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POST 339

A Brief History on Bellevue American Legion Baseball

 

 

American Legion Baseball started on July 17, 1925.  The program goal, was to be a program of service to the youth of America.  Since its beginning, over ten million young men have played Legion Baseball.  By 1929 every state entered teams into competition.  Many American Legion Baseball Players have gone on to play at the college, professional, and even inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Players like Dave Winfield, Carlton Fisk, Jim “Catfish” Hunter, Frank Robinson,  Bob Gibson, Alex Gordon, Buddy Carlyle, and Tyler Cloyd are just a few to name.  If you are interested in learning more, you can go to the web and visit http://www.baseball.legion.org/history or http://www.baseball.legion.org/hallfame.  Bellevue American Legion Baseball first started at Offutt, then migrated to the City of Bellevue Recreation Department, and then to the Bellevue Baseball Boosters.  The Bellevue Baseball Boosters formed in 1988, when the City of Bellevue no longer wanted to run the American Legion Program.  Instead of seeing American Legion Baseball dropped, a group of concerned parents got together and formed a non-profit organization called the Bellevue Baseball Boosters, as you know it today.  The goal of the Bellevue Baseball Boosters was to provide Bellevue youth between the ages of 15 years old and 18 years old, with a structured summer baseball program.  The Bellevue American Legion Post 339 certifies the teams Legion and provides some funds towards the program.  The State of Nebraska Legion Athletic Committee Representative also keeps the Bellevue West and East Baseball Boosters up to date on all rules and regulations governing Legion Baseball.

The Bellevue Baseball Boosters and the Bellevue West Board of Directors and working staff works year round, putting together a structured baseball program that serves the youth of Bellevue.  These organizations makes it possible for this age group to be able to play summer baseball.  They each have two baseball teams, which encompasses approximately 80 youth from Bellevue East and West High Schools.  The program not only provides an excellent baseball program but also teaches these youth about teamwork and responsibility.  It teaches them life learning skills that will stay with them far past their baseball playing days.

             Omaha Gross and Omaha Bryan have their own Summer Legion Baseball Booster groups too.  They also work year round raising funds for their Summer Legion Baseball Teams. They each support two teams each encompassing approximately 80 Bellevue youth from Omaha Gross and Bryan High Schools.

The Bellevue Legion feels these Baseball Booster Groups serve a very important community service to the City of Bellevue.  They provide approximately 160 youth, with a structured baseball program to be involved in throughout the summer.  If these Baseball Boosters Groups were to close their doors, decades of Bellevue Legion Baseball History would be lost and the dreams of our baseball youth would not have a chance to become reality. The great American Past time, Summer American Legion Baseball would become a thought of the past.  If you have any questions about Bellevue Summer American Legion Baseball, please contact Don Kiviniemi, at 292-3205.