Getting Blackballed

Coach, I thought that in legion ball you had to play for the team that was closest to your HS. So how do the players get to choose to play for your team?

We are a travelling summer league team with no affiliation to legion. We are similar to all of the travelling teams in the Chicago land area.

Please explain how you are being "Blackballed."

Do the Legion teams refuse to play you? If so, what do you expect? They are trying to maintain the Legion System, and they feel that Travel Teams are taking the same players that used to be the bread and butter of Legion. Legion has been around an awfully long tiem and the advent of travel teams in the 18 year old age group has substantially eroded the quality and number of legion teams. Not taking sides here, but I'm sure that's what you are up against.

Too bad the legion teams can't have the best interest of the players instead of thier own selves. In the Chicagoland area the legion teams are quick to play the Norwood Blues in order to see just how good they are (Same exact situation a few miles north). Reminds me of the OP pony situation where people just don't want to change regardless of what is good for the top players.

In the end, however, the Bullets and Indiana Yankees will provide the stage for the player that wants more exposure. The little legion kingdom's will fall to the wayside unless they eventually see the light.

baseball is baseball. go and play.

SIBULLETS AND HIS TEAM DO A GREAT JOB! I'd tell anyone that. The "Blackballing" is from the legion coaches telling their players not to play and that it is selfish for those players to play on a team such as this and leave their high school teammates to fend for themselves during the summer. They also point out that old adage about "team chemistry." If a high school is fortunate enough such as us to only have their high school team play for that legion program, I might understand it. However, and SIBULLETS, can verify this, I'd give my blessing for my players/child to play for them anyday.

The guy who started the whole thing is a legion coach in the metro east and I called on a player of his just to see if he would be interested. The guy was rude and slammed me so I dropped it. He started contacting other coaches urging them to "blackball" us whatever that means. We don't even have any of those teams in that area on our schedule and I have only contacted two or three coaches about their players. I just give them another option, not actively recruit "his" players. He said he does'nt understand why these players can't wait until college to play for a select team. I replied that we prepare them for college baseball. It is selfishness and ignorant, oh well. Thanks again CoachB for the kind words.

I understand both sides of the situation. But by definition if you are calling players (and giving them another option) then you are actively recruiting them.

We aren't being told everything here, and that is fine, too. I would warn you against negative recruiting, ie., telling kids what the Legion programs can't do or aren't doing for them.

I have never said one bad thing about legion ball. I played legion ball but I did not have the option of travel ball when I played. Recruiting is when I call a kid over and over again. I have never done that. I only let them know of an interest. I have had 10 times as many people inquire about us than I have ever called. This isnt an issue of us trying to kill legion ball, this is someone going out of their way to diminish or slander what we are trying to do.

Recruiting heavily is when you call someone over and over. If you call once and make an offer, that is recruiting. Whether or not there is something wrong with it is another question. Bullets, you are competing with those coaches for players and this is how one guy responded. Players will make their own decisions and all the coaches have to deal with it.

It is a very touchy subject....some people take it personal.....I was involved in a situation where someone I considered a good friend and had a great relationship with our organazation decided loading his team up was worth more then our friendship and the relationship he had with our organazation.

I took that very personal as did players and people in our organazation...because there was a lot more to it. That person didnt have the common courtey or what some would call fortitude to contact us and do it the right way

In this situation, it seems you went about it the right way, and if your intesntions were to provide the kid more exposure, then great job, thats why travel teams are around....and pony leagues just cant compare

Keep truckin!

We might get 2-3 players from the same school or legion team, we are not taking enough players to warrant a team folding because of lack of players. The kids that we do have for the most part have never played legion ball anyway.

I have had some experience umpiring American Legion games in Southern Illinois and in my honest opinion the SIBullets are NOT interfering with the Legion teams and players.

It is my understanding that the SIBullets travel ALOT more than Legion teams and to pay for expenses it is not unusual for SIBUllets players or families to spend over $1,000 a year to be able to travel and play.

Do most Legion players have the skills to play on a traveling team?? No.

Do most Legion players and/or their families want to pay over $1,000 to play summer baseball?? No.

I'm not knocking the traveling team I just think they typically have the CREAM of the crop players both in talent and dedication.

I have seen many many times that Legion teams did NOT field their best players game after game because of their work schedule or some other conflict. These players don't seem to be able to participate in far away tournaments for a whole weekend anyway and these players seem happy to be able to play Legion WHEN their work schedule allows them to do so.

I think it takes a SPECIAL player and a supportive family to be able to participate on a traveling team. Sure a lot of coaches are going to get grumpy if some of their players "consider" playing for a traveling team but that is just part of the deal.

I believe I am correct in stating that last year more than a couple of local players went to Indiana to play on a traveling team instead of playing local Legion baseball so the SIBullets are not the only one out there looking for good talent.