Legion Baseball History DUGOUT CHAT Tom Magedanz - 01.29.2002

For nearly seventy years, American Legion Baseball has been one of the nation's premier baseball programs for high school aged youth. Legion baseball operates across the nation and has provided tens on thousands of young men the opportunity to play high quality baseball in a wholesome environment and the chance to advance to regional, state, and national competition. Legion baseball has also been a steady supplier of players for college and professional baseball. Over 65% of all current major leaguers and 75% of all college ballplayers played Legion baseball. Forty members of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame from Bob Feller to Ted Williams, Roy Campanella to Don Drysdale, Brooks Robinson to Carl Yastrzemski, Joe Morgan to Nellie Fox, Reggie Jackson to George Brett and many more -- are former American Legion ballplayers. In 1998, 90,000 players on more than 5,000 teams played Legion baseball. As a nationwide project to benefit the nation's youth, American Legion Baseball has been a resounding success.

Legion baseball takes on increased importance in South Dakota, however. Along with Wyoming and Montana, South Dakota only has high school baseball on a limited basis. In most states Legion baseball provides additional baseball after the close of the high school spring season. But in South Dakota, Legion ball is virtually the only chance for high school aged kids to play baseball. In 1999 South Dakota had 63 registered Legion baseball teams, a number that has remained steady for the last ten years. Legion baseball in South Dakota has paid its own way for seventy years, with almost no public funds, but with lots of hard work by Legion members, players, coaches, parents, and board members. No other organization appears ready or able to assume that role. Legionnaires can be proud of the opportunities this program provides for the young men in our state.

There are other baseball programs for high school aged players in some parts of the country in addition to high school and Legion ball. Babe Ruth and Senior Little League are two examples. There is also, as in other sports, an increasing trend toward private "traveling" baseball teams of all ages, some of which travel to tournaments around the nation. Traveling teams provide excellent competition and high quality baseball, but they are extremely expensive for players and parents and are only available for a small number of gifted players who are invited to join the team. Legion baseball, with a nationwide network of posts to support the program, is unique in its ability to offer a cohesive, coordinated baseball program to large numbers of kids, while retaining a quality level of competition.

As the 20th Century ends, Legion Baseball continues to play a critical role in the baseball world, but more importantly in the lives of thousands of players who will not play a single day of pro or college ball, but whose lives have been enriched by the chance to play baseball. Come out to Hyde Stadium this summer and watch some of them play (and check out some Teener games, too); it'll be fun.