It’s a birthday bash that should feature 100 baseball bats on a cake instead of candles.
American Legion Baseball is celebrating a century of allowing countless teenagers to play our grand game.
That includes our region, which has seen a resurgence of ALB since 2017 and now boasts 14 teams and some 300 players ages 15-19.
“We always told people that we never ask the players for money,’’ Peter Rolf-Ohnstad said. “With the help of the veterans, we pay for the umpires, balls, insurance and everything else. You can’t offer the kids much more than that.’’
Playing on the ALB circuit is everything that travel ball isn’t. Parents aren’t asked to scratch significant monthly checks or curry favor with coaches to ensure their offspring gets at-bats.
Instead, all costs are erased, and players of all abilities are welcomed. Those in uniforms with big dreams but small pocketbooks aren’t told to look elsewhere.
“It’s a way to give back to the kids,’’ Carlsbad’s Rolf-Ohnstad said. “They have to do something in the summer.’’
Yes, the boys of summer return for another season, with opening days planned for June 7 at Hoover and University City high schools in San Diego.
A pair of ALB legends will be honored: former Padres great Randy Jones and Billy Capps, the most valuable player on San Diego’s ALB squad that won the national championship in 1954.
Before Escondido’s Jones won the 1976 Cy Young Award, he earned his stripes playing ALB in Fullerton. When asked about the experience years ago, Jones couldn’t hide his enthusiasm.
“I’ll never forget those years that I played (ALB) and how much I learned,’’ Jones said. “They’ll always be special, and that’s why I’m involved. That’s why I want to give back to these kids and make sure that a lot of them have the opportunity that I have.’’
North County is well-represented with teams in Oceanside, Carlsbad/La Costa/Santa Fe Christian, which goes by United, and two from Valley Center.
United is backed by American Legion Post 416, the Encinitas hangout for our nation’s heroes since 1932. Rolf-Ohnstad, a retired Merchant Marine captain, is a member, and many of his colleagues attend the games.
When the local ALB absorbed an unexpected expense for the upcoming season, Post 416 sprang into action. It’s pitching in with a fundraiser event to help the ballplayers at the Encinitas Ranch Golf Course on June 23.
Post 416 joins a long list of prominent people, including ex-Padres owner Ron Fowler, who played ALB in Minnesota in his youth, who keep the bills paid and the baseballs in flight.
No one battles more for every last cent than Dennis Ackerman, who retired from being the CIF-San Diego section commissioner and threw his weight behind ALB.
Not only did Ackerman play as a youngster, but his father is in the ALB Hall of Fame for his countless contributions.
“He even played against Randy Jones in 1965-66,’’ Ackerman said.
The play, not the pay, is the thing with ALB, as volunteers not seeking compensation are what make the wheels go round.
Among the highlights of the season, which wraps up in July, is the Admiral Shelton Tournament. It’s a 16-team field, with squads coming in from Washington, Oregon, Nevada and throughout California.
Shelton’s family donates $10,000 annually for the tournament, and they will be saluted before the first pitch on June 22.
There’s still time to put some dough toward this great cause at ald22baseball.org. ALB is as American as apple pie, while serving up slices of goodwill and good times, at a good price.
“We don’t want the players to pay a dime,’’ Ackerman said. That’s priceless, and ALB is a community endeavor that should be commended. Play ball!
