After COVID summer, American Legion baseball is back in Rock Hill area. What that means

The 2021 American Legion baseball season is underway, and 10 teams from York, Chester and Lancaster counties are competing in the senior and junior divisions.

This summer marks the return of the American Legion sponsoring the teams. They dropped their involvement last summer because of COVID-19. They are back this year, and everyone involved said they are more than excited.

“We are thrilled that the American Legion has returned to sponsor our programs this summer,” Fort Mill Post 43 coach Tom Skula told The Herald in a phone interview. “When they dropped their sponsorship on the national level last year, we just did what we could to offer a program for the young men that wanted to play.”

Skula praised the work that was done last summer, but he is glad things are back to where they had been prior to that.

“With their sponsorship it means more to the program,” said Skula. “That means we will have regional playoffs and a World Series. That gives the players more to play for, and I can tell you that they are extremely excited.”

Having the support of the local American Legion posts also means more help in getting things done and making things better overall.

“The support we get from them is immeasurable,” said Rock Hill Post 34 coach Jeremy McCoy. “They provide plenty of financial support, but they help in so many other ways. They help with concessions, gate keepers, travel and field maintenance just to name a few. It makes the whole product better because of all the things they do to help the program run smoothly.”

McCoy said the tradition of American Legion baseball and their contributions to communities is special.

“They have provided a great tradition of competitiveness for millions of players over the years,” he added. “Everyone knows what it means to play American Legion baseball. I cannot tell you how glad we all are to have them back.”

‘Benefits of the junior program are tremendous’

In the past few years the American Legion has added sponsorships for the junior program. That has been valuable to help teams draw more players and get them ready for the level of competition in the senior division.

York Post 66 has enjoyed tremendous success at the junior level in the past few seasons, and more and more teams are adding the junior team as part of their overall program.

“The benefits of the junior program are tremendous,” said York Post 66 Athletic Director Tripper Crisson. “It is important for those players to learn about the code of ethics as well as get them ready for the senior level. It is a great addition to the overall program.”

This summer four area teams will have teams in both levels. One will have a senior team only, while another is only in the junior division.

Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Lancaster and Chester will have teams in both divisions. Chesterfield will be a part of the senior league, while York will participate only in the junior division.

Rock Hill will play its home games in both divisions at Rock Hill High School. Lancaster’s two teams will play at American Legion Field in Lancaster. Chester’s two entries will play at the Chester Baseball Complex. Fort Mill’s senior team will play at Fort Mill High School, while the Fort Mill junior team will play at Nation Ford High School. Chesterfield will play at Chesterfield High School, and York will play at York Comprehensive High School.

Each senior team will play 15 games. A dozen will be against league foes with the other three against other legion teams in the state. The junior division will play 12 league contests in the regular season.

The playoffs start on July 12th. That will lead to the State Tournament at Segra Park in Columbia. That venue is the home of the Columbia Fireflies, a Class A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.

The regionals this year are in Montgomery, Alabama, and the World series will be in Shelby, North Carolina.

“It is good to be getting back to normal,” added McCoy. “So much to play for again. This is really great for the players.”

‘I really missed it last year’

The competition should be great this time around.

“I look for a quality brand of baseball this summer,” said Skula. “We should have a very competitive and balanced league this year. It is going to be great.”

The fact that the American Legion is returning will make it all that much better for the coaches, the players, and the fans, coaches said.

“The American Legion sponsored brand of baseball has always been great,” added Crisson. “Our kids get to play almost every night against quality competition in a tremendous environment. I could not ask for more than that.”

Buck Schwing, who has been involved in American Legion baseball since 1974, is very happy that they are back this summer.

“It has been a labor of love over the years for all of us in all of the legion posts,” said Schwing, the Athletic Director for Post 34 and the coordinator of League IV, which is where the local teams play. “I really missed it last year. I cannot tell you how glad we all are to be back.”