Carlisle B. Grisham Post 49
THE AMERICAN LEGION
124 Cloverleaf Drive (mailing address – P.O. Box
45, Athens, AL 35612)
Athens, Alabama 35611
Post 49 Web site – http://www.athenspost49.org
Batter Up For American Legion Baseball
“The
Boys of Summer” are getting organized and it
will be “Batter Up!” on Memorial Day weekend.
Another summer of American Legion Baseball is
about to begin.
At the Sunday conference
conducted at Athens American Legion Post 49,
State Junior Level American Legion Baseball
Director Jerry Story (center) shares memories of
seasons past with Hartselle High School Coach
William Booth (left) and Chief Umpire Arnold
Russell of Lawrence County (right). Russell
enjoys a reputation as the “grand old man” of
American Legion Baseball in north Alabama.
The Carlisle B. Grisham Post Number 49 of Athens, on Sunday, May 1st, hosted administrators and coaches from eight surrounding and adjacent counties for a Junior Level baseball organizational conference. American Legion Junior Level Baseball consists of two divisions, 17 years old and under, and 15 years old and under. The conference participants were from Limestone, Madison, Jackson, Calhoun, Morgan, Winston, Lauderdale and Lawrence counties. These eight counties constitute much of the 1st Division of the Department of Alabama of The American Legion. The conference was organized and conducted by Jerry Story, Junior Level State Director and American Legion State Baseball Commissioner, and Dwayne Green, American Legion State Baseball Commissioner. Story and Green are also members, respectively, of Post 49, Athens, and Post 15, Decatur. The purpose of the conference was to register teams and to discuss rules, game scheduling and numerous other administrative matters. Commissioner Green mentioned that the recent tornados did not seem to have adversely affected conference attendance. There were 28 teams represented at the conference and at least 40 teams are expected to play in the 1st Division Area.
State Director of Junior Level
American Legion Baseball and State Commissioner
Jerry Story, of Athens (second from left), and
Dwayne Green, American Legion State Baseball
Commissioner (third from left), of Decatur,
discuss registration of teams and various
administrative matters with American Legion
Junior Level Baseball Program coaches from
around north Alabama. The conference was
conducted at American Legion Post 49, in Athens,
on Sunday, May 1st.
In attendance at Sunday’s conference were two prominent north Alabama high school coaches, Kenny Morrison of Decatur High School, and William Booth of Hartselle High School. Both coaches assisted in the game scheduling efforts. Under state athletic association rules high school coaches are not allowed to coach other teams, but they are permitted to help with administrative matters. Also, in attendance Sunday was the “grand old man” of American Legion Baseball in North Alabama, Arnold Russell, who was warmly welcomed by all. Chief Umpire Russell, of Lawrence County, assisted during the conference by answering questions about rules and scheduling. Mr. Russell is 80 years old and has umpired games for 54 years. Russell has umpired both Junior and Senior Level Baseball Programs for the American Legion in north Alabama since 1992, primarily in Morgan County. Russell said, “I’m ready and I’m looking forward to another great season!” He also said that basically the rules for American Legion Baseball, on the field, are those of the American League of professional baseball.
American Legion Junior Level
Baseball coaches from around north Alabama met
Sunday, May 1st , at Athens American Legion Post
49 to discuss registration, administration and
rules, and to schedule games. Play will begin
Memorial Day weekend. Twenty eight teams were
represented at the conference, which was
conducted by State Director Jerry Story of
Athens (Post 49) and Commissioner Dwayne Green
of Decatur (Post 15).
During the conference, State Junior Level Director Jerry Story reminded coaches that all baseline coaches, for safety sake, must wear a helmet. He also reminded the attending coaches and administrators that if they are aware of any other coaches interested in organizing teams for American Legion Baseball to inform them that they must do so by May 31st and that this can be accomplished by internet (on-line) directly with the Alabama State Department headquarters (www.alabamaamericanlegionbaseball.com) or the national headquarters (www.legion.org/baseball). Also, anyone interested in more information can contact Jerry Story directly by telephone at (256) 431-2571.
Limestone County American Legion
Junior Level Baseball coaches gathered at Athens
Post 49 on Sunday, May 1st, to register their
teams, and to discuss rules and scheduling.
These Junior Level coaches will work with
Limestone County youth in two age groups, 17
years old and under, and 15 years old and under.
Pictured, sitting, left to right, are John
Corneil, Mike Johnson, Bracy Marks, Terry
Tidwell, and Kevin Weidenbacher. Standing, left
to right, are Patrick Roberts, Ben Rhodes,
Shannon Haataja, Keith Wagon, Kent Lewter, Jason
Usery, and Chris Sherrill.
Presently, according to State Director Story, in Limestone County there are eight teams organizing to play under the sponsorship of Athens Post 49. This local post has sponsored teams for many years, and in 2006 Post 49 sponsored the state champion Senior Level team. Post 49 does help with organizational expenses, but primarily each of the teams is responsible for raising their own funds. The player’s parents normally pay for outfitting their child. Limestone County Coach Chris Sherrill said “outfitting a player costs approximately $250, but may vary by team.” He said the other funds needed to operate a team are raised from admission to games and also from concession sales. Sherrill commented that some teams may do other fund raising activity. Coach Sherrill also said, “most teams limit their squads to eighteen players because if they advance to tournament level play this is the maximum number of team members allowed.” According to Sherrill, most coaches commit about 30 hours a week to American Legion Baseball, and there are some weeks in which as many as ten games are played by each team. Coach Sherrill said, “These kids are really committed, and so are their parents.”
May 3, 2011
WRITTEN AND RELEASED BY:
Rod Huffman, Junior Vice Commander