In light of the continuing events resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, effective immediately The American Legion National Organization is implementing the following directives relating to The American Legion National Organization national baseball program for the 2020 season.
1. Any and all previous 2020 American Legion National Organization memos regarding the national baseball program for the 2020 season are retracted and replaced by the following.
2. The American Legion National Organization has cancelled all 2020 season’s Regional Tournaments and The American Legion World Series.
3. Concurrently, The American Legion National Organization has shut down all sponsorship and all involvement in baseball for the 2020 season.
4. This shutdown of all sponsorship and all involvement in baseball for the 2020 season means that those baseball teams that wish to continue playing 2020 season baseball shall be participating in a sporting event not sponsored, nor endorsed in any manner, by The American Legion National Organization, but sponsored and endorsed solely by the group the team is named.
5. Any baseball team that continues play in the 2020 season sponsored by the group the team is named must understand that its team is not playing as an American Legion National Organization “registered” baseball team and it is not playing in an American Legion National Organization baseball program.
6. The complete cancellation of the 2020 American Legion National Organization baseball season means there is no American Legion National Organization baseball program “national rules,” nor are there “national guidelines,” as there is no 2020 American Legion national involvement.
7. In other words, if an American Legion Department has a 2020 season baseball program, then that Department is having “The Department of ‘X’ American Legion Baseball Program – not authorized, nor endorsed by The American Legion National Organization.”
8. Those departments that conduct this 2020 baseball season program will need to determine
their rules, guidelines, schedules, insurance coverage, etc., for their own programs as The
American Legion National Organization will not provide this assistance.
9. The American Legion National Organization has already stopped collecting, and subsequently
returned to all teams any and all national baseball team fees to the respective teams.
10. With the shutdown of the online National American Legion Baseball registration portal, The
American Legion National Organization has stopped referring baseball teams to the K&K
Insurance portal for the 2020 baseball season. The departments that have their own programs
will need to determine what insurance their teams need in order to play in their programs;
The American Legion National Organization will not provide this assistance.
11. All baseball teams that paid to The American Legion National Organization administrative
fees shall have these fees reimbursed to the teams.
12. All other situation(s) that may arise during the 2020 baseball season in a department that elects
to have a 2020 baseball season is a situation for that particular department as that particular
department is solely responsible for its decision to any situation(s) as The American Legion
National Organization staff and volunteers are not authorized to address or help with any
department’s situation(s).