For nearly a century, American Legion Baseball has promoted sportsmanship, health, active citizenship and equality for hundreds of thousands of young athletes. This tradition-rich amateur baseball league has produced professional athletes, community leaders, business professionals and more. Here are just some of our many highlights of this sport, which has survived through times of war and national tragedy, and those who have contributed to its long-time success and been inducted into the ND American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame.
1925
American Legion Baseball proposed at a South Dakota American Legion convention as a way to foster healthy activities for youth
1926
American Legion Baseball begins with teams from 15 states
1926
The first American Legion Baseball World Series takes place in Philadelphia
1928
North Dakota hosts its first season of Legion Baseball
1929
Legion Baseball expands to all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
1949
National Player of the Year first recognized
1956
Bismarck hosts North Dakota’s first National Championship game, which was won by St. Louis, Missouri. They went on to host again in 1962, when St. Louis won again.
1966
Jack Williams Stadium is dedicated in Fargo, named in honor of the ND American Legion’s first adjutant and first department athletic officer
1976
John P. (Jack) Williams becomes the first inductee into the ND American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame
1983
Fargo hosts its first National Championship game. It went on to host again in 1992, 1995 and 2009.
2011
Shelby, North Carolina, becomes the permanent home of the American Legion World Series
2018
Fargo Post 2 advances to the World Series in Shelby, N.C., coming in as runner-up
ND American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees
The North Dakota American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame honors individuals from throughout the state who have contributed to the promotion of The American Legion Baseball Program in North Dakota as well as those who have participated in the Legion Baseball Program and gone on to excel in the field of baseball or other endeavors.
* Denotes honors awarded posthumously
| 1976 | *John P. (Jack) Williams, Fargo, ND |
| 1977 | *Wesley Craig Brenno, Larson, ND *Nate Cummings, Oakes, ND *Eugene Fitzgerald, Fargo, ND Roger Maris, Fargo, ND (then residing in Gainsville, FL) *George W. Rulon, Fargo, ND (then residing in Indianapolis, IN) |
| 1978 | Jack Bazer, Arnegard, ND Lyle (Red) Connors, Minot, ND Robert (Bob) F. Walsh, Parshall, ND |
| 1979 | Otto (Pete) A. Helm, New Rockford, ND James (Jim) F. Johnson, New Rockford, ND *Melvin Johnson, Galchutt, ND |
| 1980 | Ingwald (Eli) Anderson, Minot, ND Russ R. Anderson, Bismarck, ND Ralph V. Brovold, New England, ND John J. Preboske, Fargo, ND (then residing in West Fargo, ND) Sam Tolchinsky, Bismarck, ND (then residing in Denver, CO) |
| 1981 | Merland (Red) W. Berg, Grand Forks, ND Arne Espeseth, Noonan, ND Harold (Chubby) Schlaht, Jamestown, ND |
| 1982 | James V. Nelson, Jamestown, ND Gilmore Ness, Tolna, ND Marvin C. Skaar, Grand Forks, ND |
| 1983 | Joseph T. Parmer, Fargo, ND Alvin (Abbie) E. Peterson, Enderlin, ND Robert W. Smith, Fargo, ND |
| 1984 | John W. Conyne, Bismarck, ND *John (Jack) A. MacLachlan, Bismarck, ND |
| 1985 | John J. Randall, Wahpeton, ND |
| 1986 | Orlin (Bill) Hanson, Sherwood, ND Boyd Jaskoviak, Mandan, ND Steve Molinari, Williston, ND Harold Schafer, Bismarck, ND |
| 1987 | Vernon Halverson, Park River, ND Ken Hunt, Grand Forks, ND (then residing in California) Clarence L. Jensen, Esmond, ND Alex Steinwand, Ellendale, ND |
| 1988 | Claude (Bud) Ebert, Minot Air Force Base, ND E. R. (Bosh) Froehlich, Mandan, ND Gerald L. Lawson, Donnybrook, ND |
| 1989 | Gus Becker, Bismarck, ND Roger A. Higgins, Bismarck, ND Robert (Bob) Miller, Williston, ND |
| 1990 | George Menne, Mooreton, ND Cliff Nygard, Bismarck, ND |
| 1991 | Leo W. Jablonski, Mandan, ND *William (Bill) Laraway, Jamestown, ND Robert (Bud) Wright, Jamestown, ND |
| 1992 | Jerry Harter, Fargo, ND |
| 1993 | Ron Frydenlund, Jamestown, ND |
| 1995 | Richard E. Herr, Wishek, ND Earl Stoltenow, Wahpeton, ND |
| 1996 | Don Overbo, Grenora, ND Herman Larson, Grand Forks, ND Gene Buen, Velva, ND Delmer Steffens, Fairmount, ND |
| 1998 | Owen Stockdill, Mandan, ND Merritt Ogren, Edgeley, ND |
| 1999 | Donald Glarum Sr., Cogswell, ND Melvin Bentz, Bismarck, ND Clarence Hall, Berthold, ND |
| 2000 | *Leroy Good, LaMoure, ND |
| 2001 | *Walter Enget, Grenora, ND Darin Erst AD, Jamestown, ND Rick Helling, Fargo, ND |
| 2002 | Howard Theige, Minot, ND |
| 2003 | Alvin Pinke, Valley City, ND Harold Diederick, Wahpeton, ND |
| 2004 | Arthur Johnson, Rolette, ND Jerry Voegele, Bismarck, ND |
| 2005 | Dene Karna, Makoti, ND * Floyd Stromme, Cooperstown, ND |
| 2006 | Travis Hafner, Sykeston, ND Leroy Frost, Arthur, ND Gene Severson, Bismarck, ND |
| 2007 | Rev. Dick Hendrickson, Garrison, ND |
| 2008 | Terry Petrick, Makoti, ND Myron Sortland, Crosby, ND |
| 2009 | Christopher Coste, Fargo, ND *Bill Schilling, Fargo, ND |
| 2010 | No recipients |
| 2011 | Kelly Trautmann, Larimore, ND Mark Luther, Minot, ND |
| 2012 | Steve Thomas, Bismarck, ND Len Stanley, Bismarck, ND |
| 2013 | Kenneth Vatne, Hamlet, ND |
| 2014 | No recipients |
| 2015 | *Ed Tomlinson, Rolla, ND *Randall Rustad, Fargo, ND |
| 2016 | Tim Olson, Bismarck, ND Brian Kraft, Grand Forks, ND Tom Perius, Langdon, ND |
| 2017 | Scott Milbrandt, Kindred, ND Ralph Humenyik, Williston, ND Kelly Armstrong, Dickinson, ND |
| 2018 | Duane Baer, Linton, ND |
| 2020 | Mark Frost |