What happened to American Legion baseball in North Jersey?

For decades, American Legion baseball was a staple of North Jersey summers.

This summer, there wasn't a single team in Bergen, Passaic, Morris or Sussex counties.

That absence is part of a larger trend across New Jersey and beyond.

In 2008, there were 336 Legion teams across the Garden State. By 2017, there were only 51 teams. This summer, there were 23 teams, all from the middle of the state.

“There are several reasons why New Jersey Legion baseball has fallen off over the years, but the main cause is the emergence and growth of club and travel ball,” longtime New Jersey baseball committee chairman Frank Calandrillo Jr. said. “Little by little, teams dropped off.

"Some years, we’ll see a Legion post field a team and then they’ll be gone the next year. It wasn’t always the case. The league thrived at one point as it was once one of the only games in town for high school players.”

New Jersey isn't alone. Delaware (seven teams this summer), Florida (28), Georgia (four), California (63), Florida (28), Oklahoma (eight) and Texas (six) have all seen significant declines in the last 15 years.

The glory days of American Legion baseball

The American Legion introduced its baseball program in 1925. According to its website, Legion baseball was the first program in the world to provide a national baseball tournament for teenagers.

A year later, posts in 15 different states introduced teams. They organized and sponsored teams, drafted local schedules and conducted championship tournaments.

Nearly 100 years later, the format hasn't changed much. The national tournament still has a similar setup: 64 teams play at eight regional sites, with eight teams going on to the World Series. The winning team receives a trip to Major League Baseball's World Series, a tradition dating back to 1926.

Irvington Post 16, out of Essex County, won the first New Jersey title in 1928. Lyndhurst Post 139 was Bergen County's oldest team and a winner of three state titles

Brooklawn Post 72, out of Camden County, owns a record 32 state titles and four national championships (1991, 2001, 2013, 2014). Trenton Post 93 is the only other New Jersey post to win a national title, going all the way in 1948.

Last Friday, Brooklawn won its second straight New Jersey state title, a 7-4 comeback win over Bordentown at the Wood-Ridge Athletic Complex. Brooklawn (27-6) advances to the American Legion Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament, Aug. 7-11, in Ridge, Maryland. The winner of that tournament advances to the World Series, Aug. 15-20 in Shelby, North Carolina.

“There were hundreds of teams throughout the state when I played Legion ball in Parsippany in the 1980s,” said John Kroeger, director of player and program development and assistant coach at Wagner College. “Once travel ball came in, it deteriorated."

Declining participation

Travel ball isn't the only factor.

American Legion has strict rules regarding hometown and age that must be followed.

Players can only play for the post nearest to their school or hometown.

“A rule like this doesn’t work for everyone,” Calandrillo said. “Some want more freedom and range to play where they want.”

Players also must be between 14 and 19 years old.

“With less college guys and college teams in the area, Legion baseball was forced to extend the age maximum from 18 years old to 19," Kroeger said. "Now, you mostly see college kids playing Legion ball. That’s what you’re getting more of now.”

The COVID-19 pandemic hit Legion teams hard, too.

“Just as we were building back our numbers and getting interest from the high school community, everything came to a halt and momentum stopped,” said Scott Frezzo, newly hired director of Bergen County Legion baseball. “We haven’t been able to bounce back the way we hoped.”

What's next?

Frezzo will take over as director of Bergen, Passaic and Hudson counties in the fall. He remains optimistic about the future of Legion baseball in North Jersey.

“Playing American Legion baseball gives everyone an opportunity to play the game. It’s an opportunity for kids and families from all backgrounds and financial status get in front of college recruiters and showcase their game," he said. "Legion ball gives back to the kids in so many ways including an opportunity to play on the next level.”

Kroeger expects the number of teams in New Jersey to stay about the same, maybe grow closer to 30.

"The one good thing about that, though, is that with 30 teams, you're going to get some of the best players and you're not just going to have in-town teams as it once was," he said. "The competition is pretty good. I wouldn't be here watching it if it wasn't. Games are close with good pitching, defense and solid baseball in my opinion. Back in the day, American Legion baseball was the thing."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: What happened to American Legion baseball in North Jersey?