An L.A. suburb evicts its own beloved Little League, sparking charges of political payback
Samantha Chavez froze for a moment.
The 6-year-old watched the ball she had just struck with her pink bat slowly roll along the foul line.
“Run! Run! Run!” her parents shouted from the stands.
Samantha dropped the bat and sprinted toward first base.
“Nice hit, Sam!” her father hollered.
It was a typical game for Santa Fe Springs’ Metropolitan Little League — except for one thing. They weren’t playing in their hometown but several miles away in Downey.
Santa Fe Springs officials took the unusual step of revoking the league’s access to its fields after accusing them of subleasing the fields to another nonprofit, a violation of its contract with the city. The league denied the allegation.
The dispute has put the 65-year-old youth sports partnership in jeopardy, and forced league officials to scramble to salvage Sunday’s scheduled games.
The city’s actions have led some residents to question whether its decision was politically motivated.
A Scorpions player walks off the field at West Downey Little League Field.
Nicholas Razo, assistant city manager, said in a phone interview that the city had previously raised concerns with the league about subletting and took action after learning the practice was continuing.
“We understand how important youth baseball is for our community,” he said. “But this is about ensuring that all the organizations that use our city facilities are following the same rules and expectations.”
Razo said he hoped to resolve the issue after Monday’s league board elections.
Odalys Valladares, president of the nonprofit Little League, denied it was subleasing the fields. She said the league abides by its contract but that the city hadn’t been fair with the league.
Odalys Valladares, president of the Metropolitan Little League, high-fives members of her team Sunday in Downey.
She accused the city’s leaders of targeting the league because she’s running for the City Council.
“This is definitely not politically driven,” Razo said. “This is about following the rules.”
But on Sunday, Valladares said parents told her that Santa Fe Springs Mayor Pro Tem Annette Rodriguez, who is seeking reelection and whose grandson plays in the league, spoke to parents after a game. They said she placed blame on Valladares and urged them to vote the board out.
A witness recounted the meeting to The Times. The paper also obtained a video showing Rodriguez speaking with parents at a baseball field.
At the heart of the issue is Metro Little League’s relationship with the Metro Baseball Academy, a separate nonprofit that runs clinics, or training programs, for league players who pay to participate.
Until recently, the MBA operated as a private organization, with a board that included Little League members, including Valladares.
City officials said they looked into the nonprofits after receiving complaints about how often they used the fields.
The city learned that Metro Little League had created the academy to run its clinics, allowing it to use the fields year-round.
Razo, the assistant city manager, said that raised questions about whether the academy was bringing in more children from outside the area than allowed by the city and using the fields at the lower rates provided to the Little League as a nonprofit.
1. An aerial of the West Downey Little League Field. 2. Helmets lined up for batting.
Under the agreement with the city, at least 60% of Metro Little League’s players must live in Santa Fe Springs.
Razo said the city became suspicious when someone forwarded a message in which MBA officials directed parents to register their children under the Little League for the fall season after the registration deadline.
Valladares, however, said the city’s concerns contradicted past actions.
She said the league’s clinics have been operated by other organizations in the past with approval from the city.
She said they formed the academy about three months ago after the city’s Parks and Recreation director suggested it.
The league, like many others, often allows children to sign up after the registration deadline if there’s room, she said.
She said the league operates within a set boundary that includes parts of Whittier, South Whittier, Pico Rivera and Norwalk. She said most of the players live in Santa Fe Springs.
Valladares said that, from the start, the Little League and the academy operated independent of each other.
Six-year-old Samantha Chavez waits for her turn to bat at a game in Downey, where the team was playing after Santa Fe Springs revoked the league’s access to the city baseball fields.
In an email response to The Times, Andrew Hernandez, president of the MBA, reasserted those points.
He said the academy served mostly children from the area and that it provided affordable baseball training for working-class families.
He said transparency and cooperation with the city were important.
“We requested field use, received permits, paid the associated fees, communicated with city staff, and responded to concerns when they were brought to our attention,” he wrote in his email.
Hernandez included email exchanges and invoices dating back to July, demonstrating that the MBA had been paying for its own use of the athletic fields.
He also included a letter in which he pleaded with city officials for a fee waiver as the nonprofit faced financial hardship.
Valladares said to ease the city’s concerns she and other league members resigned from the academy’s board.
She maintained that there were no problems until she announced her candidacy for the City Council.
The Scorpions and the Punishment finish up Sunday’s event with a “good game.”
Last Wednesday, the city sent letters to the Metro Little League and the MBA informing them that their access to the athletic fields was revoked.
Ron Hernandez, coach and vice president of Metro Little League, said that the city locked up the dugouts and installed some metal fencing to prevent access to the baseball fields.
At the home plate of each of the three baseball fields were signs that read: “Metro Little League Permits Revoked.”
Valladares aired her complaint with the city on social media.
“They’re coming after one of the things that’s dear to my heart, which are the kids and this program that I’ve been working on for the past two years,” Valladares declared in an Instagram post. “I really wish they would solely come after me and leave the kids alone.”
The accusations prompted the incumbents, including Rodriguez, to release their own video on the city’s Instagram account, reiterating the city’s response.
At a Friday news conference at a Norwalk hotel, Ron Hernandez, Valladares and attorney Angela Robinson, whose son plays in the league, spoke out against the city’s actions.
Behind them, dozens of children and parents held signs urging the city to let them return to the fields: “Dear city, Santa Fe Springs, please let me play” and “We’re kids, we should be playing.”
The Punishment team does a group cheer after eating candy for energy at West Downey Little League Field.
Parents said they were disheartened and upset about the city’s actions because of the effects on the children.
There was no shortage of scoring at the game in Downey.
By the third inning, the children were taking a break from the heat, sipping on water, juice and soda to hydrate. Some ate candy for energy.
When the game resumed, families in the stands celebrated each time a child managed to whack the ball.
“Good job, kid!” a man yelled repeatedly.
Samuel Chavez , 50, said he was grateful that the children were at least allowed to play their games even if it wasn’t on their usual field.
He said the situation between the Little League and Santa Fe Springs was unfortunate.
“I hope they can find some kind of resolution,” Chavez said.