A change is on the American Legion horizon that will alter the postseason for the two teams representing Nebraska.
Beginning as early as next season, both squads will head to the same postseason regional. Under the current plan, the Nebraska state champion heads north to the Central Plains Regional and the runner-up travels to the Mid-South Regional.
“It's going to happen,” said Don Kiviniemi, the Legion's athletic committee chairman for the state. “It might start next season, but chances are it won't begin until 2011.”
Kiviniemi said it's a national decision based on trying to hold expenses down. This year, state champion KB Building Services (Omaha Westside) traveled to Minnetonka, Minn., while state runner-up NP Dodge (Millard West) went to Enid, Okla.
In the future, both Nebraska teams will be sent to the Central Plains Regional. Other states represented in that regional are Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota and Missouri.
Some Nebraska coaches favor the plan for one basic reason — it will prevent sending a team to the Mid-South Regional. That usually has proved to be a dead end for state high school teams that must face the champions from southern states that often have brought back college-age players during the summer.
But Kiviniemi said he didn't like the proposed plan for two reasons.
“Our two teams will have to play each other at the regional,” he said, “and it makes our state final game kind of meaningless because both teams will be going to the same place anyway.”
Another proposed change is that all sites will receive bids for two years, including the site of the World Series.
Kiviniemi said the proposals will be voted on Sept. 25 at the national convention in Indianapolis.
Nebraska teams come up short
While their quest to reach the American Legion World Series came up short, the teams from Westside and Millard West deserve credit for outstanding seasons.
KB Building Services (Westside) went 2-2 at the Central Plains Regional, losing Thursday and Sunday while winning Friday and Saturday. Third baseman Jory Goldstrom led the team at the regional with a .476 average (10 for 21) while Peter Thomas (2.16 ERA) and Chris Williams (3.18) were among the top pitchers.
NP Dodge (Millard West) ran into the Mid-South buzzsaw, going 1-2 at the regional. The Wildcats were paced at the regional by second baseman Brett Bass (.500 average) and pitchers Tyler Niederklein (2.57 ERA) and Alex Miller (2.70).
Texas champion Texarkana won the Mid-South Regional while Festus (Mo.) won the Central Plains Regional.
One more memory from the past
A recent story about the 1939 Omaha McDevitts team that captured the American Legion World Series stirred some memories from Omahan Stanley Baumann about another team from the city's past.
The 1961 Storz (Omaha North) squad reached the World Series semifinals that year. As a youngster, Baumann was paid to shag baseballs for the games played at Fontenelle Park.
“I got a dime for each one,” he said, “and a quarter for playoff games.”
The team featured Bob Churchich, and Baumann remembers an especially long home run hit by the future Husker. The ball traveled over some pine trees behind the outfield fence and landed on Ames Avenue before bouncing into the lot later occupied by the A&W Drive-In.
“They were all great guys on the team,” Baumann said. “After games, we'd head off to a Goodrich Dairy store and have chocolate malts.”
— Mike Patterson
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