Nothing has been confirmed or denied to us yet.”
Wilson said the territory he’s seeking doesn’t conflict with a separate request by Butler — whose brother Darold Butler coached Jackie Robinson West to the U.S. Title win and was suspended from Little League for his role in the cheating scandal.
“My territory is north from 71st Street. I think what he’s looking for is basically the same region that JRW had. We don’t have a conflict,” Wilson said.
“I’d like to have more area but don’t need it. There are a lot of kids and a lot of elementary schools in the boundary, and as long as they attend the elementary schools the kids can play.
“My thing is just having kids play baseball. I wish we got a chance to go to the Little League World Series, but that is not the thing on my mind. I just want kids to get a chance in the spring and summertime to play baseball and win games and give them good memories.”
When contacted by phone, Dennis Butler Jr. wouldn’t immediately discuss his Little League charter application saying, “I’ll have to call you back.” He did not return the call by late Monday.
It’s unclear if Butler plans to seek a charter under the West Englewood Tigers banner. But if he did win a Little League charter for his existing independent league that would mean members of his current teams would be “grandfathered in” and allowed to play in the Little League World Series tournament games, according to people familiar with Little League rules.
People who keep tabs on youth baseball will tell you that could bring a championship-caliber team back to Morgan Park in the near future.
Last season, Butler’s traveling youth baseball program, the West Englewood Tigers, had a group of 9-year-olds who were among the best in the nation, finishing second place in the Continental Amateur Baseball Association World Series.
On Monday night, coach Dennis Butler Sr. ran drills with a group of of grade school players at Lindblom Park, where new ball diamonds and backstops were installed last year.
"I gotta get 'em to care about what they're doing," he said with great sincerity after sending the kids to run laps.
When I mentioned the two pending Little League charter applications to Butler Sr. — a father of two coaches and grandfather of young ballplayers — the veteran youth baseball coach nodded and, with the same sincerity he explained why the boys ran laps, spoke plainly.
"We need a charter," he said.
Whether or not that happens, well — Little League says that'll have to wait 'til next year.
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