Decisions Not Yet Made For America Legion, Babe Ruth Baseball

The fate of the American Legion and Babe Ruth baseball 2020 seasons remained unknown Monday, April 13.

The American Legion announced Tuesday, April 7, that it is canceling all eight regional tournaments and the American Legion World Series, which is held in North Carolina.

American Legion Baseball scholarships were also canceled for this year. Health and safety concerns were cited related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Legion did not give direction for baseball cancellations in individual states.

“Montana is trying to hold out as long as we can and hope the situation gets better,” Bozeman Bucks’ coach Garrett Schultz said in a prepared statement from the American Legion.

He also said he would like to see Montana and Alberta Canada Legion teams play a conference schedule.

In northern Montana, the Wolf Point Yellow Jackets play in a conference with teams from Glasgow, Malta, Sidney, Scobey and other communities.

Wolf Point Baseball Association president Craig Smith said Saturday, April 11, that no local decision has been made.

Smith signed a letter dated April 11 to the WPBA board and coaches addressing the cancellations of the eight regional tournaments and world series.

“Montana has still not decided if any Legion baseball will take place this year. I’m expecting that decisions will be made by the end of the month,” Smith wrote.

“We are still waiting to hear on the status of Babe Ruth,” he told the Northern Plains Independent.

Babe Ruth Baseball services youth ages 12-15 and has an active program in Wolf Point that serves youth from Poplar and Frazer as well as Wolf Point. The Babe Ruth Yellow Jackets serve as a feeder program for the Yellow Jackets Legion team for ages 15-18.