American Legion Baseball is a variety of amateurbaseball played by 13-to-19-year-olds in fifty states in the U.S. and Canada. More than 3,500 teams participate each year. The American Legion Department of South Dakota established the program in 1925 at Milbank, South Dakota.
According to the American Legion, the purpose of American Legion Baseball is to give players "an opportunity to develop their skills, personal fitness, leadership qualities, and to have more fun."[1]
The American Legion first sponsored a baseball league in 1925. In the first American Legion Baseball World Series, Yonkers, New York, Post 321 beat a team from Pocatello, Idaho, in Philadelphia in 1926. However, the inaugural season was expensive for the American Legion due to travel costs, and the subsequent season was cancelled. Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis pledged a $50,000 annual donation from Major League Baseball, allowing Legion Baseball to resume in 1928. By 1929, teams participated from every state and the District of Columbia.
MLB has continued to support American Legion Baseball annually, although there is no formal partnership between the organizations.[2][3]
In 2011, Shelby, North Carolina was named the permanent home of the American Legion World Series after decades of rotating venues for the event.
The format of the tournament for the eight teams involves separating into two pools and playing round robin within that pool from Thursday to Sunday. The top seed in each pool plays the runner-up in the other pool in the semifinals on Monday, with the two teams advancing to a one-game championship on Tuesday.
With games set at Keeter Stadium on the campus of Shelby High School, the local community has rallied around the event, turning it into a lengthy celebration including the Seventh Inning Stretch festival in Uptown Shelby the Saturday prior to the World Series, a Commander's Reception the Tuesday before the event and a Parade of Champions the night prior to the first game.
All games are streamed online on ESPN3, with games Sunday, Monday and Tuesday broadcast nationally on ESPNU.[7][8]
All 50 state champions, eight host sites, and the runners up from the six states with the most teams enrolled advance to the regional tournaments.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]
Region 1 – Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island
Region 2 – Mid-Atlantic: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia
Region 3 – Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia
American Legion Graduate of the Year: "A Major League Baseball player, who is an American Legion Baseball alumnus, is honored each year with the American Legion Graduate of the Year award. The award recognizes character, leadership, playing abilities and community service."[21][22]
George W. Rulon Player of the Year: "The award is based on integrity, mental attitude, cooperation, citizenship, sportsmanship, scholastic aptitude and general good conduct."[21][22][23]
American Legion Batting Champion: Awarded "to the player with the highest batting average during national competition." (previously sponsored by Louisville Slugger)[21][22]
American Legion Big Stick Award: Presented "to the player who rounds the most bases in regional and national competition." (previously sponsored by Rawlings)[21][22]
Dr. Irvin L. "Click" Cowger RBI Memorial Award: Awarded to the player who "is credited with the most runs batted in at the regional tournament and World Series."[21][22]
Bob Feller Pitching Award: Presented to the pitcher "with the most strikeouts in regional and national competition."[21][22]
James F. Daniel Jr. Memorial Sportsmanship Award: Presented "to a player who participates in the Legion World Series and best embodies the principles of good sportsmanship."[21][22]
Jack Williams Memorial Leadership Award: Presented by "the Department of North Dakota ... to the manager and coach of the national championship team as outstanding representatives of adult leadership."[21][22]
^Senior teams are eligible to compete in national tournaments and the World Series. Go toTournament Rules and PoliciesArchived 2011-05-16 at the Wayback Machineand scroll down to Page 3 ("TOURNAMENT RULES", at paragraph 1). American Legion Baseball official website. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
^For the sectional champions (1926–1935), go toPrograms; Family and Youth; Baseball; Past National Champions; "American Legion Baseball National Champions", scroll down to page 3 ("Sectional Champions") and then scroll down to bottom half of page 4 (1926–1935; Western Sectional Champions in left-hand column and Eastern Sectional Champions in right-hand column). The "sectional" (regional) champions for 1937–1959 are on page 3 and the top half of page 4. The American Legion official website. Retrieved 2014-06-04.
United States
Canada
