Minnesota American Legion baseball canceled for 2020 season

The American Legion baseball season for 2020 was canceled Saturday, out of concerns related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"Safety has always been important in American Legion Baseball," said Randy Schaub, director of Minnesota American Legion Baseball. "As much as we wanted to play this year, we cannot take chances with the players, coaches and fans we oversee."

There were 366 American Legion teams here last year, with 357 signed up for this year, making Minnesota the largest state in the nation for American Legion baseball.

Legion baseball in Minnesota dates to 1923, with the first tournament being held in Mankato in 1926. It had been held every year since then, meaning a 94-year tradition will be broken by the pandemic.

The Minnesota committee originally met on April 11 and held off canceling the season at the time. But input from state and national legal advisers helped result in Saturday's decision.

"This is one of the worst days in all of my time in baseball," said Jim Peck, a Minnesota Baseball Committee member involved in Legion baseball for 57 years.