Former CIF San Diego Part commissioner Dennis Ackerman elevating cash for American Legion baseball

American Legion Baseball was a summer season staple from the Forties by way of the early ‘90s with San Diego a significant participant nationally.

However this system light, then went dormant for greater than three a long time earlier than Peter-Rolf Ohnstad put collectively a committee to revive the league. After being KO’ed by COVID-19, American Legion ball has blossomed right into a 12-team program designed to assist excessive colleges whose gamers can’t essentially afford the excessive value of journey ball.

Ohnstad has introduced in former CIF San Diego Part Commissioner Dennis Ackerman to assist with a fundraising marketing campaign. Ackerman has a connection to Legion ball: His father, Allen, was the chief of American Legion Baseball within the Claremont space for many years and was lately inducted into the California American Legion Baseball Corridor of Fame.

“American Legion Baseball is one thing that has been in my household and is near my coronary heart,” Ackerman stated. “I’ve been concerned on the fringes right here for a couple of years, however when Peter-Rolf requested for extra assist, I jumped in.”

The full value to run the summer season league for gamers 19 and beneath is greater than $45,000. Umpires, at greater than $23,000, are the principle value. Uniforms are available at $4,200 and baseballs at $3,100. Then there’s the price of insurance coverage. The San Diego American Legion posts additionally run the June 26-29 RADM Shelton Memorial Invitational, which this season consists of the Yakima Beatles and the Newport Seaside Mariners.

“The gamers don’t pay a cent for this,” stated Ohnstad, a Navy fighter pilot who retired from the service as a captain within the Service provider Marine and is now Commander of American Legion Put up 416 in addition to Baseball Commissioner for District 22. “We pay for balls, fields, uniforms, umpires … all the pieces. But it surely’s costly and a few of our sponsoring Legion Posts have hassle elevating the cash.”

Ohnstad stated “to run this program the best way it needs to be run, we want monetary backing. We’d like baseball folks in the neighborhood to step up and assist these boys. And no donation is just too small.”

For extra data or to donate, contact Peter-Rolf Ohnstad at 760-809-1752 or electronic mail [email protected]. Ackerman could be reached at 858-204-0119 or [email protected].