There is a rich tradition of Legion baseball in Columbia, dating back to the 1940s and before Rock Bridge even existed. But in the past five years there have been many trends that have affected the talent pool for the local legion teams.

Missouri outfielder and Hickman grad Wes Fewell credits his participation with Columbia's American Legion Post 202 squad for his scholarship to MU. Mark Schiefelbein photo

Corporate sponsors have fielded travel teams throughout the country, taking away some of the top players from legion teams.

Columbia is no exception.

A traveling team from St. Louis has taken away talented local players such as pitchers Allan Woodward (Rock Bridge) and Sam LeCure (Helias) and catcher Eric Mueller (Hickman).

But Post 202 assistant coach Mark Mueller, Eric’s father, is not too concerned about these traveling teams.

"It affects us somewhat," he said. "But there’s only 20 kids on the travel team from the entire state of Missouri. If we lose a couple of players to that team we still can produce a good team, maybe not as strong as it could be, but still it’s a good team."

Also draining talent from Post 202 is the Columbia Baseball Club, which is comprised of mostly Rock Bridge baseball players. The school has fielded its own summer team that’s not affiliated with American Legion for the past two years. This year Hallsville has put together a team.

Legion Post 202 welcomes players from Hickman and Rock Bridge and is expecting some players from Harrisburg and Ashland to try out for the senior team on Memorial Day weekend. The Legion also sponsors a junior team for high school sophomores and freshmen.

"We don’t know who will make our squad this year," said Dave Wilson, an assistant coach at Hickman and head coach of Post 202 team. "Maybe we’ll find a diamond in the rough" during tryouts.

Before the rise of corporate-sponsored traveling teams and the Columbia Baseball Club, Post 202 fielded the best prep baseball team Columbia had to offer.

Alumni of the team include current Missouri outfielder Wes Fewell and former Post 202 coach Chal Fanning, now an assistant coach with the Tigers. Also, outfielder Jake Whitesides, who now plays for the Houston Astros minor league system, played for the Post 202’s junior team before joining a Connie Mack-sponsored traveling team in Cincinnati during his final two summers at Hickman.

American Legion limits its teams from recruiting outside its own geographic boundaries and does not allow one team to recruit from another Post’s team. For example, no player from Jefferson City’s Legion Post can play for Post 202.

Traveling teams have no restrictions and can recruit from any state.

"I think Legion has been a long-time baseball factory program, but they’re going through a tough time right now," Fanning said. "I think some of the Legion rules haven’t come up to speed with current baseball in the summer. If you look at baseball in the summer, it’s almost like AAU basketball, where you have all-star teams and these travel teams. These kids ultimately want to play the best baseball. People in Columbia that are able to go are going to do that.

"When you can go to a Kansas City or a St. Louis and play these super circuits where you’re playing the best competition and playing future high round draft picks you get the opportunity to do that and showcasing yourself. That’s what these kids are choosing to do."

But Legion baseball still is able to field strong teams and has its benefits. Fewell, who played under his father Kent at Hickman, participated in American Legion ball under Fanning at Post 202 before the traveling teams became popular.

Fewell credits Post 202 for helping him showcase his talent and earn a scholarship at MU.

"Summer ball gives the coaches the opportunity to watch people a lot more especially because they can’t make it to as many high school games because those games are in" the college baseball "season," Fewell said.

"Legion ball pretty much combines the best players in the city and then you go around and play the other best players from other cities. With Rock Bridge players on the same team it’s a little different because you play the whole season playing against them and then summer time comes and you’re playing with them. But it’s good to get to meet new people."

Mueller said that having the Columbia Baseball Club and Post 202 co-exist might be for the greater good for the players, even if it means that the legion cannot field its strongest team possible.

"Just having one team in the city of Columbia limits the amount of kids that can play," said Mueller, whose Post 202 team will start play June 5 against Moberly.

"By having two teams it gives more kids the opportunity to play this summer. This gives the most opportunity to the most kids."