Legion Ball

I played legion baseball for Caldwell Post 29 back a few years and I have to say that it was one of the best experiences of my life. My teammates those years are some of the best friends that I have, still today. Saying that, there are so many other options now. During the legion season games are almost every day and if a team don't have a lot of pitching then some guys get pitched to death. On other teams, like AAU or whatever, most pitchers pitch when they want and there are so many more pitchers on those teams and they get plenty of rest. One of my teammates in legion had all of the tools to get drafted and play professional ball. He threw 91-92 and had the attitude to go with it. During the legion season, his last year, he pitched a ton. During the state championship tourney he threw 3 complete games in a week. He did carry us to the state championship, but after that his velocity dropped to low-mid 80's in college. I honestly think that legion was the cause of that. Also these traveling teams go to all these big tournaments and college coaches love to go watch them. I am not saying that if you play legion you won't be seen, but you won't be seen as much. I am not bashing legion, because like I said I played and it was a great experience for me. What I am saying is it is all up to the individual. And if my team did not have a lot of pitching I would make sure that I am not thrown too much, definitely if I am a college or pro prospect. This years Post 29 team could be pretty good, but we have to wait and see who all is playing. From what I am hearing certain players may not be playing, to do other things. We will have to wait and see on that.

 

Nice post Double G. There are options. Choosing the right option is important. When our son was selecting a college more than one college coach said that they admired a player who played for a cause (his team) and guys who stayed home and played for the big Legion programs because of their loyalty to the team and community usually turned out as a better prospect because they weren't focused on themselves but on being on a winning team.

Recently, a college coach we have become friends with made a similar statement and also commented that young players were too often being driven by parents, relatives, and others to forsake teamates and friends. They were being badly advised to do the "me" thing. He looked for guys who did the "we" thing and sacrificed for the team and his friends and the good of the unit.

Our involvement with Post 29 came a couple years after the 2000 State Title. Double G's post sounded like he was talking about Marc Church and some may think it was. I am sure it wasn't because Marc's situation was totally different than the one Double G is talking about.

We attended all the games and kept a scorebook for fun and clipped stats from the paper. As for Marc, he was 3rd on the 2000 team in innings pitched behind Lindley and Wilkens. Hardly could say he was overpitched. He was mainly used in relief from what my son said. He was brought in as a starter in the playoffs, but was more of a closer in the regular season.

In that state tournament, according to the scorebook we kept I just looked and found, as we saw every game, Marc started and pitched 9 innings in game one on Saturday but only through 98 pitches in beating Wilmington.......On Monday he threw 13 pitches in relief in the ninth inning beating Cherryville........On Wednesday, Marc pitched 9 innings throwing 108 pitches in winning the State Championship over Rowan.

I believe the situation Double G is referring to that pitcher started and pitched 3 full games in the tournament. I can't find any record of that situation for Post 29, although Chris Mason did it for Cherryville in 2003 and threw 461 pitches in three games according to the Cherryville radio broadcast we listened to.

Also my son is very close to Marc and Marc told him many times that he felt he threw the ball so hard in Legion because he was so pumped and motivated because he was not going to be denied a State Championship. Then in college he seldom felt that pumped or that same motivation. He said the efforts to win a Legion State Championship made him do things he didn't know he could do because of the emotion.

Marc will be long remembered in Caldwell County as a leader. He was all about his team. You would never have caught him forsaking his team to run play somewhere out of town just to benefit himself.....He was about the name on his chest. His heroics got a lot of guys state championship rings they would never have gotten if he had "hit the trail for himself".

Another thing Marc told our son was that he only pitched 5 or 6 innings at South Caldwell as a senior but came to Legion that summer and was a key pitcher. Then he went to college at Wingate as a pitcher but was not a pitcher in high school, just Legion.

Anyways God Bless

 

I know marc church too. He is not the guy you want to bring up if your promoting showcase baseball. He really did put a ring on a few guys finger with Post 29 in 2000 by devoting his entire being to Caldwell Post 29.

He was advised by his college coaches to play in a collegiate league his final summer of american legion, but he followed his heart and came back to lead his buds to a title.

With Marc, it was never about Marc and what was best for Marc. It was about his team and what was best for those who counted on him.

People we got to get away from this selfish thinking in sports. This day and time athletes are taught to think about whats best for you and it dont matter about your team or your buds.

You can get on here and debate whats best for the individual athlete, but you are missing something big. If a baseball player has a town and a team like those with the great legion traditions that needs him to win, is he not a bigger guy to do that than to run down the road and say I cant help you Im too busy helping myself, sorry everybody. Being a Marc Church kinda guy takes character, unselfishness and courage.

Truth is a lot of guys are afraid of failing in front of the big crowds. a good excuse to play where none of your friends know how you do.

By the way Marc had a fine baseball career at Wingate and lets see, I believe he got a great education and degree there

Also I know Coach Hamby of Caldwell bust his chops to let coaches at the next level know about his guys. Ask Charlie Harrison how hard he will work for you.
I know too because a number of years ago I asked him to find me a place to play. I didnt even play Legion for him, but he found me a good school and I played baseball but even better got an education.

If you play for burke, taylorsville, and teams like that you dont have a whole town or county depending on you. In Caldwell, Cherryville, Shelby you do. Its like you are a pro. Takes a man to meet that challenge.