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One Prominent Coach Speaks His Mind
Randy and The Board: You Hurt Programs and Kids
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 They will continue to operate with a rag-tag group of old men trying to keep an outdated dream alive, while club ball continues to explode and take the best players out of small towns and the few local players left will try to scrap together a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.
What Just Happened?
Suddenly There's $20 ,000 to Throw Around? Or More?
Is the Holiday Inn going to be the largest State Legion Baseball expense of 2025?
Legion baseball folks getting to observe the State Baseball Board as it acts to display its true priorities. State Director Randy Schaub sent out his "Winter Update" that stated that he (Randy) was in favor of opportunity for Legion baseball players. We took that to mean he favored expanding opportunities. He then warned that others on the State Board do not share his view and pointed out the the Board is a voting democracy - in other words warned that most of the Board in not on board with the term 'opportunity". In fcat, for 2025 opportunities are being cut not expanded.
Read State Director Randy's Letter
The latest show of Priority is the Board's absolute commitment for state tournaments to provide free hotel rooms for some of the participants. To keep the cost a bit lower, the Board insists that the tournaments be a reduced hotel cost format. Issues over hosts paying hotel costs have led to a dizzying flurry of policy revisions and changes all to show an unwavering Board commitment to free hotel rooms at state tournaments. Well, not exactly free. Out of nowhere, the Board came up with an estimated $20,000 to defray a potion of the hotel policy costs. From zero to twenty grand. Yes, only a few of the state's 5,500 players benefit. Hotels over opportunity. Actions speak louder than words with the Board members priorities now on full view.
Its certainly looks to be the case as the State Board has reacted to what seemed to be a rather simple plan that the Junior D1 Coaches Association developed to solve a problem that affected just the Junior D1 division. That issue: No host could be found for a 2025 state tournament because no potential host wanted to pay for hotel costs for attending teams coming from more than 50 miles to play. Only Bloomington had put in a bid but that bid refused to pay hotel costs.
The coaches and program directors of the 68 teams in the division voted unanimously to maintain the existing Double Elimination tournament format with each team paying their own expenses. Hey, that seemed simple enough. One would think the Board could have very easily accepted the coaches vote and approved a one-year exception to the standing host hotel room policy. Then the Board would have plenty of time to rething its overall policy for 2026. Ah! That would have been too easy. In a state where a small handful of people call all the shots, maybe it would be a bad precedent where Legion coaches actually had a democratic say in any matter. The D1 Junior Exception approach would cost the State $0. Not acceptable said State Board Handful.
What followed has been best described as chaotic and confusing with the Board, or better yet a few of the Board, scrambling to take charge. Perhaps other 2025 hosts were upset when the Board came up with this new policy exempting Bloomington with the State buying hotel rooms for Junior D1 kids? Perhaps some Board members are just plain fiercely devoted paying for hotel rooms. So an emergency Zoom meeting was held on March 2nd. Clearly the pot has been stirred.
Now don't you think for a minute that issues related to hotel payments hadn't come to the attention of Board members before this Spring Hotel Crisis. The issue was not new. It was just ignored. What this policy-on-the-fly process exposed is that this Legion Board has focused itself so rigidly on doing in 2025 what was done in 2024, actually doing LESS in 2025 than 2024, that it has no mechanisms in pl;ace to review, evaluate, or plan for anything else. Critics allege that the Minnesota Legion Board process is little more than a "rinse and repeat" agenda without any open discussion of issues and clearly without any sembalance of a long-term plannning process. As in this instance, Board members appear to hunker down and react. So, they reacted. And reacted again. And again.
The Ping Pong Policy Process of 2025
It started with the standing Minnesota board policy that requires that every state tournament host must pay hotel room costs for all teams that travel at least 50 miles. We understand that NO other state in the entire country demands this of a tournament host. Maybe being unique should give us pride?
- The Policy Version #1 - The standing policy- every state tournam,ent host must buy hotel rooms for players and coaches that come from over 50 miles away. The host gets a rooming list and polunks down their credit card literally buying rooms fopr kids.
- Policy Exception 2025 - The D1 Junior Solution - With no site willing to pay hotel costs, 100% of D1 Jr coaches voted to have each team pay their own travel costs paving the way for the 2025 tourney to be held at Bloomington. The coaches also voted to maintain their full-scale double-elim tourney. The D1 Junior solution was provided to The Board - or to whomever is in charge of decisions on state tournament matters. This seemed an easy-peasy 2025 solution. Zero cost to a hosrt and zero cost to the state board.
- State Policy Version #2 - The Just For Bloomington Verson - Nope. Absolutely not. The Junior Coaches plan was rejected. No way would the people who controlThe Board accept anything from any democratic process involving coaches! Hotel rooms must have near religious status with the powers within the Legion Board! If Bloomington won't pay for the rooms. then doggone it, the State Board is gonna pay for the rooms! What? The State is going to crank out $5 ,000 to $8,000 for Bloomington hotels versus NOTHING? To lower the cost the New Policy #1 cancelled the host grant of $2,500 and then demanded that the tournament be cut back so teams could be sent home earlier to save potentially save the state some money from potential dollars for an extra hotel night for a team or two. What sort of knee-jerk reaction desision making was this? When Bloomington had asked the Board for a few more dollars in host grant, they were told the funds didn't exist. And now that same Board was going to pick up 100% of the tab? Suddenly there was money to burn! How would other tournaments react? Why would other hosts pay many thousands in hotel costs while the State picked up the D1 Junior tab? Someone musta been unhappy. We bet there were some blowback. Did the Leaders not consider some obvious consequences? This looked like a decision making mess from the get go.
- New State Policy Verson #3 - The 50 Percenter - Oops Everyone Else Wants In- After an emergency Zoom meeting was called to quell the upset 2025 state tourney hosts, the Newer Plan #2 decreed the state would pay 50% of all hotel costs at all sites. Uniformity! Minnesota MUST pay hotels - its our religion and tradition. If the host won't pay it then the State will! It must make Minnesota special, somehow. Subsidies cap off at $10,000 and host grants disappear. Everyone gets treated alike with three of the affected four sites standiung to likely benefit. But wait - The Board had just agreed and had just told Bloomington they would pay 100% of the hotel costs. The Board V#2 plan said only 50%. The State had flatly reneged on its agreement. Bloomington refused to host after getting double-talked. So here they were, right back in the same soup they started with - no D1 Junior State tournament site. And the State Board now committed to pay some $20,000 in hotel costs. Wow. From zero state hotel expenses to twenty grand!
- New State Policy Verson #4 - Fixing the Original Problem Again - Back to the drawing board... again! Ok. The Junior D1 would have the original 100% state subsidy. And the rest of the state would have a 50% subsidy. But only if the Bloomington director would agree to a shortened tournament. Wait a minute fellas! 68 programs voted to keep the full tournament. The State once again completely ignored the vote of an entire Division. The State wanted one guy, a site director, to decide for the entire 68-team division on his own! As a condition of hosting the 2025 state tournament. What sort of process is that? Call it high-handed at best. Tone deaf maybe more fitting. What if the Divsion covered the cost of the third night and kept their tournament double-elim format? Just 'sign the contract' said the state representative. Do it our way - only.
- So the State Board Has Money to Burn! A year ago the Board voted to cut funding for a fast growing All Star program. A member explained that the budget was really tight and they needed that All Star sponsorship to bolster some 'reserve fund'. Now that sounded fishy at best. Less than a year later, the same people are projected to pay at least $20,000 to buy hotel nights for a handful of the state's 5,500 players.
- This seems like an unnecessary, knee-jerk reaction plan costing approximately 35% of state registration fees or $55 per registered team. What a give away!
- Or it amounts to 100% of the annual major sponsor grant. Poof! Gone! Rooms at the Holiday in for a few teams are the absolute priority!
- What could 20 grand do for other potential programs? Hotels are not an investment nor do hotel rooms for kids build the Legion brand in any meaningful way. Hotel rooms are the bog prioority for a few Board members see it as a critical "reward"that makes Minnesota state tournaments extra special.
- Does one or two nights of hotel stay encourage kids to play on Legion teams? The cost comes with a price - shrinking tournament games and championship opportunity. The single elim /consolation format puts half the teams out of championship contention on the first day. In double-elim, ALL teams are in the champonship hunt on Day 2 with every surving team having a shot until the final game.
- THE D1 JUNIOR COACHES HAD IT SOLVED.
- THE SOLUTION WOULD HAVE COST THE STATE LEGION NOTHING - ZERO
- INSTEAD THE STATE WILL PAY NOW OUT MORE THAN $20,000
- WOW! JUST PLAIN _ WOW!
But Cost Is Not The Only Issue
The concept of buying hotel rooms for kids is on shaky grounds when it comes to the Legion Amateur rules. Read the rules, guys. A player may not receive anything of value (like cash or meals) to reward them for playing baseball. Neither can players accept something of value to compensate for expenses incurred to play baseball (like hotel rooms). The long-standing meal money handout was quietly abolished last fall after the Amateur Rule was provided to the Board leaders. But the same Board refused to look at hotel rooms, which have a greater cash value than meals, despite recommedations to review the policy. Ooops. Maybe you should haver been more proactive! Now you have a crisis.
Further issues arise for hosts as liabilities are likely assumed by hosts that directly book and pay for hotel rooms to be occupied by kids.
So no other state in Legion baseball follows the Minnesota approach. They have studied their travel cost issues. None follow the State Board Hotel Room Religion. None. Maybe Minnesota should inspect what others are doing and see if better policies can be developed.
A Few Conclusions
Is this Board really up to the challenges of modernizing in 2025 and beyond?
- Clearly, though forewarned on the hotel issue, this Board simply will not listen to anyone outside the closed doors. Even if an entire division of coaches voted unanimously.
- The issue shows that the Board lacks any cohesive planning and policy making process. It is on full display. The bouncing policy process has been chaotic and full of individual agenda and emotion. What a way to run a railroad.
- The Board seems to careen from one year to the next with individuals operating in their own chosen spheres. 'You do yours and I will do mine' seems the modus operandi.
- The system is closed beyond the room walls and decisions are really made by a just an influential portion of the 14 board members.
- Are these the wrong people, perhaps been on the job past their expiration date?
- Or are they good people within an out dated, closed system that rewards stagnation?
It is easy to just do what you did a year ago. It is easy to cast aside anything or anyone that threatens with different ideas or perspectives. But this hotel thing is a complete mess. It has been a mess of a process. Maybe burning up $20 grand gets you by 2025. But this is not a comprehensive plan. It is an expensive band-aid at best. It is a waste of precious resources. 360 teams pay the fees. And not one had a say in how the money is spent. 68 teams tried - and were rejected.
Will There Be Another Plan yet this Spring?
Here is the rub - There might be an even newer plan by the time the Board holds its spring meeting behind closed doors somewhere on March 30th. Stay tuned!
Opinions: Its the 'my way or the highway' gang
The Bosses Demand 100% Control
Get ready for a 2025 season that is less than 2024.
The 'My Way Gang or the Highway Gang' first brought you 'The All Star Massacre'
Now the 'My Way or the Highway Gang' brought you ' Junior Revenge Tour'
What amazing directions this leadership team (officers Randy Schaub- Danube MN, Jeff 'Slick' Miller - Ottertail MN, and Brandon Raymo - Montevideo MN) plus their most loyal allies have taken for the 2025 season.
- Proven: A tiny few demand complete control of every aspect of Legion baseball in Minnesota.
- Proven: When challenged with ideas, growth, or development the group (The Board) reacts in the most aggressive manner to silence and contradict ideas and anyone outside their meeting walls.
- Proven: Preservation of the past and the exclusive exercise of personal power drives the Board and its leaders like none we have seen before.
Hear What They Say - But Watch What They Do
Director Randy says in his 'Winter Update' he is all about program growth and opportunites for players. Well, not so fast. Director Randy qualified his position by stating that others on the board do not share his views. But bring your thoughts and ideas to him and he will see what can be done.
The Op[portunity Record is polar opposite. With the guidance of a rear view mirror fixed somewhere in the past, Director Randy and the Board have both killed off growth and opportunity as well as have maintained policies and structures that restrict development and opportunity
Watch the Actions:
Did they listen to the All Star group or the Junior coaches? Did the Board negotitate or collaborate in any way with anybody? Did they try to "grow" the Legion brand, to improve it? Did they try to give Legion kids more outlets for participation? Did they support expanded options within the Legion program? No. They did then opposite every single opportunity that they had. It surprised us to hear the National Director refer to Minnesota as "the most backward state organization in the country". His words. Randy's Board the record:
- Killed off All Stars not only for those that have been able to participate but for the additional player interest beyond the 2024 capacity. Opportunity Killed.
- Killed of a trial program to develop an enhanced level of competition within Legion even before a proposal was finalized. The initial 8 communities may have involved up to 20. Opportunity Killed
- Rejected setting up a Board Development Committee and a Legion Coaches Association.
- The powerful few demanded cutbacks in the Junior D1 state tournament to cheapen costs and lessen the opportunity for kids to play. Opportunity killed.
- The powerful few could easily change the D2 divisions from the short single elim to the Double Elim tournament format that would increase opportunity. Opportunity ignored.
- Added divisions are rejected. It might take work. D2 Seniors start eliminating teams from playoffs on July 8th. 74 teams out of 130 NEVER even see the field of a substate tournament. D2 kids have the least Legion baseball season of any state in the country.
- The Tier 1A was a division that some thought was the presursor of a fully split D1 level. Nope. Its 34 teans were cut to 24 making it clearly a stub division for B teams. Mismatched playoffs are still the norm.
- Junior coaches solved the "hotel room" dillemma without the state needing to put up a dime. Noooo, said the Insider Few. We gotta have free hotels for a handful of state tournament teams. RThat got them so excited that they are thjrowing $20,000 to buy hotel rooms. Maybe somehow thats a policy worth defending? It must make a few people running the show feel special.
Growth and opportunity always bring in new people and more ideas. The Legion Baseball Board continues to prove they cannot accomodate nor will they incorprate anything beyond the myopic vision of its inner sanctum. When ideas and outside people come forward, they are greeted as personal threats. The threats must be fought and crushed. It is as much a Bully Board. Players, coaches,and parents are the dancing monkeys. The Board and the few that control it are the Organ Grinder.
Director Randy claims to be about growth and opportunity. No you are not. Netiher are your officers and neither are the controlling elements in your private club. Your record is repression - the opposite of what you would like to portray in writing.
Randy: How have you expanded opportunities for Legion teams and players in 2025? Send out your list.
You can't have it both ways - But You Do Have One Right Now
Closed Systems Invite Closed Minds
Open and Closed Systems by David Lee Jones
Published in the Presbyterian Outlook September 9, 2022
Closed Systems Breed Fear, Anger, Repression, Paranoia and Suspicion
Closed systems are generally understood as those that have the following features: dominance, sameness, fusion, herd mentality and group thinking. Such systems discourage equality, change, differentiation, independence, questioning, speaking up, taking a stand, rocking the boat or expressing concern.
They tend to promote immaturity, repression, stuckness, triangulation, gossip, parking lot meetings, factions and secrets. People do not feel safe to question or disagree in such systems for fear of disapproval or retribution. Such systems tend to be reactive and anxious (even if it is hidden beneath the surface) because information is not shared freely and secrets bind anxiety.
Leaders tend to dominate or over-function, which causes others members of the system to acquiesce or under-function. A few at the top are disproportionately responsible for the many. Such systems often have people who function as dictators or peace-mongers at the top, and may have unduly rigid boundaries.
Closed systems breed fear, anger, repression, paranoia and suspicion. They tend to acquiesce to the least mature members or those who hold the most power (who are often the most immature). Closed systems are marked by incessant blaming of others and usually seek a quick fix to conflict rather than managing anxiety maturely. Closed systems are “deadly serious.”
Google Search Quotes
- Closed systems breed stagnation. Open protocols, like open minds, allow for the emergence of the unexpected.
- Closed minds and closed systems share a core characteristic: a resistance to change, new information, and external influences. Both limit adaptability and increase vulnerability to disruption.
- Closed-minded people are more likely to make statements than ask questions. Closed-minded people listen to win not to understand.
- A Closed Minded Read : https://fs.blog/open-closed-minded/
Fundamental Choice: Which direction for Legion Baseball?
The Open System - Democratic and Open
Open and Closed Systems by David Lee Jones
Published in the Presbyterian Outlook September 9, 2022
Open Systems Value Change, Transparency, Diversity, Differentiation, Questioning, Disagreeing, Discussing, Expressing Concerns, and Giving Voice to All
Appropriately open systems are generally understood as those that value change, transparency, diversity, differentiation, questioning, disagreeing, discussing, pondering, expressing concern and giving voice to all.
- In open systems, people feel safe to express concerns, disagree and raise questions. Information is shared openly. Open systems encourage and value appropriately open and flexible boundaries and discourage undue rigidity.
- Open systems value, promote and welcome direct communication, “I statements,” responsibility for one’s own functioning in the system and non-reactivity.
- In open systems, leaders can take a stand. Leaders and members stay connected to each other by discouraging domination, triangulation, gossip and secrets.
- Open systems promote and value playfulness, mystery, paradox, challenge and adventure.
Google Search Quotes
- Open-mindedness refers to a willingness to consider different perspectives, ideas, and experiences, even if they differ from one's own beliefs or preconceptions. It involves actively seeking out new information, being receptive to diverse viewpoints, and engaging in critical thinking to evaluate different perspectives.
- Open-mindedness is the willingness to search actively for evidence against one's favored beliefs, plans, or goals, and to weigh such evidence fairly .
- An open mind is really a mark of foolishness, like an open mouth. Mouths and minds were made to shut; they were made to open only in order to shut.”
https://pres-outlook.org/2017/07/open-closed-systems/
An Open Minded Read: Article Link
Our Minnesota Legion Blog Review
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. Many have found very little information available on what the Legion program is, how its structutred, how it is run, and what issues are being considered. Players and families have increasing options for their summer baseball experience. How will Legion baseball fit, now and for the future?
Open discussion and honest exploration can help build an even better and an even stronger Legion Baseball program.
Sent In Stuff
Blog Posts and Ideas
This section provides the opportunity for people to share a thought or an idea.