KENWOOD — The Rev. Jesse Jackson urged community members to send letters to Little League International officials asking them to reconsider their decision to strip Chicago's Jackie Robinson West of its 2014 U.S. title during a rally in Kenwood Saturday.
"Starting Monday, we want you to write [Little League International] or call them to restore the prize," Jackson said.
On Wednesday, Little League International stripped the Jackie Robinson West team of its national title, saying the league expanded its boundaries into neighboring leagues' turf — without those leagues' knowledge — to bring in star players from outside its boundaries.
During the rally, Jackson, State Sen. Jacqueline Collins and other addressed supporters at Rainbow PUSH Coalition's Headquarters.
“This is not a one-day fight, this is a long distance race,” Jackson said.
"We are asking you to come back next Saturday. We are going to fight ‘til the end,” Jackson added.
Collins, who wore a Jackie Robinson West T-shirt, expressed her dissatisfaction with the decision.
"In my research there is only three times in the 75-year history of the league that they have taken such action to pull the title from a team, in each case they were teams of color," Collins said.
"This is simple for me to be here," Collins added. "It's simple to honor our champions. I believe in you, I support you and I'm going to fight for you."
Rainbow PUSH spokesman Jonathan Jackson urged Little League officials to look at other factors that could have led parents from outside the Jackie Robinson West boundaries to have their sons play baseball for the league.
"You are looking at the technical boundaries but there are footnotes," he said.
Jackson said baseball options are limited for South Side kids because of poor housing options, school closings and insufficient park funding in their neighborhoods.
"These boundaries were blown out by city government, he added. "This is an adult discussion that we need to have."
Vanessa Green, mother of a Jackie Robinson West player, was not surprised by the outpouring of support for the team.
"This is my community. People are coming together to support [our] children," Green said.
"The next step is to follow Jackson and continue to fight until [the players] have their dignity restored," Green said.
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