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No Legion baseball this year - Sidney Daily News
The big diamond at Custenborder Field will be silent much of the summer this year.
There will be no American Legion baseball. And no, this is not an April Fool's joke.
Tom Clay of Sidney Post 217 confirmed Tuesday that the Post will not sponsor a Legion team this summer. It will mark only the second year since 1945 that Sidney has not fielded a Legion team, according to Clay.
The coach of the past several years, Bill Shoffner, announced a while back that he was stepping down from the position.
Clay said a replacement had been found in Chad Heckler, but when the issue of baseball was put to a vote of the membership, it was turned down.
Clay said he hopes it's just a one-year absence, but money is always a big factor.
"The money is getting tighter," Clay said. "Running the program would cost us anywhere from 8-to-11 thousand dollars. It's been a long run, but the money... When a bat costs more than a complete catcher's outfit, something's not right. Bats cost anywhere from $375 to $500 apiece now."
Sidney competed annually in the Pemberville Invitational up near Bowling Green. Clay said that last year alone, it cost $2,200 for housing for the team during the three-day event.
"The membership said no," said Clay. "I don't like it, but I'm caught in the middle. I've told some of the kids to go to Piqua or St. Marys if they will take them. I'm sure there won't be any trouble getting their release."
Post 217 was a member of the District Two league, and Clay said Lima, St. Marys and Van Wert in District Two will have teams this summer. But he said they are all cutting back.
"I know Lima has cut back on the number of games they're playing this year," he said. "They always went to a couple of tournaments in the past, but this year they're going to hold one of their own to cut down on travel."
Clay said the membership voted to continue funding other longtime Legion projects rather than the baseball program. Post 217 gives out four $500 scholarships every year and will continue to do so. And last year, the Post sponsored nine delegates to Boys State, and plans to continue with that as well.
"I'm disappointed, but I understand," Clay said. "We will try to get it going again next year. I hate to do it to the kids. We may need to look for help from the community to help offset the cost."
He said he is hopeful that Heckler will agree to coach the team if it comes back next summer.
The big diamond at Custenborder Field will be silent much of the summer this year.
There will be no American Legion baseball. And no, this is not an April Fool's joke.
Tom Clay of Sidney Post 217 confirmed Tuesday that the Post will not sponsor a Legion team this summer. It will mark only the second year since 1945 that Sidney has not fielded a Legion team, according to Clay.
The coach of the past several years, Bill Shoffner, announced a while back that he was stepping down from the position.
Clay said a replacement had been found in Chad Heckler, but when the issue of baseball was put to a vote of the membership, it was turned down.
Clay said he hopes it's just a one-year absence, but money is always a big factor.
"The money is getting tighter," Clay said. "Running the program would cost us anywhere from 8-to-11 thousand dollars. It's been a long run, but the money... When a bat costs more than a complete catcher's outfit, something's not right. Bats cost anywhere from $375 to $500 apiece now."
Sidney competed annually in the Pemberville Invitational up near Bowling Green. Clay said that last year alone, it cost $2,200 for housing for the team during the three-day event.
"The membership said no," said Clay. "I don't like it, but I'm caught in the middle. I've told some of the kids to go to Piqua or St. Marys if they will take them. I'm sure there won't be any trouble getting their release."
Post 217 was a member of the District Two league, and Clay said Lima, St. Marys and Van Wert in District Two will have teams this summer. But he said they are all cutting back.
"I know Lima has cut back on the number of games they're playing this year," he said. "They always went to a couple of tournaments in the past, but this year they're going to hold one of their own to cut down on travel."
Clay said the membership voted to continue funding other longtime Legion projects rather than the baseball program. Post 217 gives out four $500 scholarships every year and will continue to do so. And last year, the Post sponsored nine delegates to Boys State, and plans to continue with that as well.
"I'm disappointed, but I understand," Clay said. "We will try to get it going again next year. I hate to do it to the kids. We may need to look for help from the community to help offset the cost."
He said he is hopeful that Heckler will agree to coach the team if it comes back next summer.