RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the Jackie Robinson West Little League team thrilled and delighted all Chicagoans and baseball fans throughout the country by winning the United States Little League championship in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, August 23, 2014; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has been advised of this memorable achievement by the Honorable Carrie M. Austin, Alderman of the 34th Ward and Honorable Howard Brookins, Alderman of the 21st Ward; and
WHEREAS, the Jackie Robinson West team, which has become known across the City and the country as "JRW," plays its home games in Jackie Robinson Park in the great 34th Ward; and
WHEREAS, the Jackie Robinson West league was founded in 1971 by Joseph Haley and draws its players from the Englewood, Auburn-Gresham, Morgan Park and Washington Heights communities; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Haley sought not only to instill a love of baseball in league members, but also to use sports to prepare them for adulthood without taking away the innocent enthusiasm of childhood; and
WHEREAS, in the four decades since the league's founding, those values have continued under the administration of Annie Haley, the founder's widow, and their son, William Haley, who are responsible for the league's day to day operations; and
WHEREAS, the Jackie Robinson West team dominated the Illinois competition in the run-up to the Little League World Series, and defeated a tough Indiana squad to go to Williamsport as the Great Lakes Region representative; and
WHEREAS, in the World Series double-elimination tournament, Jackie Robinson West faced increasingly challenging competition and even lost one game. But that loss did not deter them or diminish their confidence; rather, it spurred them on to win a seesaw battle against a tough Nevada team to claim the United States Little League championship; and
WHEREAS, as Jackie Robinson West advanced, the team's fan base continued to grow: outdoor viewing parties were arranged at Jackie Robinson Park and on S...
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