2025, the Centennial Anniversary year for American Lewgion Baseball, was slated to be the best Minnesota Legion All-Star event ever.
Well. It should have been anyway. It would have been the fifth year since we started. And the third year for an all-turf baseball tournamnent weekend. This would have been a great weekend for Legion baseball and a great weekend for Legion players, Legion coaches, and for Legion families. And it should have been a greatr opportunity for Minnesota Legion Baseball as well.
The lineup plan:
Our goal was to build the best showcase tournament and family weekend of any American Legion program in the country. Mission accomplished in 2024. Our college coach community endorsed and supported this event on the field, on discussion panels, and scouting in the stands. Many Legion baseball players got connected to future colleges. Many new collaborators come to support Legion baseball including major state youth baseball organizations, area businesses, and the Minnesota Twins. There was talk of nerw sponsors joininbg in what they saw was the feresh face of Legion baseball. A refreshing thought indeed.
The Legion All-Star Prospect Series: Serving kids, coaches, families, and the American Legion. What was there not to like? It was a program and an event that any state Legion organization would be proud of. But not ours. Not Minnesota. Not the half dozen or so individuals that run the show on the Minnesota Baseball Board. Why would that baseball board group have such a growing disdain for such a popular program that many board members made sure to send their local players?
On November1st, 2024, we received a formal "Cease and Desist" letter sent on behalf of the Baseball board and its director and vice-directors. it came from Tim Engstrom who is employed by the state of Minnesota American Legion headquarters and sits on the baseball board with the title of secretary. Until November 1st, we had never heard a single complaint about the All-Star program from the Board or its officers - at least to our faces.
Why kill All-Stars?
Have you heard any explanation?
Did the baseball board even announce the end of all-stars?
The 2025 Legion All Star Plan
The All-Star program was created in 2019 for the 2020 seaon. All Stars was established as an official function of the Minnesota Legion Baseball Board - an internal event like a state tournament . At inception, founder Mike Perry, a member of the baseball board as State Junior Director, had just served seven years as the State Baseball Director. Randy Schaub is Mike's successor. The two state directors had weekly "directors" talks at least until September 22, 2024, when Schaub quit all contact with Perry. No phone calls, No emails. Dead silence. What leader does that? All-Stars was truly an 'inside job". The All-Star effort required hundreds upon hundreds of hours from many volunteers including Legion supporters and Legion coaches. What fun - new people, new ideas, and new energy. No baseball board member had to help out or even attend, although they were encouraged and invited. One member on the board did offer advice and assistance. It was appreciated. Until that support reversed behind the scenes.
The New State Director Says Let's Grow and Build - Try New Things
From the outset in 2019. the new State Director Randy Schaub welcomed the All-Star initiative to his new regime. He said he wanted to develop new initiatives and he wanted to grow Legion baseball. He recognized the growth of club baseball. New opportunities - that was Randy Schaub back then. All-Stars was just such an initiative. Randy had some other ideas as well. Randy and his vice-director Brandon Raymo promised full support. We promised to create a first-class program. And we delivered.
2023 All-Stars and the Baseball Board In Harmony
2023 had the All-Star effort and the Baseball Board seemingly moving forward together in lock step. All-Stars was taking a big leap forward with turf fields, more games, two levels (Junior and Senior All-Stars), game jerseys and more. The number of players jumped dramatically from the initial test in Year 1 leaping from 3 teams to 8 teams . Player numbers increased from 40 to 170. With a much bigger projected 2023 budget, three fellows (Tim Engstrom, Randy Schaub, and Jim Peck) obtained additional sponsorship with their relationship with Scheels. Randy Schaub and Scheels personnel participated in 2023 All-Star Opening Ceremonies.
The new Junior Tournament was a first year success leading us to move it to turf along side of the senior tournament in Roseville. Crowds were surprisingly strong as they came from all over the state to watch Legion All-Stars.
The development of All-Stars was expected to generate new ideas. It was expected to engage many more poplle inside and outside of Legion baseball. There would be issues, concerns, and opportunities that would need discussion.
On August 10, 2023, Mr. Barron asked Randy Schaub (for the third time) to establish a formal board liaision or better yet a Development Subcommittee with board members assigned. Randy rolled his eyes, and stated that "You guys are my development committee." That would leave Randy to be our sole point of contact for communications and planning. Bad answer Randy. The program was growing and we knew better coordination was essential with your baseball board.
The 2023 event had good times and good feelings. With more and better and bigger yet to come. Or so we thought. The seeds of destruction were already sown as it turned out. We just didn't know it at the time.
All-Stars Took It Another Step Forward -
The 2024 All-Stars built off the success of the previous year. Some highligbhts:
Feom the outset. the development of All-Stars was expected to generate other ideas, welcome or not. It was expected to engage many more people inside and outside of Legion baseball. There would be issues, concerns, and opportunities that would need discussion. Good stuff for Legion Baseball! Indeed, many people were reinvigorated about Legion baseball. There is nothing bad about positive energy.
But negativity seemed to grow behind the scenes - behind the baseball board scene that is. No one would openly talk about it. But we could see apparent hostility, vanishing communications, and vanishing suppport from the director and his baseball board. The better All-Stars performed, the more the shot-callers on the baseball board aligned in opposition. Insiders in particular pointed to what we now cal;l "The Substate Grudge of 2023" where a vocal supporter of All-Stars apparently did a 180 degree turn.
Did All Star success scare the Legion Director and his baseball board?
We called it "Under Cutting". It started in 2023. See the "Under Cutting" chapter below for more info.
The Cease & Desist letter came on State Legion letterhead. It came in a State Legion envelope and was delivered from a State Legion email address dated November 1, 2024. We took it as not only a letter from State Baeball Director Randy Schaub (and his officers Jeff "Slick" Miller and Brandon Raymo), but also as an offcial communique from the Minnesota Amnerican Legion organization itself - as the author is employed at the state Legion headquarters and the letter was delivered on Legion letterhead via reguklar mailk and an offcial starte Legion email address.
The intent was to kill the All-Star program and, quite frankly, to banish its founders Mike Perry and Bruce Barron from Minnesota American Legion Baseball. The author of the letter used the label "fraud" as a smear against the founders. These actions are unprecedented in the 100 year history of American Legion baseball in Minnesota.
The offcial letter presented a narratrive or a storyline for taking such radical action. We read the letter and were quite surprised. In our view, the storyline presented in the Cease and Desist letter is 100% false - and we have no doubt the authors know it to be false.
When the basis and truthfulness of the C&D letter story was challenged, they tried but could not defend the accuracy or truthfulness of the story.
We counted and will expose three-and-a-half replacement storylines that were provided to different target audiences. None of the storylines have been published to the general American Legion baseball family. Like the first story, every new story ppointed away from the baseball board and its fficers. They placed the blame on two founders of Legion All-Stars, Mike Perry and Bruce Barron. Those guys forced iof not required the Legion officials to end to All-Stars. Oh it wasn't the board. No. It wasn''t Randy Schaub or Brandon Raymo or Slick Miller or Tim Engstrom (the officers). It was those two guys . And they ended what in a relatively shiort time span, had developed as a signature summer event that brought Legion players, Legion Coiaches, college coaches, toghether in what became the largest Legion All-Star program in the entire country.
They made us do it!
Our Declaration
Stories contain false information. Stories contain misleading statements. Stories contain misinformation. And stories contain elements that are personal smears. We are offering our
views and opinions. You can read about them. You can decide. We have our truth and we are telling it. These are our views and our opinions. Barron and Perry have over 80 years combined experience inside Legion baseball. We think we know what we are talking about.
What we see is a serious abuse of position. We see serious ethical issues. We see an archaic dictatorial baseball governance system that the State Legion has too long ignored.
A Report, A Phone Call, Then a Total Board and Randy Blackout
Founder Bruce Barron presented a report in person at the September 21th 2024 board meeting. There was a lot of information to share. There were many topics that should be discussed. We had been at the all-star effort for five years without being invited to a board meeting. One would expect there would be information, ideas, and concerns to share. Barron's Report is a 12 page document that is shared HERE. The board members could not have appeared more hostile. A few days later, Randy Schaub spoke with Mike Perry. He said his members were so unruly and nasty when Barron left the room, that he sent an email to the entire board to ask them to set aside personal agendas and to be open to new ideas. The two state directors have never spoked since. Mr. Schaub totally withdrew from the scene erecting a wall of silence instead. The 'silent treatment" is a tactic can only cause friction and rising hostility levels. Try it on your spouse and see how long you last. What an amazing display of leadership skills, Mr. State Director.
The All-Star Massacre and Banishment of Barron and Perry
By the fall of 2024, that baseball board or at least its most powerful voices, had no personal allegiance to all-stars. Why? The program was developed from Day 1 as a direct function of Legion baseball and an official function of its baseball board. All-stars was a direct report to the state director. It was always an inside program designed to showcase Legion baseball in Minnesota. It was to celebrate baseball and players. But in a world driven by personal agendas as Director Randy liked to call it, the power players on the board not only refused to be a part of the success, they undercut it and killed it.
For what good purpose? Who benefited from their actions? Who's agenda was furthered? We have a pretty good idea. A tiny few think they have flexed their power muscles and that must feel good. But not good enough to come out in the open. Multiple changing fake stories only masks the real story. You only need to tell the truth once. There are not 4 1/2 'truths'.
On November 1 2024, we recieved a "Cease and Desist" letter from Tim Engstrom, a state Legion employee and the baseball board's secretary, printed on the official letterhead of the State of Minnesota American Legion. So, What do we have here? Was it an official action of the Minnesota State Legion to close down All-Stars? If so -= who are the state Legion officials that have responsibility? Their systems were used and several received copies of the Letter. We know the actions to be primarily those of the director, his officers, their inner circle of the baseball board. and the other board members.
They just chose to hide behind a letter from the State Legion.
Changing Stories - All False and a Smear Campaign
The baseball board leadership killed Legion All Stars and launched a smear campaign against its two founders. The essentially banished from Legion baseball and blamed Mike Perry and Brice Barron for causing an end to all stars. Why? What was the justification?
Neither the State Director, the Vice-Directors, the Secretary and Communications person, or the supporting board members have been willing to publicly explain their drastic actions. Their actions are unprecedented in Minnesota American Legion Baseball history. However, there are documents and a couple of conversations that reveal 4 1/2 stories offered by Randy Schaub and his cohorts. They followed in sequence.
We Will Tell Our Story and Give You the Documents
Yes indeed. Multiple storylines emerged. In our view they are total garbage. Each story is false and we have no doubt that they know the stories to be phony.
Bad System. Wrong People. Bad Results.
We have been lifetime proponents of Legion baseball. We are shocked at the behavior of a handful of people that are wierdly granted full operatinal control of trhe country's largest baseball program - 360 teams, 5,500 players, 1,200 coaches, and 11,000 parents. All decisions rest with a tiny group of unelected, appointed for life board members that have no accountability under the Minnesota American Legion charter with the baseball group.
We see a stunning failure of people and aan archaic autocratic system that, without accountability, can be distorted and taken over by people that seek exclusive authority and control. American Legion takes a fundamental stand against autocracy (dictatorship) and stands for Democracy and American values and institutions. Minnesota Legion baseball stands alone in the entire counrty as the opposite of democratic values. It is autocratic - a tiny few controlling all aspects of baseball with the mindset that they "own" Legion baseball. But, in reality, under the agreement with the state Legion organization, these guys actually are the owners. We in Legionland believe that our "Leaders" are supposed to serve the program, the players, and the coaches. Not the other way around. We never would have imagined the Minnesota Baseball Board becoming a more abusive group that acts as a secret gang. That's our opinion. You make your own.
More recent board activity reinforces what amounts to be a pattern of behavior that rejects any opinions or views that are outside of the tiny few that run the Legion baseball show. All Stars is not the only example that has exposed the growing wall of secrecy that shields decision makers for visibility and accountability while rejecting the views of others.
The Story is told in chapters listed below.
The All-Star program started as an idea and during its short life, became the largest All-Star program in all of Legion baseball. In the words of college coaches - Legion All-Stars was the "best showcase tournament in Minnesota". It served players and programs from every corner of the state. Our program was uniquely focused on the younger talents - high school sophomores and juniors rather than graduated seniors.
Overwhelming interest proved that people in Minnesota want to do more with their Legion baseball experience than the standard. One would think that Legion baseball poeple should be happy to see growing interest and positive energy flowing to Legion baseball in Minnesota. All-Stars showed a positive, fresh face for Minnesota Legion baseball. Founcders Perry and Barron also opened the door to welcome talented and commited Legion coaches and volunteers. Build it they will come - proven.
The successful rollout of a two tiered All-Star program in 2023 - Junior and Senior - was followd up with a 2024 program that was even better. The interest in playing in All-Stars overwhelmed us with over 350 players being nominated from 106 communities, enough to fill a second pair of tournaments. We had more Legion coaches coming forward to herlp out than we had positions to fill.
Leading Legion coaches not opnly supported All-Stars but also wanted to develop additional opportunities to meet the needs of more players in their programs. Wonderful! More interest in more Legion!
But success did not satisfy the Baseball board or its leaders. The greater the success, the greater the hostility we felt comming from the Legion board. Note that no Legion board officer or member ever lodged a complaint with us. Was it killed because it was too successful?
We believe sveral board members sought to isolate and undermine the All-Star program to suit their own personal agendas. It would have been too easy to set up a subcommittee with the all-star guys and a couple of board members. It was requested four times. Open communication and informed planning would have been fostered. It seemed to us that when Mike Perry left the baseball board (he had a non-voting position as Junior Director after seven years as state director) the negativity grew and grew. The "us together" feeling was replaced with the "those guys" as outsiders.We know we share many views in common with most boiard members. And we know we also have views that differ.
As it is the reputation of the baseball board and its leaders, hidden agendas, a near complete lack of communication, and even mis-direction became the method of operation. As a neighboring state director observed, only Minnesota could screw up a good thing.
A few decades ago, the Minnesota Legion stuck an agreement (a constitution) with the then baseball that granted full ownership of Legion baseball to the part-time Minnesota Legion Baseball Board. The individual board members are literally the "owners" of Legoin baseball in Minnesota. They are allowed virtual autonomy. They are not elected. They have life time appointments. A tiny handful of people have total control over all aspets of baseball for 5,500 Legion players, and 1,200 baseball coaches, and 11,000 player parents. They do not have to listen to anyone. They make decisions without visbility. They have no acountability beyond their group. The people that call the shots have been in place for years and years. They are their own club.
No other state operates in this fashion nor is any other state looking to copy the Minnesota one-off. The system is closed to outsiders and, if operated at the extreme, an insulated group of longtime associates can operate as their own private little social club doing as they please without answering to anyone other than themselves.
Know the Minnesota system. We thnk it demands change.
On August 10, 2023, Bruce Barron asked State Director Randy Schaub to create a "development committee" or assign someone on the board to interact with our all-star group. Things were growing. Many more people were involved. Enthusiasm for Legion baseball was renwed and people talked of other possibilities. Schaub had spoken of his support for growth and new ideas when he began his tenure as state director.
Randy rolled his eyes and responded "You guys are my development committee". Nice. But not reassuring as our Mike Perry was leaving his position on the baseball board entirely. We saw a real need to ground all-star directly within the board itself. The board group was notorious for personal turf (this is mine and that is yours) so having a direct link was desired. Randy diod not see it that way apparently and kept himself as the sole direct link. Board members largely stayed away from all-stars other than several sending nominations for players from their home programs. Maybe they were too busy? Maybe they were to exhausted from supervising state tournaments the weekend before all-stars? One board member did step up to offer some advice and assistance. But that assistance was about to turn 180 degrees.
Three board members including Vice Directors Raymo and Miller attended the National Director's Conference in fall 2023. They reported back to the board that National Director Steve Cloud was pushing for more states to install all-star programs even encouraging inter-state competition. Minnesota was cited by Cloud as a strong all-star program example. A year later, these very same "leaders" were at the forefront of killing the Minnesota all-star program.
The climate was vastly chenged as 2024 moved along. We could sense it. A normal organization and normal leadership would be expanding communication and expanding cooperation. All that seemed to expanded was growing wall of silence from the state director.
Barron gave a report to the Board on Septembger 19th 2024. As requested by a board member, he sent a copy of that report plus additional data to follow up in October. On November 1st 2024, Tim Engstrom sent out a "Cease and Desist" letter to end all-stars and to blame the founders while labeling them as "frauds".
Barron's September 21st Report
What really happened between September 21st and November 1st? Director Schaub had one conversation with Mike Perry on September 24th and then completely shut off communications. Randy left the auditorium. He went "Waldo" - where's Waldo. Why did the State Director erect a Wall of Silence? Director Schaub promoted himself as a consensus building communicator that would be effective in working with all of the difficult personalities that had collected on the baseball board.
But Randy just seemed to go into hiding.
On November 1st, a letter was sent to end All-Stars. It offered one possible stroryline to explain the actions. But that was dropped (not retracted) and two completely different storylines emerged. We believe all three stories are manufactured smoke screens and are false.
Read the "Cease and Desist Letter"
According to the Letter, the All-Star project and its founders Bruce Barron and Mike Perry stole the American Legion brand , they stole Legion logos, and they stole Legion materials to falsely present themselves and All-Stars as an official program of Minnesota Legion baseball. Why, as the storyline goes, they did not even get a permission letter for All-Stars. The founders are frauds! The All-\Star program was a fraud, or so it would seem.
Did the Minnesota American Legion Really Shut Down All Stars?
This Cease and Desist Letter was an official communique from the Communications Director of the State Legion organization. We must assume this letter was crafted with input and approval from the the entire board. he letter certainly would have been reviewed with Randy Schaub, Jeff "Slick" Miller, and Brandon Raymo - the baseball board officers. Mr. Engstrom did not come up with the idea for a Cease and Desist letter or its content on his own. Was it cleared with the author's State Legion superiors? Who verified the claims contained within the Letter? Who received copies of this letter? Wo was the audience?
Their Theory Within The Letter - It Was Fraud
The theory of Engstrom's storyline is that, after five years of operation, they suddenly discovered that All-Stars was not a function of the baseball board or Minnesota Legion baseball. It was some outside entity unattached to Legion baseball that stole the Legion brand blind and has hoodwinked the entire Legion baseball network. The crimes went on for five years!
All-Stars was simply never aligned with Legion baseball or the baseball board.
It was all a fraud. The founders of All-Stars - they are frauds. We suppose the fraudulent All-Star program also dishonored American Legion baseball in Minnesota. It may have embarassed the officers - Randy, Brandon, and Slick. Or maybe other board members found the event production to be less than acceptable for their taste?
Come On. Everyone Knows That Story Is Hogwash
From Day 1, All-Stars was an "inside job". It was an internal function of Minnesota Legion baseball with a direct report to the State Baseball Director - Randy Schaub. The entire baseball board had annually approved the program with many players coming from the home programs of the majority of board members.
Every single board member knows the storyline presented in the Cease and Desist letter is phony as a three dollar bill. Most had been serving pon the baseball board when All-Stars was conceived and approved. They know the system and how it works. They know and they knew the differences of inside and outside.
Did the entire board approve the "Hijacking Our Brand" story as if the letter was in their own words?
Cher - If I Could Turn Back Time
Great song but it does not work in this instance.
Much as the shot-callers on the board might want to turn back time or re-state history and known agreements, the facts are the facts and reality is just that - reality. To make the "New Reality" of N ovember 1 2024 and then apply it back five years needs more than a click your heels or write a letter.
When the State Director was challenged on the accuracy and truthfulness of his/their allegations, the "Hijacking Storyline" melted like a snowball in boiling water. That storyline is and was just plain false.
Foreshadowing A Later Storyline
Interestingly a later story contradicted Story #1 . It was a phony and Mr. Schaub knew it. Mr. Miller knew it. Mr. Raymo knew it. Board members knew the story to be false. So suddenly new stories erupted. Sveral new stories!
Read the Full Article: 'Ain't No Fraud On This Side of the Mirror'
With All-Stars killed by the Cease and Desist letter, several people began calling State Director Randy Schaub. Schaub certainly must have expected some flack one would think. Especially as the action seem to come with such violence seemingly out of the blue. Or it at least came from Behind The Wall Of Silence that Schaub and his group had erected.
Mr. C hoped to get people talking with one another to get All-Stars back on track. Why injure the program and hurt th players?
Presto Chango! Story#1 WasAbandoned. In Came Story #2
Randy Schaub abandoned the Cease and Desist story. He advanced a new story to explain and justify killing All-Stars and excommunicating two of Legion baseball's most passionate supporters.
Where Was The "Caustic"? When Was the "Caustic"?
Was the "caustic" contained in Barron's presentation and report of September 21st? We don't think it was "caustic" at all.
Director Schaub Played "Apology Ping Pong"
The State Director pursued this "Caustic" story line for a full two weeks. But Mr. C thought maybe there was some potential light. Maybe there was some wiggle room developing where cooler heads might act as adults and saolve what was being portrayed by the director as "inter personal issues". Don't make kids mpay the p;rioce!
Said Schaub, if Barron would issue an apology then things could start in a positive direction.
Story#2: Was It The "Caustic"a Smoke Screen? What it a Charade?
The "Caustic Discussion" ran its course over a two week period. Then it ran out of steam.
Two of the three officers - Raymo and Miller - were fixed in their positions according to Randy. It was a brick wall.
Was it just a charade? Well. November 20th gave us the answer to that question - Charade it was!
Hold the Phone! A Secret Story Had Been Created and Delivered
On November 20th, we received a copy of the Secret Letter and the Secret Cover Email that delivered the new story - Story #3. We call it - The Idea That Told Of A Potential.
What sort of deceptive game was being played by the State Legion Baseball Director? Who acts that way? More importantly, why would a person feel it necessary or acceptable?
OK. Was the third time around going to the charm?
Or was Story #3 going to be more misinformation or deception?
Secret Letter Story #3 "An Idea That Was a Potential"
Suddenly the "decision makers" saw a need for a new story.
Something must have triggered the decision makers to develop a new story.
A New Audience And New Story - Just Secret
We were not ever intended to see the Secret Letter.The primary audience appears to have been the entire list American Legion Post Commanders in Minnesota - all 531 of them. But Why them?Since when do they get involved in happenings of the baseball board - good or bad happenings?
A Rather Slick Storyline - That Left More Questions Than Answers
Probably developed after the first week of November, the Secret Letter was delivered on November 14th. Secret Story #3 was created two weeks AFTER All-Stars was killed.The story sought to explain what transpired to the Post Commanders.
Come On Secret Story Authors
Mr. Unknown at the Spring Baseball Board Meeting
Mr. Unknown is a boatrd member but we don;t know who and that is just fine. He blurted out whaty he understands was the rationale for ending all-stars and kicking the founders out of Legion baseball. He reportedly said:
"The prospect series guys were going to steal our top talent and compete with us."
What? What craziness is that?
The "Stealing Our Children" story was published on November 14th, 2024, as an official state Legion document and sent to Legion offcials plus all state Legion post commanders in Minnesota. All 539 of them. In addition, copies were emailed to all baseball board members. There are two items to look at:
State Director Schaub was busy discussing "caustic" with Mr. C as he dangled the prospect of fence mending through November 20th. We received a copy of the correspondence on November 20th from a post commander who asked - 'What the hell is going on?'
The storylinbe ptresented is a doozie. If the first two stroies were seemingly minor but false, the "Stealing our Children" stopry is a whopper. And it is false.
This is a quick response (to the cancellation of Legion All Stars) because I'm just getting to the school. Tons of typos but the basic info is what I wanted...
I pr
This is a quick response (to the cancellation of Legion All Stars) because I'm just getting to the school. Tons of typos but the basic info is what I wanted...
I presume Legion was created for kids to play baseball regardless of where they're from. They implemented rules because they wanted fair play. They wanted to ensure people followed regulations to participate in the "Legion" league. With our technology constantly evolving to new "clubs" and "associations", how does Legion think they will be relevant in a couple of years if they won't advance to accommodate those kids that can't afford club ball but want to participate at the highest level? I thought Legion was created for this exact reason. It resembles something of the past. They will continue to operate with a rag-tag group of old men trying to keep an outdated dream alive, while club ball continues to explode and take the best players out of small towns and the few local players left will try to scrap together a team. Since Legion All Stars was created I have been lucky enough to have 3 players make appearances. All 3 have come home with great stories and new experiences they otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford playing club ball. They have all since been in talks with college coaches! Legion is supposed to be inclusive. We need to allow players and parents the opportunity regardless of income to put all talents on display. Being the local HS coach I talk to college scouts who said the first recruiting tool is PBR baseball, then HS coaches, and then boots-on-the-ground recruiting. Why have MLB scouts been cut in half throughout the entire US? Because Major League and College Baseball finally figured out that if clubs are willing to put together ALL-star tournaments and in-depth stat sheets like PBR and other clubs why would they go to any small-town games when the event brings the player right to them? I came from a small town and was college recruited from the MN state HS All-Star Game, if that wasn't an option when I was growing up I highly doubt I would've had that opportunity to play college baseball. Our HS never had scouts at a game, and we never saw college coaches at our practice. If the Legion All-Star game isn't the right way to reboot Legion Baseball, I'd like to hear from the Legion board what is. How am I going to keep my legion team afloat if I continue to lose kids in xxxxxx to Club baseball? We're over 45 min away from any club teams and I have already dealt with players lost to the sales pitch of club ball. Right now I have almost 10 players in spring club ball that have yet to say they are going to come back for summer. What's the answer Legion? I'd love to hear how you're going to rebuild Legion Baseball. I don't have time to fight the good fight right now because I'm going to be ramping up for HS ball but this game needs to be played. Tell Legion teams they need to nominate and we can call it the "NON-ATTACHED TO LEGION ALL STAR GAME" parody so All Stars can still exist.
In past years, we would be gearing up for Legion All Stars 2025. Coaches would nominate kids. Families would make plans. The college coach community would line up to be on a coach's panel, to coach Legion kids on the field, and to scout Legion talent from the stands.
But not anymore.
A handful of baseball board officers and board members killed All-Stars. We find evidence of three different storylines. None are true. The truth, as many know, is something you only need to tell once and the you can just repeat it. Falsehoods often involve multiple versions. When one story fails another story pops up instead.
Any program or organization relies on trust and integfrity. These are fundamental principles of the American Legion.
We will offer what we know, what we think, and some opinions to boot. We will present several documents for the reader to consider. The Legion baseball board is a small group that operates behind closed doors. Most in Legion baseball land have no idea what decisions are made., who made them, or how they were made. With over 80 years of combined experience in Legion baseball we have been shocked at what we have seen in the past months. You be your own judge.
The Legion All Star program grew quickly from an idea and trial testing into the largest Legion All-Star program in the country. And that was only after two years of a full rollout. Minnesota coaches and players love Legion baseball and want to do more with the program that the standard season and playoffs. The Minnesota all-star program was one of the only all-star programs to feature sophopmore and junior players - the very guys that are hoping to play college ball. Graduated senior know where they are headed. The younger guys are the ones that need exposure to information about the changing college landscape. The younger guys are the ones that are targeted by club teams who wish to pull them away from their local community teams either on a part-time or full time basis
By any stretch and by any metric, the All Star initiative was a smashing success. 170 players from 75 communities all across Minnesota came to Roseville to compete in two tournaments - Junior and Senior. Seventy percent (70%) of the players came from outstate. College coaches supported the program by turning out in unprecedented numbers to coach Legion kids on the field as scout from the stands. Never has any Legion baseball function seen such a turnout. The college guys called Legion All Stars - "The best showcase tournament in all of Minnesota."
Tell us, oh wise Board members most of whom are out-staters - where are Legion kids going to ever have the chance to play before 35 college coaches? The answer is - We don't care.
Legion All-Stars was an internal function of American Legion baseball in MInnesota. Legion baseball coaches and supporters rallied to the program and volunteered to join the effort in numbers we did not foresee. Not only did a record 170 players make it onto All-Star squads, but an additional 215 kids were oiminated that we could not place on teams. The overflow suggested we should to consider a basketball format like the NCAA- NIT sort of thing. Top-line Legion coaches not only embraced the All-Star effort, they wantesd to develop more opportunities for their communities and for Legion baseball. The crowds that attended both tournaments were impressive. Live-game broadcast had over 4,000 views (a record). Our website had over 35,000 visits (a record). Positive press coverage traversed the entire state as local media followed their local players.
American Legion baseball and American Legion players and American Legion coaches were showcased at a level of quality that was tryly All Star. Talent can vary from year to year. But the quality of the event must always be first class.
Our All-Star program did not create the broad interest and enthusiasm for Legion baseball. Rather, All Stars tapped into a desire that exists across the entire state for a revitalized Legion program that offers more than a standard league play followed by season ending elimination in what we call "play offs". It is critical for Legion baseball to maintain league play, sectional playoffs and state tournaments. It is 2025 and the baseball landscape is vastly different that is was twenty or thirty years ago.
It Could Only Happen In Minnesota
Most any baseball organization would be thrilled with a program that was presented with cklass and was greeted with such great enthusiasm. Heck, new sponsors and new collaborators and even the Minnesota Twins came forward to engage Legion baseball - or what they thought was "the NEW Legion baseball". The State Director was asked for three years in a row to better connect his board members with All Stars. We bet they would have had a fun time. The State Director refused to act, instead he took the oposite tect and reduced his own communications with All-Stars.
Nope. Not in Minnesota. Two Vice Directors (there are only two) and an Emeritus board member attended the National Legion annual meeting in September 2023. National Baseball Director Steve Cloud pushed All Star programs to all the states noting Minnesota as one of the states that had such a program. These guys reported the national all-star push to the entire board according to the minutes of the 2023 fall baseball board meeting.
The All Star program received great support from the baseball board in 2023. But that support ended behind the scenes. Most things happen with this baseball board and its officers behind the scenes, by the way. The goodwill and the growth of Legion All-Stars was not met with greater support. All Stars was not met with expanded communications and board member involvement. Quite the opposite occurred instead. The very guys (and others) that brought back Steve Clouds push for more all-stars in Legion baseball, were part of the group that spent the next year undercutting the all-star program. And they were a leading group in killing the All-Star program and any other possible opportunities on November 1, 2024.
Its People And The Minnesota Legion System
Yes. There are specific people most of whom wer will not name. But could. Names will be used within the narrative if they played specific roles known to us from direct contact or relayed by reliable third parties.
We Remain Stunned With the Audacity of These People
We Question the Very Fitness of Failed Leadereship
We have seen state directors come and go over the last 50 years. We have seen board members come and go. We never seen nor would have ever expected the sort of behavior that these folks have exhibited.
Bad system? Bad people? Decent People Gone Haywire in a Bad System?
Keeping the Legin structure alive is important to all of us. We are Legion baseball people to the core.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.