Former Little League Mom Says Unchecked Cheating is Rampant

The decision to strip Jackie Robinson West (JRW) of its national title is raising questions about how widespread cheating may be throughout Little League.


A coach who competes against JRW in the same district told ABC 7 that for years, JRW and other teams have used players from outside their boundaries, and until now, Little League officials turned a blind eye.

Renee Cannon-Young sees hypocrisy in the stripping of JRW's title.

In 2011, she says her son Jacoby was recruited to play in Evergreen Park's Little League, despite living on Chicago's South Side.

"The paperwork was filled out for me," Cannon-Young said. "I was told that although he was not a resident of Evergreen Park, they were going to fix that so that he could play. Just use another address, and he would be able to play."

Cannon-Young says she thought nothing of it - it was just baseball - until Evergreen Park raised suspicions about JRW.

JRW isn't the first team to violate residency rules, according to the head of Little League International.

"These types of things do happen occasionally at the local level, but they're usually sorted out pretty much when the local tournament begins because neighbors know neighbors," said Stephen D. Keener, president and CEO of Little League International.

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Kimberly Foster is the founder and editor of For Harriet. Email or Follow @KimberlyNFoster

Chicago Jackie Robinson West