My Thoughts for February 15, 2015 

It’s happened again!  Another lapse in integrity has happened.  The baseball team from Chicago, the Jackie Robinson West Little League team, has been caught cheating.  Yes, cheating.  There is no other way of saying it.  They didn’t bend the rules, they didn’t make a principled misstep; they conspired to deceive Little League Baseball, and all who love the game.  Unbelievable!  What were those coaches and district managers thinking?  At a time when the black community of not only Chicago, but of the nation, need a positive for everyone, a few people in their desperation to win, mislead the league, the people of their community, and mostly the players on that team.   This was a district named for the first black man to play on a major league baseball team, Jackie Robinson.

For those of you who don’t know the story of Jackie Robinson here is a quick review of his remarkable contribution to both baseball and America.  On April 15, 1947 he was the first black man to start in a major league game.  That move by the Brooklyn Dodgers (now the Los Angeles Dodgers) ended racial segregation in baseball and paved the way for men and women of color in all other sports in the United States.  His character and integrity, along with his outstanding playing ability was to help change the face of segregation in our country. Baseball celebrates his accomplishments every April 15 when players all around the league wear Jackie’s number, number 42.  The men and players of the Jackie Robinson West district have dishonored his name.  What were those folks thinking?

It has been reported in the Huffington Post that the district manager and coaches of the all black team “created an inaccurate map of its boundaries” which enabled the winning team to have players that would otherwise be ineligible.  The Jackie Robinson West team had been the first all-black team to win the national championship. It also was a team that a few adults lacking integrity frustrated the community and the sport of little league baseball, plus, they shamed the children who played on the team; a shame that will affect the lives of those players for the rest of their days.  What were those folks thinking?

Oh, and to add insult to injury, Mayor Rahm Emanuel stated publicly, “These remarkable boys brought our entire city together and reminded all Chicagoans how important it is to support our children.”  I’m sorry but these boys weren’t remarkable, they won because of cheating.  It’s a sorry lesson. Instead of a teaching integrity, here’s a leading politician trying to justify blatant dishonesty.  I don’t know for sure if the players knew what was happening but I find it hard to believe they didn’t.  What are you folks thinking?

This old curmudgeon was elated to see a team of all-black boys from the humblest parts of Chicago win the national title and represent our country in the World Series of Little League. They played with heart and were wonderful representatives.  I enjoyed watching the games; little did I know I was watching a falsehood.  The entire exercise has been demeaned by a few, how many?  We’ll probably never know.  I just don’t know what these folks were thinking.  

The league did the right thing by stripping the team of their title.  To keep the integrity of the game is paramount to everyone that love baseball.  And, in this action is a message to the black community, you need to maintain your integrity.  Black politicians, black community leaders, and all people of color at the local level need to maintain a high level of integrity.  Supporting coaches and district managers that cheat is not a way to reduce racial tensions.  Plus, think of the messages it has given those boys that played on the team.  What will they do in the future when nobody is watching? Integrity and character is what a person does when nobody is watching.