Mark,
"Deal with it"...Where did that come from? You and I need to have a cup of coffee and a piece of pie, together.
In youth baseball, all you need is a couple of kids, a ball and a bat.
I grew up at 18th and Halsted years ago (back before the Dan Ryan being built.
Virtually no one in our neighborhood (18th and Desplaines) had any money. Moreover, I spoke broken English. Everyone called me the "dumb dp".
We found school buildings or empty buildings that had walls and we put a strikezone on the wall and with our little brown balls, we played fast pitching.
Cost of the ball was 29 cents to 49 cents. If you couldn't afford a bat (I bought a ball, glove and bat at Morrie Mages on 63rd and Halsted for a bit over $10.00), you used a broken broomstick (or as some did, had an "accident" with the broom that just happened to break the stick and make the broom useless).
Kids can learn the game and you don't need MLB money. All you need is a couple of kids and an empty lot or a street with little traffic (until after the workday ends).
Spent a ton of time in Little Leagues at Dvorak Park 19th and Cullerton where I was a little league teammate of Tony Delagado (who was a baseball and basketball star at Harrison High School (near Southwest side), who went on to play at Lewis University and then coached with Gordie Gillespie at Lewis and Uof St. Francis.
Never was on any travel team and didn't need it. When I made the little league all star team, one of the tournament rules was that we had to wear jockstraps. I didn't know what to do with it so I put it on the outside of our uniform!
Fast forward: Spent virutally every summer day playing baseball on the streets or in the local parks. Went to St. Rita and we played at Lindblom Park and then McKinley Park. Rode my bike from 69th and Maplewood and spent virtually every summer day playing at McKinley Park...no umpires, no coaches, just kids. Played for the Catholic League Championships against Fenwick and Mt. Carmel in 1960-1962. Rita won in 1960 beating Fenwick at the old Comiskey Park. Then we played in 1961 and 1962, at McKinley Park, against Dennis McLain and Mount Carmel. We beat McLain in the middle of the three game series each of those years but they won the title each year with Len Kopacz pitching for them in 1961 (he won 2 games) and Jim Darrah in 1962, when he won 2 games.
Went on to play at a small college and got a chance to play pro ball when the Braves drafted me in 1966. I teamed and roomed with Earl Williams who was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1971.
You don't need lots money, showcases or travel ball to learn the game and to become pretty good at it and to continue playing ball in college and professional ball. YOU NEED DESIRE. Doesn't cost anything to learn to run, field and throw. You need a bat, however, for hitting skills. That is how the Latins do it in the islands or in Venezuela and that is how we did it. STOP COMPLAINING OR MAKING EXCUSES FOR KIDS. If they want it, they can make it happen themselves. I'm sure they have the latest rap cd's and the tilted hat look. Think of the money they spend for that?
I delivered the Sun-Times and the Chicago American and never asked my mom for a penny. Always had a few nickels in my pockets. Too, plenty of people around who need kids to run errands for them. Kids can do that, too.
Get away from "professional, paid" coaches and have one of the dads do it. If the kids are as good as you say they are, they need very little coaching...just a bit of discipline and learning that baseball is a team game.
I know you're a Chicago police officer and a nice guy. Tell the kids that they have to work or solicit businessmen for a few bucks and you guys will have another fine season!
It's a great game.
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p.s. $25,000 from the Hawks! Wow, that would have supported the 16 year old Upper Deck Cougars team that I helped coach in 2001 and 2002 for at least 5 years. That 2002 team had a 4th round draft choice and all of the kids are at D1 schools, except for one. He was the smartest of the group and is now a pre-med student at a Southern school.