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Minnesota Legion Board Ends Legion Prospect All Stars
Dramatic Action Taken To End a Growing Program
The mission of the Minnesota Legion Prospect All Star Series has been to serve two constituents:
1) The players and families of Legion baseball players.
2) The Minnesota American Legion Baseball Board.
When one of the constituents withdraws, the formula is broken.
Legion All Stars started 5 years ago. It has been ended by the Board of Directors and its Officers -the State Director and the two Vice Directors. Issues developed in the fall that have been accurately characterized as "interpersonal conflicts". Direct communications vanished between the parties. As many know from your own experiences, when conflict arises and communication vanishes , matters often escalate further. Anger and misunderstanding can become driving forces.
Cease and Desist - Now
In November 2024, the All Star group was sent a "Cease and Desist" demand letter. A subsequent letter was sent to all Legion post commanders intended to cutoff any Legion post support or funding. Such action may be unprecedented. These drastic actions specifically targeted the two founders of All Stars,
An All Star Mom's Review
An All Star Mom serves on an Executive Board of a large community baseball organization. She offered her wisdom. Conflicts will arise in any organization. It is the responsibility of leaders to resolve them. Disagreements often have strong emotions attached. We ask people to slow it down and take a breath. We bring the parties together face to face. We ask each to check their anger and their ego at the door. People find out they have much more in common than they knew. Positive outcomes are the goal. That's leadership. Its the same approach any of us that have coached used as well.
Third Party Efforts Have Not Made Headway So Far
Third parties came forward on a mission to bring the parties (the All Star guys and the Board Officers) together hoping to resolve matters in a positive way. After all, its just baseball. Everyone involved has been committed to Legion ball for their baseball lives. We were asked "What sort of example do you set for the boys and parents when adults won't resolve differences? Do you want anger and misunderstanding to be your legacy? Umm. Actually no.
We listened and agreed to meet face to face. To date, the officers of the Legion Board have refused to meet face to face. The action stands removing two people from Legion baseball and so does the dismantling of the Legion Prospects All Star Series.
Did Anyone Consider the People and Parties That Lose Out?
Legion All Stars stood as the only new program offering in Minnesota. It touched communities across the entire state. People were excited abhout it and had more ideas to find more opportunities with Legion Baseball. Here is who is disadvantaged by killing Legion All Stars:
- The 160 players that we had uniforms for in 2024. Their 320 parents. The 25 field coaches who gave their time and had so much fun doing it. The 350 fans that came to support their players and celebrate Legion baseball. The growing staff and volunteers that gathered for the event. That number is 800 to 1,000 people. The YouTube game broadcast audience exceeded 4,000 views. Gone.
- Outstate players and families will take it on the chin. 70% of the 20240All Star players hailed from outstate Minnesota. Nearly 60 communities were represented at each tournament coming from all corners of the state. Players and their families were willing to travel and pay their expenses for three nights and days. Where is an outstate kid going to go and play in front of 30 college coaches or more? College coaches can't cover 60 communities. But Legion All Stars can - or did. Disadvantage to Outstate Legion Players.
- There were 175 players and families that we were unable to put in uniforms in 2024. The interest in playing in a Legion baseball program went way beyond our capacity. Shouldn't we be talking about what can be done to better meet the growing interest and demand rather than killing the program? That question is perhaps as big or bigger than any other issue. That would be another 800-1,000 total people impacted.
- The 35 college coaches that came to watch and came to help coach Legion baseball players. Where has Legion baseball had any program so tailored for college coaches and those players that aspire to play at the next level? Competing programs stress their support for the college bound athlete. They argue that Legion baseball does not care about your college interest. What message does Legion Baseball leadership send here?
- The 130 players and parents that annually attend a sold out the College Coaches Panel breakfast where they learn about college options and opportunities. The presenting college coaches and attending players and parents loved it. Perhaps with the spirit of collaboration versus confrontation would create more such positive opportunities .
- The 125 plus players that attend a Legion All Stars PBR showcase event. Over 60% of these players are not on all-star rosters. They cam from all over the state to get a Legion discount and do their thing in front of 15 college coaches to boot. Certainly anyone could develop another one. Or let it die.
- The new Junior All Star event was a rocking success. Ask any kid. Again, only 1 of every 2 kids nominated could get a uniform. The Junior tournament created a place for younger players to get positive reinformcement from a Legion program. Fifteen college coaches registered to watch the Junior players. Nowhere else does Legion baseball provide such an opportunity for its younger players.
- Minnesota Legion Baseball coaches lose out. Hundreds have sent in nominations over the short life of All Stars. All Star field coaches gave their time and paid their own expenses. These guys contributed so much to the boys, to All Stars and to American Legion Baseball. What message do you send to Legion coaches by shutting down a Legkion innovation?
- Every All Star is a winner. Not everyone plays in a Legion state tournament on a state championship Legion team. If you play for Senior D2, you have a 0.8% chance of being the champion. Everyone else goes home a loser. Every kid from every community is an all-star winner. 100 communities have winners not just five state championship teams.
- Collaborators lose out on opportunities to work with Legion baseball and potential with some of its programs. The Metro Baseball League or MBL represents the largest organization of youth baseball programs and came forward to partner with All Stars hoping to further connect with the State Legion. Our professional baseball teams (Twins and Saints) that came forward hoping to support Legion baseball and all stars .
- Eight community programs came forward to try and create another pilot program for the summer season in 2025. As a spin off to All Stars, it was described to the Board. When it appearred a beta test had interest, the formal proposal was set to go to the Legion leaders. That initiate has been squashed and is another casualty of this action
- Others lose as well. Families that couldn't attend but viewed game broadcasts over 4,000 times. Our building group of businesses and community folks that stepped forward to support the event and support the players. These include the City of Roseville and Mayor, the Visit Roseville group, Chick Fil A, Dunkin, Portillos, Minnwest Bank, Brower Baseball, Dicks Sporting Goods and others.
From the Heart - All Star Founders Bruce Barron and Mike Perry
We are passionate Legion Baseball people. One has 40 years in the program, is in the Minnesota Legion Basaeball Hall of Fame, and coached one of only four Minnesota National Championship teams. The other has 35 years with Legion baseball in leadership positions that include serving as the past Legion Baseball State Director. Both have worked and have delivered on developing teams, leagues and programs to create more opportunities for Legion players and families. We believed that Minnesota KLegion Baseball deserved fresh options with All Stars being the first try. Copaches and parents and players made us believers that we can build opportunities together that can supplement our community based programs. There is no doubt we are lousy politicians. We know we provoked members of the Baseball Board. We got angry and they got angry. Maybe there is victory for some in killing All Stars or maybe there is some satisfaction in banishing its founders. We accept blame and fault for our part. We issued an apology to the State Director. We agreed to meet and mend. We are not the owners of Legion Baseball. Fourteen people own the franchise.
If You Want to Speak Up
Often this sort of thing falls by the wayside. Legion All Stars just might fade without notice. Often folks don't want to take the time or make an effort to change something or weigh in on a topic. Others may believe that even if theyr spoke up, nothing would happen.
Your views and votes might matter.
- If you wish to sign a petition to bring back all stars and opportunities use this Link - Petition
- If you wish to send us a message the contact form is below.
- If you wish to contact the officers of the State Legion Board - the Director and the two Vice Directors are found with this link LEGION BOARD
Final Thought
What Legacies are left? One Legacy is in the associatikons and photos of Legion players and families. The other Legacy seems to be a wall of silence and destruction.
Our Blog - Topics That May be of Interest
Nebraska Legion Baseball
Nebraska has been cited as one of the best organized and managed Legion Baseball programs in the country. It is not by accident. Features include professional management with an Assistant Adjutant employed to supervise all Legion sponsored activities to a volunteer board that is elected by area coaches with four year terms to open coaches meetings and a web portal to facilitate communications. Open collaboration has been critical to Nebraska success.
Can we learn anything from our neighbor?
North Dakota Legion Baseball
Legion baseball was shut down during the Covid year 2020. However, many individual teams kept playing ball as many coaches organized their teams and coordinated protocols and game schedules. A new state director came on with a mission to take advantage of this collaborative spirit to move North Dakota baseball forward with renewed vigor. Note that the national regional tournament is most often held in the state and the most frequent regional winner has been a North Dakota team. With just 85 total teams, there are 4 divisions that insure competitive balance and opportunity for players, teams and communities.
Wisconsin Legion Baseball
Wisconsin provides clear organization success. Baseball is a direct function of the Americanism department housed in the Wisconsin Legion headquarters. They feature quarterly coaches meetings, open communication, and coaches vote on pertinent issues and policies.
Yet many say that significant ground has been lost as competition for players with club or travel teams has growth. There are as many club teams now as there are Legion teams. As a comparison, Minnesota has about 240 senior level teams with Wisconsin had about 100 senior teams.
Minnesota Legion is Unique
Minnesota Legion boasts 360 registered teams - the most in the country. There are about 5,500 players, 1,200 coaches and some 11,000 parents plus a bunch of supporters. It is a big organizational responsibility. In Minnesota, the authority that runs the show is a group of 14 individuals that form the Minnesota American Legion Baseball Board. It is a quasi-independent group that has its own constitution. The Board is responsible to maintain the apparatus and determine what the program or any part of the program may be or may not be at their discretion. It is said to be a unique structure in the American Legion baseball universe of states.
Blog Posts and Ideas
Blog Posts and Ideas
Many in Legion Baseball have thoughts, ideas and even opinions. Now and then a few complaints. There has been no forum for such things.
The Blog explores some topics that coaches and parents have raised over the years. Many have said they find little information available on what the Legion program is, how its structutred, how its run, and what issues might be out there. No one has any idea on where the leaders are headed and what directions the program ownewrs might - or might not - be taking.
Discussion should be intended to encourage an even better Legion Baseball structure and program in Minnesota.
thank you Players, Families, And coaches
An All Star Thank You for the Memories!
Our All Star committee and volunteers have much to be thankful for.
Five years ago, we saw that the baseball landscape had changed greatly but Legion baseball had not changed much at all. With over 350 teams, over 1,000 coaches, and over 5,000 players and families, the program offered a 'one size fits all' approach. Together with Legion Baseball Board leaders, we introduced something new - Legion All Stars. Lacking a Development Committee within the Board, the State Director told us "you guys are my development committee". We had this idea to create All Stars and proposed a start up program. Would kids and coaches and families would embrace something new? If we built it - would they come?
Our goals were twofold: 1) Serve kids and add opportunities; 2) Enhance the Minnesota Legion Baseball program.
- From the outset, the State Legion Board approved All Stars as what we understood would funciton as a part of the State Legion Board program. We hoped to build the program and transfer management to others just as how we worked to reorganized Junior Legion baseball.
- It took two Beta test years to develop the systems and the focus that was needed. Thatnkl you to all who participated in thise experiments.
- 2023 was the rollout of a full blown Senior All Star program with a beta test of a new Junior tournament that mirrored the senior level. Uniforms, turf, opening ceremonies, Twins night, college coaches breakfast and more. Again, we learned a lot. The players and families were awesome. We thank you!
- 2024 saw the rollout of the two side-by-side tournament All Star formats for Junior and Senior levels, both on college fields. Uniforms were cool (sick). A couple of moms were caught crying at Opening Ceremonies. A terrific group of past and new volunteers and coaches came to support the boys and Legion baseball. Nominations flooded our systems with over twice the players interested than we could place. That was hard. New all-star merch was gobbled up. Who knew! Once again we learned a lot. We had such great satisfaction watching players and fans and coaches having fun and playing baseball. When you see a player and what looked like 20 family members crowding into one photo with the field in the background - the you know its a good day. Thank you!
- Of note, nearly 70% of the players and families that participated in the 2024 Legion All Star events came from Outstate Minnesota. Your efforts to travel and attend with such enthusiasm were greatly appreciated.
- We surveyed parents and players. 80% wanted more "all star" opportunities both during the regular season and after the state tournaments. Clearly Legion kids liked playing with other Legion kids from other communities. The appetite was out there for more Legion developed opportunities. One All Star weekend was not enough. Wanting more from Legion is good, right?
- An interesting conversation with the National Legion Director who told us - I wish we had more all-star programs. I would like to see more of the all-star border battles (like Missouri and Illinois) so we have have more Legion competition. We agree.
Maybe All Stars is an easy program for some to sweep away. We think they are just plain wrong to do so.
We thank everyone we have met along the All Star way. There are a lot great kids and families in Legion baseball. We also met or talked with tons of talented and committed Legion baseball coaches in Minnesota. Keep up the good work. Thank you guys!
