Changing the Pitch Americanism, Athleticism, and the Development of Legion Baseball in Nebraska

University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Great Plains Quarterly Great Plains Studies, Center for Winter 2000 Changing The Pitch Americanism, Athleticism, And The Development Of Legion Baseball In Nebraska Kent M. Krause University of Nebraska-Lincoln Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/greatplainsquarterly Part of the Other International and Area Studies Commons Krause, Kent M., "Changing The Pitch Americanism, Athleticism, And The Development Of Legion Baseball In Nebraska" (2000). Great Plains Quarterly. 2179. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/greatplainsquarterly/2179 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Great Plains Studies, Center for at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Plains Quarterly by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. CHANGING THE PITCH AMERICANISM, ATHLETICISM, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEGION BASEBALL IN NEBRASKA KENT M. KRAUSE Since its inception in 1928, American Le civic pride to Nebraskans who enthusiastically gion Junior Baseball has been popular in Ne backed their local boys. The program also pro braska. Although originally started to advance vided local businesses with advertising oppor the Legion's ideological agenda of American tunities and offered a town's teenage boys a ism, the primary factor in the success of Junior chance to experience athletic glory. Moreover, Baseball has been an active level of support hosting a Legion tournament could provide a from the citizens and businesses in the state's big boost to a town's economy as Nebraskans communities. The Legion's program acquired flocked to see these entertaining baseball and maintained such support because of the games. variety of functions it served in towns and However, much of the active community cities across the state. First and foremost, Jun support that proved crucial for the survival of ior Baseball teams were important sources of Junior Baseball was tied to a quest for winning teams. As a result, the main emphasis of the Nebraska Legion's program shifted from Americanism to athleticism, focusing specifi cally on aspects pertaining to baseball excel Kent M. Krause is an Instructional Designer at the lence. This emphasis on athleticism created University of Nebraska's Department of Distance an environment that subverted many of the Education. He earned a Ph.D. in history from the Americanism goals that the Legion originally University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1998. His publications include, "Regulating the Baseball Cartel: held for Junior Baseball. Specifically, a focus A Reassessment of the National Commission, Judge on winning not only limited the total number Landis, and the Antitrust Exemption," and entries on of boys enrolled in the program but also led to "Roger Hornsby," "Mickey Mantle," and "Roger unsportsmanlike behavior from the partici Maris" for the Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. pants. Nonetheless, the veterans continued to sponsor this popular endeavor that still at tracts the interest of thousands of Nebraskans [GPQ 20 (Winter 2000): 19-33) each year. 19 20 GREAT PLAINS QUARTERLY, WINTER 2000 Regarding national context, in the 1920s In its crusade, the Legion viewed the many Americans believed the rise of modern nation's youth, especially its teenage boys, as ism threatened their way oflife. Primarily white crucial to the extrication of the country from Anglo-Saxon Protestants, these traditional its perilous position. To save America, the ists viewed with alarm the growing acceptance veterans believed that they had to teach the of less restrained modes of behavior. The new nation's boys to stand by the Legion's prin music, dances, and sexually suggestive movies ciples. Legionnaires reasoned that these young of the decade all reflected the troubling men would grow up to be the citizens, the changes. Traditionalists, who were strongest leaders, and the soldiers of tomorrow. After in smaller, rural communities, blamed this experiencing limited success in winning the modernist attack on the influx of immigrants battle for the youth, by mid-decade the Le who usually resided in the large cities. Old gion came to view baseball, the "national stock Americans believed that these "foreign game," as the ideal weapon to indoctrinate ers" threatened their communities, the America's teenage boys. Baseball's preexist government, and even the Protestant faith. ing ideology made it an attractive tool for the The emergence of a mass society in the 1920s Legion. The game's publicists stressed that it sharpened the differences between tradition taught the traditional American values needed alists and those espousing modern values. As a for citizenship, helped assimilate immigrants, result, the decade witnessed a great struggle and provided military training for young men. between the two forces as traditionalists sought Furthermore, since the game had been popu to defend their ideal of a homogeneous na lar with boys, the Legion felt it would have tion. little difficulty reaching millions by sponsor The American Legion, composed of veter ing a nationwide program of youth baseball. ans who fought in World War I, was one such Finally, because of baseball's popularity with group that feared traditional America was Americans, it served as a more subtle form of under attack. These. ex-servicemen saw spe Americanism that could generate favorable cific threats coming from Bolsheviks, radical publicity. Therefore, to help save a country it labor unions, leftists, and immigrants, who, believed was under attack, in 1926 the Ameri they believed, were working to subvert can Legion began its sponsorship of Junior America from within. Equally dangerous, ac Baseball for teenage boys under the age of sev cording to the Legion, were the growing paci enteen.2 fist groups who conspired to keep the country Two years later, in 1928, the Nebraska Le weak militarily in the face of numerous exter gion would sponsor a statewide Junior Base nal threats. Legionnaires saw it as their duty ball league and participate in the national to promote Americanism and thereby defend program for the first time. Similar to Legion the nation from these postwar enemies. Al naires across the nation, Nebraska veterans though the veterans often had difficulty de hoped the program would help advance their fining exactly what Americanism meant, their agenda. Ex-servicemen in Nebraska were spe philosophy usually included a love of country cifically concerned about the rise of the paci and its democratic heritage, combined with a fist movement which had gained strength in devotion to capitalism and a belief in the moral the 1920s. The Legion had actively cam superiority of Americans. Initially, the Legion paigned against the growing movement, which adopted a coercive form of Americanism, of sought to abolish military training as a required ten physically assaulting groups they opposed. course for males at the University of Nebraska. This, however, generated negative publicity Regarding Junior Baseball, Commander C. C. for Legionnaires and by the mid-1920s, they Fraizer of the Nebraska Department of the looked for a more subtle way to save an American Legion optimistically claimed "If America they thought was "under siege."! the American Legion obtains the confidence LEGION BASEBALL IN NEBRASKA 21 of our boys, those same boys will, when the like this."5 Therefore, for Junior Baseball to ultra-pacifists ask them to join their insidious survive in Nebraska, the veterans needed to youth movements and take the slackers oath, have the support oflocal businesses and boost say, 'No - we stand by the principles of the ers. American Legion.'" In addition, some Ne In Omaha, prior to the start of the first braska veterans believed the program would season in 1928, Legionnaires approached the help create "manly" men, as illustrated by a state's largest newspaper, the Omaha World statement printed in the Lincoln Legionnaire: Herald, looking for a cosponsor for the Junior "too many REAL BOYS were playing tiddle Baseball program. The paper, which actively de-winks, and that REAL base ball games with supported other sports programs in the city, REAL hard base balls is what we want these such as scholastic baseball, agreed to the REAL boys to play." Finally, many veterans Legion's request. The World-Herald paid the hoped the program could generate favorable expenses of umpires and scorekeepers in publicity which might help the Nebraska Omaha, in addition to providing medals for Legion's declining membership. The state the district and state champion teams. In 1939 organization's numbers had dropped from the paper estimated that it had spent just over 22,200 in 1925 to 16,272 in 1927.3 $1,000 per year on Junior Baseball in Nebraska. For the first season, Fraizer appointed Herb Remaining expenses for the city's teams were Gish, athletic director for the University of then covered by Omaha businesses. With the Nebraska, as the chairman of the state's Jun Legion's and the World-Herald's backing, a ior Baseball committee. Although this com small business could sponsor an individual mittee hoped to register over 100 teams in team without too much cost.6 1928, the final total stood at 86. Omaha, the Unlike Omaha, the Lincoln Legion did not state's largest city, led the way with thirty teams have the one major cosponsor for its program. while the capital city of Lincoln had ten. In Nonetheless, the Legion post in the capital July the Nebraska Legion held its first Junior city still found local businesses willing to sup baseball tournament in Omaha, with one of port Junior Baseball teams. Starting in 1928, the teams from the host city, the Tesars, cap Legion officials met with Lincoln businesses turing the state title. From this beginning, each spring to discuss program sponsorship. Legion baseball in Nebraska would grow over By 1936 the city had enough businesses to the next decade into one of the state's most support three Legion Baseball leagues totaling popular athletic programs, enrolling over 500 twenty-two teams.

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