{"id":479883,"date":"2026-09-30T00:14:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T00:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/479883\/"},"modified":"2026-09-30T00:14:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T00:14:12","slug":"an-l-a-suburb-evicts-its-own-beloved-little-league-sparking-charges-of-political-payback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/479883\/","title":{"rendered":"An L.A. suburb evicts its own beloved Little League, sparking charges of political payback"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Samantha Chavez froze for a moment.<\/p>\n

The 6-year-old watched the ball she had just struck with her pink bat slowly roll along the foul line. <\/p>\n

\u201cRun! Run! Run!\u201d her parents shouted from the stands.<\/p>\n

Samantha dropped the bat and sprinted toward first base.<\/p>\n

\u201cNice hit, Sam!\u201d her father hollered.<\/p>\n

It was a typical game for Santa Fe Springs\u2019 Metropolitan Little League \u2014 <\/a>except for one thing. The league wasn\u2019t playing in its hometown but several miles away in Downey.<\/p>\n

Santa Fe Springs officials took the unusual step of revoking the league\u2019s access to its fields after accusing it of subleasing the fields to another nonprofit, a violation of its contract with the city. The league denied the allegation.<\/p>\n

The dispute has put the 65-year-old youth sports partnership in jeopardy and forced league officials to scramble to salvage Sunday\u2019s scheduled games.<\/p>\n

The city\u2019s actions have led some residents to question whether its decision was politically motivated.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

A Scorpions player walks off the field at West Downey Little League Field.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe understand how important youth baseball is for our community,\u201d he said. \u201cBut this is about ensuring that all the organizations that use our city facilities are following the same rules and expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Razo said he hoped to resolve the issue after Monday\u2019s league board elections.<\/p>\n

Odalys Valladares, president of the nonprofit Little League, denied it was subleasing the fields. She said that the league abides by its contract but that the city hadn\u2019t been fair with the league.<\/p>\n

\"Odalys <\/p>\n

Odalys Valladares, president of the Metropolitan Little League, high-fives members of her team Sunday in Downey.<\/p>\n

She accused the city\u2019s leaders <\/a> of targeting the league because she\u2019s running for the City Council.<\/p>\n

The city denies the accusation. \u201cThis is definitely not politically driven,\u201d Razo said. \u201cThis is about following the rules.\u201d<\/p>\n

But on Sunday, Valladares said parents told her that Santa Fe Springs Mayor Pro Tem Annette Rodriguez<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

A witness recounted the meeting to The Times. The paper also obtained a video showing Rodriguez speaking with parents at a baseball field. <\/p>\n

At the heart of the issue is Metro Little League\u2019s relationship with the Metro Baseball Academy, a separate nonprofit that runs clinics, or training programs, for league players who pay to participate.<\/p>\n

Until recently, the academy operated as a private organization, with a board that included Little League members, including Valladares.<\/p>\n

City officials said they looked into the nonprofits after receiving complaints about how often they used the fields.<\/p>\n

The city learned that Metro Little League had created the academy to run its clinics, allowing it to use the fields year-round.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

1 <\/p>\n

\"An <\/p>\n

2 <\/p>\n

\"Helmets <\/p>\n

1. An aerial of the West Downey Little League Field. 2. Helmets lined up for batting. <\/p>\n

Under the agreement with the city, at least 60% of Metro Little League\u2019s players must live in Santa Fe Springs. <\/p>\n

Razo said the city became suspicious when someone forwarded a message in which academy officials directed parents to register their children under the Little League for the fall season after the registration deadline. <\/p>\n

Valladares, however, said the city\u2019s concerns contradicted past actions.<\/p>\n

She said the league\u2019s clinics have been operated by other organizations in the past with approval from the city. <\/p>\n

She said they formed the academy about three months ago after the city\u2019s Parks and Recreation director suggested it. <\/p>\n

The league, like many others, often allows children to sign up after the registration deadline if there\u2019s room, she said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Valladares said that, from the start, the Little League and the academy operated independently of each other. <\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

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\u2019s access to the city baseball fields.<\/p>\n

In an email response to The Times, Andrew Hernandez, president of the academy, reasserted those points. <\/p>\n

He said that the academy served mostly children from the area and that it provided affordable baseball training for working-class families. <\/p>\n

He said transparency and cooperation with the city were important.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe requested field use, received permits, paid the associated fees, communicated with city staff, and responded to concerns when they were brought to our attention,\u201d he wrote in his email.<\/p>\n

Hernandez included email exchanges and invoices dating to July, demonstrating that the academy had been paying for its use of the athletic fields.<\/p>\n

He also included a letter in which he pleaded with city officials for a fee waiver as the nonprofit faced financial hardship.<\/p>\n

Valladares said to ease the city\u2019s concerns she and other league members resigned from the academy\u2019s board.<\/p>\n

She maintained that there were no problems until she announced her candidacy for the City Council.<\/p>\n

Aden Medina, 20, who worked as a supervisor for parks and recreation, said he was fired this month after the city learned he was coaching for the Little League.<\/p>\n

When he asked why officials were terminating his position, he said, they told him he was an at-will employee.<\/p>\n

The city confirmed Medina\u2019s employment and said it could not comment on the circumstances surrounding an employee\u2019s separation from the city.<\/p>\n

\"Young <\/p>\n

The Scorpions and the Punishment finish up Sunday\u2019s event with a \u201cgood game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last Wednesday, the city sent letters to the Metro Little League and the academy informing them that their access to the athletic fields was revoked.<\/p>\n

Ron Hernandez, coach and vice president of Metro Little League, said the city locked up the dugouts and installed some metal fencing to prevent access to the baseball fields.<\/p>\n

At the home plate of each of the three baseball fields were signs that read: \u201cMetro Little League Permits Revoked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Valladares aired her complaint with the city on social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re coming after one of the things that\u2019s dear to my heart, which are the kids and this program that I\u2019ve been working on for the past two years,\u201d Valladares said in an Instagram post<\/a>. \u201cI really wish they would solely come after me and leave the kids alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

The accusations prompted the incumbents, including Rodriguez, to release their own video on the city\u2019s Instagram account<\/a>, reiterating the city\u2019s response.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s actions.<\/p>\n

Behind them, dozens of children and parents held signs urging the city to let them return to the fields: \u201cDear city, Santa Fe Springs, please let me play,\u201d and \u201cWe\u2019re kids, we should be playing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Little <\/p>\n

The Punishment team does a group cheer after eating candy for energy at West Downey Little League Field.<\/p>\n

Parents said they were disheartened and upset about the city\u2019s actions because of the effects on the children. <\/p>\n

There was no shortage of scoring at the game in Downey. <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

When the game resumed, families in the stands celebrated each time a child managed to whack the ball.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood job, kid!\u201d a man yelled repeatedly.<\/p>\n

Samuel Chavez , 50, said he was grateful that the children were at least allowed to play their games even if it wasn\u2019t on their usual field. <\/p>\n

He said the situation between the Little League and Santa Fe Springs was unfortunate. <\/p>\n

\u201cI hope they can find some kind of resolution,\u201d Chavez said. <\/p>\n