TIME FOR A CHANGE?
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The Junior State (OJBA) District 9 Baseball tournament begins Friday at Knappa High School's Teevin Field. Only three teams will be competing from what began as a 6-team league.
Tillamook's struggling baseball program folded its season several weeks ago. Rainier, which often features primarily junior varsity players on its junior state team, was not invited after just two players showed up for a game at Warrenton Thursday. Vernonia has been a part of the league previously but not this year. Ilwaco was not invited to be in the league and struggled to compete when facing the other area teams. Knappa struggled with numbers this summer and will not have enough players to participate in the district tournament. That leaves Astoria, Seaside and Warrenton.
Is it time for Legion baseball to return to the area? The cost is much higher and the travel is much greater, but a Legion team featuring the best players from all of the area schools should be able to compete on the state level, giving our best players more quality competition with a chance to showcase their skills against the best players in the state, while the remaining players from Astoria, Seaside, Warrenton, Knappa and Ilwaco could still maintain a OJBA program giving everybody a chance to play.
Participation statewide in OJBA is growing, however many schools use this as a junior varsity summer program and in our region, cancellations and lack of participation are rife, creating much frustration for the players who want to continue to compete at a high level and for fans who want to see some quality baseball.
Can this area support a Legion A or Senior Legion baseball team? Should Astoria break off from the current OJBA District and opt for a new affiliation or would they be better served by contributing to a "Lower Columbia" area all-star squad while maintaining a junior state team with the remaining players? How will this affect the Babe Ruth programs? Are there businesses willing to sponsor such a venture and who would/should coach an area all-star squad?
Your thoughts are encouraged here. Just click on the comments link and fire away!
The Junior State (OJBA) District 9 Baseball tournament begins Friday at Knappa High School's Teevin Field. Only three teams will be competing from what began as a 6-team league.
Tillamook's struggling baseball program folded its season several weeks ago. Rainier, which often features primarily junior varsity players on its junior state team, was not invited after just two players showed up for a game at Warrenton Thursday. Vernonia has been a part of the league previously but not this year. Ilwaco was not invited to be in the league and struggled to compete when facing the other area teams. Knappa struggled with numbers this summer and will not have enough players to participate in the district tournament. That leaves Astoria, Seaside and Warrenton.
Is it time for Legion baseball to return to the area? The cost is much higher and the travel is much greater, but a Legion team featuring the best players from all of the area schools should be able to compete on the state level, giving our best players more quality competition with a chance to showcase their skills against the best players in the state, while the remaining players from Astoria, Seaside, Warrenton, Knappa and Ilwaco could still maintain a OJBA program giving everybody a chance to play.
Participation statewide in OJBA is growing, however many schools use this as a junior varsity summer program and in our region, cancellations and lack of participation are rife, creating much frustration for the players who want to continue to compete at a high level and for fans who want to see some quality baseball.
Can this area support a Legion A or Senior Legion baseball team? Should Astoria break off from the current OJBA District and opt for a new affiliation or would they be better served by contributing to a "Lower Columbia" area all-star squad while maintaining a junior state team with the remaining players? How will this affect the Babe Ruth programs? Are there businesses willing to sponsor such a venture and who would/should coach an area all-star squad?
Your thoughts are encouraged here. Just click on the comments link and fire away!
posted by Matt Richert at 10:51 AM
2 Comments:
Astoria used to have legion ball.
The comp. was great Clatsop post 12
was the name.Longview,portland,forestgrove
all had teams.We drive that for all
other sports.legion ball players would to
Anyone know why Astoria stopped playing Legion ball?
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