American Legion Features New Lineup System Developed So Teams Can Compete At State Level

Phase Two of the Spokane American Legion Baseball Experiment be gins this week.

The Spokane organization altered its method of constructing senior teams last year.

The old league carried 18 senior teams, with rosters that generally kept together players from the area’s larger high schools. Last year officials formed five AAA teams, with top players from different schools playing together.

“We found that combining the schools was easier to do than anticipated, as far as getting the kids to play together,” said second-year Spokane Legion president Dennis Thompson.

“School loyalties seemed to go out the window.”

The motivating factor behind the new AAA system was to create teams that could compete better at the state level. Although the league champion North Stars lost at the state tournament, the score was competitive. League teams also won half of their matchups against select teams.

The second season of the AAA format offers some changes and challenges.

The league’s sixth member from last year, Pullman, has dropped out to play an independent schedule.

The 25-game league schedule remains the same, but Pullman’s absence will mean each team playing more than five games against the others.

Team names are the same - Bandits, Blue Devils, Cannons, North Stars and Royals - but three teams have new coaches. Don O’Neal replaces Keith Ward with the Bandits, Mike Kerr takes over for Scott Rogers with the North Stars, and Mike Kistler replaces Greg Gores with the Royals.

Lance Rickman of the Blue Devils and Robin Lund of the Cannons have returned as coaches.

Legion officials redistributed some of the teams, so each would draw from schools with combined enrollments of approximately 2,900. Deer Park and Chewelah players switched from the North Stars to the Blue Devils. Riverside players have relocated to the Valley team, the Cannons. The Royals have absorbed some players west of town who went to the Blue Devils last year.

Shadle Park’s Al K. Jackson Field and Central Valley are still prime venues, but Gonzaga University and Whitworth College have been added.

Radio broadcasts by KAZZ-FM 107 of Deer Park have been increased from 10 to 17.

Athletic Round Table continues its sponsorship. In a new twist, nearly a dozen companies will advertize with banners at Jackson Field.

To help with fund-raising, the Legion board hired Nelson Apfelbaum on April 1 as executive director, a new position.

“We’ve taken it as a volunteer body as far as we can take it, because we all have jobs also,” Thompson said.

“I’ve coached, played ball and been involved in different programs outside of Spokane,” said Apfelbaum, who called his last eight hectic weeks “wonderful good.”

The Legion product may be watered down because some of the best area high school players have signed on with the Spokane Heat, a select team. Greater Spokane League most valuable players Eric Sandberg (1996) and Grant Reeves (1997) are in the mix.

“Our basic position last year was we allowed our teams to double roster with (the Heat),” Thompson said.

“We found that wasn’t conducive, so the board made the decision that they couldn’t double roster.”

Apfelbaum estimates nearly 900 players will fill AAA, AA and A Legion rosters. His projections indicate 15,000 people involved in some manner with Legion ball.

The first AAA league counter is June 9, with the Cannons vs. the North Stars at Gonzaga University. The Royals and North Stars play June 10, also at GU.

AAA teams will play one another in eight non-league games today through Thursday.

, DataTimes