Madison Alabama American Legion Post 229

American Legion Post 229 latest update on upcoming 2023 Baseball Season:

NOTE: Madison American Legion Post 229's baseball Point of Contact is Bobby Lee; please reach out to him with any questions you may have at (931) 265-5685 or bobbyleejr01@gmail.com.

2023 Baseball News:  It's that time of the year where the crack (ping) of the bat and smack of the baseball hitting leather is heard all around town.  Again, this year, Madison American Legion Post 229 is fielding teams to play American Legion baseball.  Registration is now open by going to the Alabama American Legion Baseball website:  alabamaamericanlegionbaseball.com, and registering for the Madison Post 229 team.  We are fielding teams in the Varsity (High School age) division and the 19U (recent High School graduates/1st year of college) division.  Last year the Varsity team finished 3rd in the state.   American Legion Baseball is a competitive program primarily comprised of high school ball players that want to compete after the school baseball season ends.  However, unlike travel and showcase baseball, all American Legion baseball coaches are vetted by a criminal background check.  American Legion registered teams come with liability and supplemental medical insurance as well access to a free robust software program to track player rosters, pitcher pitch counts, team wins and losses.  We work with teams to develop their play schedules against other area American Legion teams. 

We have received confirmation from major League Baseball that we will once again host 2 of the Youth Events sponsored by MLB here in Madison.  Along with Madison Parks and Recreation, Madison American Legion Post 229 will host the Jr. Home Run Derby on Wednesday, May 3d at Palmer Park at 6 pm.  Registration links will be published in the next few weeks, and parents must register their competitor online prior to the competition.  Age groups for the Jr. Home Run Derby are Baseball 12 under and 14 under, and Softball 12 under and 14 under.  Age cutoff is July 20 of this year to determine age brackets.  Additionally, we will host the Pitch, Hit and Run competition on Wednesday, May 17th at Palmer Park at 6 pm.  Again, registration links will be published in the next few weeks.  Age groups are as follows:  Baseball 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, and 13-14; Softball 7-8, -10, 11-12, and 13-14.  Age cutoff is also July 20th, 2023. 

Brief History: American Legion baseball costs a fraction of the expense to play summer travel baseball. The cost for last year's teams was less than $400 per player.  Our focus is basic civics, sportsmanship and Americanism while playing our national game.  We are reinforcing respect to our flag, the rights and privilege of being a citizen in this great nation and respect for those that pay the price of freedom.  We play the National Anthem before each game and encourage Legionnaires and other veterans to attend the games and wear Legion or service caps and talk to the players and parents to support and encourage them to be responsible citizens. 
 
American Legion Baseball is one of the most prominent and tradition-rich amateur athletic leagues in existence.  American Legion Baseball has a long history in Alabama. The league strives to provide a good mix of flexible schedules and good competition. The season typically begins after the academic school year ends which is near the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The state tournament is normally held in mid-July.  The season offers both full and part time play.   Regular season and tournament games are held within the State of Alabama. In both of the past two seasons, the furthest we traveled was to Birmingham.  The American Legion is run as a not-for-profit league with the goal of improving our young people within a positive, competitive environment while preparing our players for high school and collegiate level play.
 
The Varsity division season ends with the State tournament; the 19U team has the opportunity to continue past the state tournament into the Regional and American Legion World Series; last year's World Series champion was the team from American Legion Post 19 in Troy, Alabama.