We're rooting for Harlem around our house. Harlem beat the team that beat the team that beat our 12-year-old son's team in the New York State sectionals. When the coach's son slid home with the winning run on a wild pitch in the seventh inning against Bethlehem the other night, we were right alongside -- as coach, as coach's son, as both the victims and the victors on countless such Little League plays. That the kids from Harlem won by a matter of inches made the victory seem that much sweeter.

But if it turns out they won by a matter of 10 blocks, or by a couple of rationalized relocations, well, there goes the Little League World Series. Heck, there goes Little League.

	Meet you on the 4 train?

Look, this is not about white establishment Williamsport picking on the Bronx (last year) or Harlem (this year). This is not about bureaucrats or jealous opponents trying to destroy the dreams of innocent kids from the inner city. This is about baseball, and as anybody who has ever played, coached or even watched the game can tell you, baseball is about rules.

Granted, some of them are ridiculous. Little League forbids coaches from wearing shorts in its tournaments. If a kid doesn't have that Little League patch sewn just right on his sleeve, he or she might as well be Danny Almonte. That pinch-running rule that lets you bring in unused players as designated speedsters -- what's that all about?

But age and residency are pretty basic, and if there's a violation of either, then some adult is looking the other way. I'm sorry the Little League cloud over The Bronx has moved across the Harlem River, making it seem like a localized affront. I'm sorry because it has been my experience that cheaters can be found in far more affluent neighborhoods, anywhere where parents think that Little League is about them and not the kids.

I hope the Harlem residency flap disappears. I hope those kids go out and pound and point and pitch their way to the feel-good story of the year.

But if it turns out all the players are not actually from Harlem, if they have to be sent home, I hope we don't start blaming the wrong people.

Steve Wulf is executive editor of ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at steve.wulf@espnmag.com.