Meet the Teams of the 2024 American Legion World Series
By: Roger Sigmon – Wise News Network
School buses rolling, class bells ringing, cool mornings and warm days, the smell of hotdogs and popcorn, and leaves gently floating to the ground could only mean one thing: Fall is in the air. As the change of the seasons quickly approaches, the sound from the crack of a bat interrupts one of the remaining lazy days of Summer. If you are in Shelby, NC, it is the beginning of the 2024 American Legion World Series, the 97th. Things get rolling on Thursday, August 15th. Thousands of teams began the season hoping to reach this tournament; after state champions were crowned, those teams went on to compete in a tournament of 64 teams, broken up into eight regionals. The regional champions earned the right to compete for the National Championship this week.
Many young boys dream of playing for a national championship, followed by college and, of course, the big leagues, where they help their team win a world championship. During the next six days, 144 young men will live out the first step of those dreams, and 18 of those guys will walk away as national champions. Each of the eight teams comprises a roster of 18 players. The American Legion has always been about community service as a core value. In 1926, the baseball program was launched to train young men in sportsmanship, good health, and citizenship. 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of American Legion Baseball, and the program has been halted only twice. The 1927 season was unfortunately scrapped due to a lack of funding, so with the help of some unique fundraising and financial donations from Major League Baseball, it resumed the following season. In 2020, due to health and safety concerns of Covid 19, the season was shelved for only the second time in history, thus the reason we are entering the 97th ALWS instead of the 99th.
Major league baseball has significantly benefited from their financial support; to date, 87 members of the Baseball Hall of Fame are former American Legion Baseball players. That is just 12 shy of averaging one hall-of-fame player produced per year. An amazing statistic for any organization, made even more remarkable when combined with the life lessons that coaches, veterans, boosters, and volunteers teach. Several former players from Gaston and Cleveland Counties and other surrounding areas have been drafted into the majors. Other organizations, such as Travel and Showcase Ball, also produce major league players. However, they do not invest in the lives and futures of these young men during and beyond baseball as much as the American Legion.
The American Legion World Series will be played August 15-20, 2024, at Keeter Field at Veterans Stadium in Shelby, NC. In 2011, the decision was made to name Shelby the permanent home of the series, with an affirmation every five years. This decision was quite a blessing for the organization, as attendance skyrocketed. This is partly due to the rich baseball history of Shelby and nearby Cherryville. Fans love their baseball in this area. The attendance was 13,000 in 2010 and then exploded to 86,000 for the first season in its permanent home in 2011. Attendance has topped 100,000 for the six-day event several times, most recently 132,000 in 2022 and 123,000 in 2023.
The field this year is made up of four first-time teams and the return of the 2022 and 2023 Champions. This should make for an exciting showcase of talent and skill on display. Just who are these teams? The eight teams are divided into two divisions, known as the Stars and Stripes. They will participate in what is called pool play, which gives each team at least three games, and thanks to the ESPNU broadcast, they will have the chance to be seen on national television in the semi-final and final rounds. Billings, MT (Stripes) will represent the North West. They entered their regional as the host team and advanced by winning five straight games after losing their opener. Wilmington, DE (Stripes) will represent the Mid-Atlantic and make their first appearance. Another first-time team from the North East is Hudson, MA (Stars). Bossier City, LA (Stripes) is the other team making a first appearance after winning the Mid-South regional. The 2009 Champion Midland, MI (Stripes) will be making their 12th appearance and represent the Great Lakes. Making their 5th appearance is 2019 runners-up Fargo, ND (Stars) from the Central Plains. The 2022 Champions, Trot, AL (Stars) return in their 3rd straight appearance as they enter as the Champions from the Southeast. Defending Champions from the Western Regional, League City, TX (Stars), bring back nine players from that team and want nothing more than a repeat. Their 3rd straight appearance has been fueled by the arm of pitcher Tyler Ryden as they stormed through a 5-0 record in their regional.
2024 ALWS Team Bracket Schedule (ALWS)
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