Third generation Legion player honored in Cooperstown
Photo by Jeremy Field/The American Legion

Third generation Legion player honored in Cooperstown

American Legion Baseball’s 2015 George W. Rulon Player of the Year, Justin Hawkins of Chapin-Newberry (S.C.) Post 193, was honored May28 at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Hawkins, a member of the 2015 American Legion World Series championship team, was presented with a plaque by Legion Baseball Committee Chairman Gary Stone and Hall of Fame pitcher Rollie Fingers in front of a crowd of more than 6,400 at historic Doubleday Field.

For over 60 years the Legion’s top player has been recognized during the annual Baseball Hall of Fame Classic with past recipients including Fingers, who was the 1964 Legion Player of the Year.

Hawkins, whose father and both grandfathers also played for Chapin-Newberry’s American Legion team, spent the Memorial Day weekend in Cooperstown enjoying the historic city with his parents, grandparents, sister and girlfriend.

“Both my granddads and my dad all played American Legion Baseball for the same team,” Hawkins said. “It’s incredible to follow in that long line. It’s truly incredible to have the support from everyone behind me.”

In addition to a visit to the hallowed museum, the Hall of Fame Classic weekend featured a race, festivities, Home Run Derby and seven-inning game featuring Hall of Famers and former Major League Baseball stars.

“To be able to come here to Cooperstown is truly an unbelievable experience,” Hawkins said. “To be able to do all this and meet these people and realize the history that’s been through American Legion Baseball and through our pastime is a great experience. It is one of the most incredible things I’ve been through in my life.”

Hawkins has continued playing baseball following his Legion career with the University of South Carolina Sumter. The Fire Ants went 39-19 this year, earning a spot in the NJCAA Region 10 Tournament.