Facts about the history of American Legion Baseball in the Department of South Dakota.
NOTE: As we prepare to celebrate American Legion Baseball’s centennial season, we’re taking a quick look at historical facts from each Legion department which sponsors, or has sponsored, the program. Check out stories at Legion.org/Baseballat100 (or click here for the previous story) and stay up-to-date on centennial happenings using #LegionBaseball100 on social media.
The idea of American Legion Baseball originated in Milbank, S.D., when Sioux Falls attorney and South Dakota American Legion Department Commander Frank G. McCormick invited Maj. John L. Griffith to speak at the department convention. At the time, Griffith was commissioner of the Western Conference (later the Big Ten). He spoke to Legionnaires about the importance of athletics in the development of youth.
That led to the establishment of the first American Legion Baseball teams that summer in South Dakota. The idea spread quickly across the nation, and a resolution at the 1925 national convention in Omaha in October made it a national program, set to begin in 1926.
Facts about South Dakota Legion Baseball
First season of American Legion Baseball: 1926.
First state champion: Beresford Post 72.
Notable alumni: Mark Ellis, Rapid City, 2012 Graduate of the Year; Ben Thomas, Rapid City, 1993 Player of the Year.
American Legion World Series titles (1): Rapid City Post 22, 1993.
Other American Legion World Series appearances (7): Rapid City, 1977, 1979, 1984, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2005.
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