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Fourth District Louisiana American Legion Baseball
The father of Legion Baseball
by Phillip M. Callaghan
Since 1926, more than 10 million young men have worn American Legion Baseball uniforms. The league became firmly established through the efforts of Dan Sowers, director of the Legion's Americanism Division at the time. Today, he is remembered as the "Father of American Legion Baseball."
Born May 8, 1895, in Pocahontas, VA., Sowers earned his law degree from Cumberland University and worked as an attorney in Kentucky and the District of Columbia.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army as a private in June 1917 and ended up in France, attached to the Press Censorship Division of the General Staff. Weighing about 325 pounds, Sowers' trench-mates referred to him as "the largest body of troops in the A.E.F." In the spring of 1919, Sowers attended the American Legion's caucus in Paris.
In 1925, a resolution passed at the national convention in Omaha calling on the Legion to "inaugurate and conduct baseball leagues and tournaments for local championships. The following year, Sowers became director of the Americanism Division and focused on strengthening and expanding the baseball program. In 1928, he met in Chicago with the Executive Council of Baseball, which contributed $50,000 to Sowers and the newly founded league.
Sowers continued to get financial backing from the major leagues, and Legion Baseball continued to grow. The funding paid for the travel expenses of State champion teams, which were able to go to regional and national competitions because of the contribution. By the time Sowers stepped down as Americanism director in 1930, Legion Baseball was firmly established as one of American's leading sports programs for youth.
Eventually, the league grew to include about 400,000 teenagers playing annually. Sowers remained active with the Legion's Americanism Commission until 1959; he also remained a strong supporter of its baseball program. On Nov. 28, 1955, the Father of Legion Baseball died in Fairmont, W. VA., after a long illness. His legacy was a tremendous investment in America's youth and his outstanding commitment to a program that has produced many baseball legends.
Since 1962, many former Legion players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, including Bob Feller, Ted Williams, Roy Campanella, Stan Musial, Warren Spahn, Yogi Berra, Frank Robinson, Bob Gibson, Al Kaline, Brooks Robinson, Hoyt Wilheml, "Catfish" Hunter, Carl Yastrzemski, Johnny Bench, Tom Seaver, Reggie Jackson, Robin Yount, Wade Boggs, and Ryne Sandberg.
It has been estimated that over half of all Major League ballplayers got their start in Legion Baseball. (This article was taken from the American Legion Dispatch.)
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