Foreign Legion Area Schools Revamped Into Six-Team Aaa League

Spokane American Legion baseball takes a huge step this weekend when the AAA teams begin play.

After years of fielding one senior team per area high school, the Legion organization has cut back to five local teams by combining schools.

The biggest concern as opening day approached was the manufacturer shorted one team a uniform, according to Tom Halvorson, a past president of Legion baseball.

Pullman gives the league six teams.

The first games are Sunday, when the Pullman Patriots visit the Spokane North Stars for a doubleheader. Those games are at 1 and 3:30 p.m. at Al K. Jackson Field at Shadle Park. At 6 p.m., the Spokane Blue Devils play the Spokane Royals.

The North Stars, coached by Gonzaga University assistant Scott Rogers, feature players from Mead, Rogers, Riverside, Deer Park and Springdale.

The Blue Devils are coached by Lance Rickman, an assistant at Rogers. The players come from North Central, Shadle Park, Lakeside, Northwest Christian and Wilbur. The Royals represent Gonzaga Prep, Lewis and Clark, Cheney, Medical Lake, Davenport, Rosalia and Oakesdale. The coach is Greg Gores, also an assistant at GU.

The other two teams begin Monday when the Browne’s Mountain Bandits play the Spokane Valley Cannons at 6 p.m. at Jackson Field.

The Bandits are from Ferris, Freeman and University and are coached by Keith Ward, who coached the Mead Legion team last year. The Cannons are East Valley, West Valley and Central Valley. The coach is Robin Lund, an assistant for Community Colleges of Spokane.

Pullman is coached by Lance Lincoln, who played in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. His players are from Pullman, Colfax, Garfield-Palouse and LaCrosse.

The teams play 25 league games. Each team scheduled 40-55 games and at least one out-of-town tournament.

Most area schools are fielding a AA team. Those teams have 20-game league schedules. There is also an A league for 15- and 16-year-olds. They will play 16 league games.

“Most people have no concept of what we’re trying to do,” Halvorson said. “It’s education, more than anything. People that have seen other programs think it’s fantastic; they know what it’s about. It’s our first year; we’ll be learning, too.”

Spokane reorganized the way other Legion programs operate, with the intention of being more competitive statewide and allowing serious players to compete at a higher level.

Some of the stronger programs in the region are calling to get games here. Tournament sites include Yakima, Kennewick, Coeur d’Alene, Moses Lake, Missoula and Lethbridge, Alberta.

All the teams will be in a 12-team tournament in Spokane during the Fourth of July weekend. KAZZ, 107-FM in Deer Park, will carry 10 games, beginning Friday.

Convincing some high school coaches to allow their younger players to try out and convincing graduating seniors to play wasn’t easy.

“The coaches had to do a little selling,” Halvorson said. “It’s over 60 percent positive. Some (coaches) haven’t done anything, but only a couple have been negative. There are some other guys that are really glad it’s here.”

Each player paid $150 to participate and each team owes an additional $5,000 for out-of-town travel.

There are no sponsors this year other than the Athletic Round Table, which is backing the whole package.

“We can go through the season breathing easy,” Halvorson said. “If we didn’t know ART was going to be there, it would be a little sticky. I thought we offered a pretty good package to (sponsors). Again, I think it was education.

“We think what’s going to happen after this year is we should be able to make some positive presentations. We have to be able to do something in order to survive. The funds we’ve built up for emergencies, the emergency is here. It might take a few years to get everyone on the bandwagon, but we want people to recognize it’s good for the kids and we’ll be here for a long time.”

The start is here and Halvorson thinks all the bases are covered.

“I think we’re going to have enough hot dogs to cover opening day,” he said.

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