Tulsa National Little League is under scrutiny after rivals filed a formal protest against the team alleging Tulsa violated Little League rules, including residency, boundary compliance, tournament eligibility and minimum games scheduled.
According to Sports Illustrated, the complaint was filed by Texas District 27 Industrial Little League on Saturday, during the Southwest Regional Tournament.
The complaint alleges six of Tulsa’s players are ineligible because they do not meet the residency or school attendance criteria, and they did not compete in regular season games. Tulsa is also accused of entering the program as a nearly intact non-Little League program, meaning several members of the team were also members of a independent travel team and had played together extensively prior to the Southwest Regional Tournament.
Little League stipulates that to be eligible for postseason play, the players must have competed in eight regular-season games and the team as a whole must have competed in 12 regular-season games. The complaint alleges that the Tulsa team falls short of both minimum expectations.
“We understand that reviewing this matter may require additional time and effort, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” Industrial Little League president Jamie Lankford wrote in an email to senior director of regional operations Corey Wright and Southwest Region director Blane Whitmire. “Our intent is not to create unnecessary difficulties or disrupt the tournament. Rather, we believe it is our responsibility to advocate for our players and to ensure that all teams are participating under the same eligibility standards established by Little League.”
In filing the complaint, Texas District 27 Industrial Little League is seeking an immediate investigation into the Tulsa team’s registrations, the disqualification of the Tulsa team, disciplinary action against the district administrator and disciplinary action against the Tulsa team.
While this complaint is processed, Tulsa National Little League also faces pressure on the home front. The team is at currently at the center of a lawsuit from the County of Tulsa for allegedly not paying utility bills at LaFortuna Park, the exclusively leased facility of Tulsa Little League Baseball Inc.
