Northbrook ruled out of Cook County tournament

A player eligibility ruling has taken Northbrook out of next week's Cook County American Legion baseball tournament.

The way the process went has Wilmette taking a pass on American Legion competition starting next summer.

Cook County commissioner Don Torgerson said Tuesday that Northbrook will forfeit 4 league victories and not participate in the County tourney for using two players who did not meet residency requirements and were not eligible to play.

Torgerson said Northbrook will finish its regular-season schedule without general manager and coach Mitch Stewart, who has been suspended indefinitely.

"I'm hitting Northbrook pretty hard," Torgerson said. "We hope (it will prevent this in the future), but we can't guarantee that."

Wilmette general manager Don Wallace and head coach Mike Napoleon have decided they have had enough of Legion-related issues after 11 years. The 2004 state champions will have a team next year but won't be part of the Cook County League.

Wallace and Napoleon were not going to have Wilmette play in this year's County tourney if it included Northbrook. That was the case under an initial ruling, despite the Cook County rules drawn up last winter by Wallace stating any team that forfeited two games was ineligible to participate in the County tourney.

"Mike and I talked it over and we're not comfortable being affiliated with a program that doesn't enforce its own rules," Wallace said. "We're in business to play baseball. To me everything is 100 percent clear (here)."

Wallace said it was disappointing because "there are a lot of good coaches in the league right now."

Torgerson said Northbrook forfeited wins to Palatine, Elk Grove, Evanston and Glenview. The regular season to determine County tourney seeds is scheduled to end today.

Northbrook's ouster means only the Nos. 8 and 9 seeds will have a play-in game Sunday. The first two rounds next Tuesday and Wednesday will be played at the higher-seeded sites. with the rest of the tourney Thursday through Saturday at Rec Park in Arlington Heights.