A tradition preserved

Sam Morris

Las Vegas Post 40 pitcher Jordan Gonzales watches from the dugout during an American Legion game Saturday against the Las Vegas Bulldogs at UNLV’s Wilson Stadium. Post 40 won, 20-4.

By Ron Kantowski (contact)

Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008 | 2 a.m.

It was the summer of 1975 and I’m sure America’s “Sister Golden Hair” was playing in the background, because “Sister Golden Hair” always was playing in the background when I was 18 years old. That, and the infernal “Love Will Keep Us Together” by the Captain and Tennille.

Sam Morris

Las Vegas Post 40 pitcher-outfielder Alex Steward, sitting in the dugout during Saturday's game, sports the embroidered shoulder patch that long has identified American Legion ballplayers.

I’d walk the five or six blocks in my American Legion baseball uniform to the community center in the middle of our town, where we’d gather for a road trip and set records for stuffing wannabe ballplayers into the backs of station wagons and old Impalas that used to have vinyl tops.

But it was the 2 1/2-block stroll down 119th Street that I enjoyed almost as much as playing baseball in the summertime. That was the main street in our town. People you didn’t even know would see you in your crisp white uniform with the red and navy trim and that embroidered patch with the American Legion logo on your shoulder and they’d smile and slap you on the back and wish you luck.

Then the Boys of Summer who played American Legion baseball for Post 80, at least the ones who didn’t have a summer job or call in sick, would stuff themselves into the backs of station wagons and rusted-out Impalas for the ride to Hammond or East Chicago or Highland.

Or maybe even Crown Point, where the city ended and the fence in right field was made of corn stalks.

• • •

Gary Mouden used to play on fields where the right-field fence was made of corn stalks. And where there was a silo in left field. He’s from Nebraska, which has more than 350 American Legion baseball teams, more than any other state except Pennsylvania, which has more than 600.

There are 39 teams in Southern Nevada wearing the American Legion patch on the shoulders of their uniform sleeves. As the American Legion State Tournament director since 1998, Mouden has seen the local Legion program grow right along with the city. “It keeps kids off the streets and out of jail. There’s something good about American Legion baseball,” Mouden says between announcing the batters at Sunday night’s game featuring the Reno Knights and the Henderson Cougars, one of the many responsibilities of a state tournament director.

A few years ago, when Little League was considering extending the age limit of players to 13, American Legion bumped its limit to 19. Otherwise, the program is pretty much the same as it was drawn up in South Dakota in 1925. Whereas imitators such as Connie Mack baseball have lenient eligibility rules, leading to the formation of all-star teams, American Legion players pretty much play with other kids from their neighborhood.

The neighborhood kids might miss the cutoff man now and then. But in American Legion ball, you needn’t be born with an arm like Clemente’s to get the opportunity.

Mouden was explaining how the decision to break the local Legion program into Gold and Silver divisions has created competitive balance, and how the junior program for kids 16 and younger has only strengthened the Legion brand in Nevada, when we were interrupted by a loud crack of the bat.

Actually, it was a cross between the crack of wood and the ping of an aluminum bat. The ball rocketed toward the hole between third and short and appeared to be headed toward left field when Austin Nyman, the Reno shortstop, speared it with a headlong dive. He scrambled to his feet and got off a hurried throw that Patrick Gallagher, the Reno first baseman, somehow snagged on the in-between hop.

Bang! Bang! You’re out!

Even if the outfield fence was made of chain link and canvas instead of corn, it was still a pretty play.

LEGION AWARDS

The Nevada Youth Baseball Association is the state’s sanctioning body for American Legion baseball. Here are some of its award winners for the 2008 season (other awards will be announced after this week’s state tournament):

Regular-season champions

Gold division: Bishop Gorman 22-2.

Silver division: Legacy 19-1.

Junior division: Gorman Orange 14-0.

NOTE: Records for league games only

Coach of the year

Gold division: Chris Martinez, Las Vegas Bulldogs (Centennial High School).

Silver division: Steve Thurston Sr., Longhorns Baseball Club (Legacy High School), and Michael Griffith, Eldorado Sundevils (Eldorado High School).

Most outstanding player ($500 college scholarship)

Gold division: Gary Detweiler, Henderson Cougars (Coronado High School).

Silver division (Walt Sena Award): Bobby Valdez, Western Warriors (Western High School). Valdez is a native of Logandale.

Did you know

• The winner of this week’s American Legion state tournament at Wilson Stadium will represent Nevada in the American Legion Western Regional Tournament Aug. 14-18 in Surprise, Ariz. The American Legion World Series, featuring the eight regional champions, will be held Aug. 21-26 in Shelby, N.C.

• American Legion baseball is 83 years old. More than 12 million boys have played American Legion baseball.

• Las Vegas’ Greg Maddux won the American Legion Baseball Graduate of the Year Award (based on leadership, citizenship, community service and integrity) for 1994. UNLV product Todd Stottlemyre won the same award for 2001.

• The 1998 American Legion World Series was played in Las Vegas at Cashman Field. Edwardsville, Ill., Post 199 defeated Cherryville, N.C., Post 100, 9-4, in the championship game.

• Columbia, Tenn., defeated Eden Prairie, Minn., 11-4, in last year’s American Legion World Series championship game in Bartlesville, Okla.