Bullock Creek’s Brady Williams receives a throw to third during a July 31 Central Region winners’ bracket semifinal against Elmhurst, Ill.
Elmhurst, Ill., may have won last week’s Junior League Baseball Central Region championship in Midland, but it won’t be competing in the upcoming Junior League World Series in Taylor, Mich.
According to Northeast Little League president Nick Kroll, who served as the co-director of the Central Region tournament, it was discovered afterward that Elmhurst had used an ineligible player during the tournament. As a result, Elmhurst was stripped of its regional title, and runner-up Whitefish Bay, Wis., will represent the Central Region at the World Series, which runs from Aug. 9-16.
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“From my understanding, a parent affiliated with one of the two Little Leagues (which comprised the Elmhurst all-star team) called up and pointed out that one of the best players on the team, Mario Iveljic, was not eligible,” Kroll said, adding that Iveljic had a pivotal two-run double in Elmhurst’s 7-6 win over Bullock Creek and also pitched in the regional final against Whitefish Bay.
“That player was specifically identified as a kid who didn’t play in any Little League games at all, and, therefore, he didn’t qualify for an all-star team,” Kroll added.
Kroll went on to say that the manager of the Elmhurst team claimed he was unaware that Iveljic was ineligible.
“He said he’s very disappointed and had no idea about any of this,” Kroll said. “ … His side of the story was that the D.A. (district administrator) or the league presidents didn’t do the proper paperwork. I’m not sure if that’s a true story or not, but this kid shouldn’t have been playing.”
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In a group text which included the Central Region tournament directors and team managers, Elmhurst’s manager stated, “We have a combined legit team and we have 1 player whose paperwork wasn’t process (sic) in either registration system because each league higher up (sic) thought the other was doing it. It was an unfortunate clerical error. … I had no idea we had an ineligible player.”
Meanwhile, Whitefish Bay’s all-stars are making last-minute travel preparations for the World Series.
“They’re scrambling right now, finding a way to get to Taylor,” Kroll said. “ … It’s kind of interesting, because their manager is actually in Whitestown, Indiana, right now with his major Little League team, and (Whitefish Bay’s assistant coach) will take over the Junior team. If nothing else, this resulted in some good things coming for Whitefish Bay.”
But not for Bullock Creek, a team which handily won its opening game at the regional before dropping a pair of one-run games, 7-6 to Elmhurst and then 2-1 to Wabash, Ind., last week. Kroll said he gives Creek manager T.J. Rhynard “a ton of credit” for his reaction to the news of Elmhurst’s ineligible player.
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“If it was me, I’d be very upset,” Kroll noted, adding of Rhynard, “But he was, like, ‘Nick, I appreciate your telling me, but if we had taken care of business and done the right things and made more plays, it might’ve been us in the championship game, regardless.’
“It was a pretty classy response, for sure,” Kroll added.
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Fred Kelly is a sports reporter with the Midland Daily News. He is a 1987 graduate of Coleman High School and earned a B.S. from Central Michigan University in 1993 and an M.A. from CMU in 1996. He has won numerous awards from various organizations for sportswriting and column-writing. He enjoys playing softball as well as other outdoor activities, volunteering at schools, reading, and spending time with his family.
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