American Legion Baseball was a summer staple from the 1940s through the early ‘90s with San Diego a major player nationally.
But the program faded, then went dormant for more than three decades before Peter-Rolf Ohnstad put together a committee to revive the league. After being KO’ed by COVID-19, American Legion ball has blossomed into a 12-team program designed to help high schools whose players can’t necessarily afford the high cost of travel ball.
Ohnstad has brought in former CIF San Diego Section Commissioner Dennis Ackerman to help with a fundraising campaign. Ackerman has a connection to Legion ball: His father, Allen, was the leader of American Legion Baseball in the Claremont area for decades and was recently inducted into the California American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame.
“American Legion Baseball is something that has been in my family and is close to my heart,” Ackerman said. “I’ve been involved on the fringes here for a few years, but when Peter-Rolf asked for more help, I jumped in.”
The total cost to run the summer league for players 19 and under is more than $45,000. Umpires, at more than $23,000, are the main cost. Uniforms come in at $4,200 and baseballs at $3,100. Then there’s the cost of insurance. The San Diego American Legion posts also run the June 26-29 RADM Shelton Memorial Invitational, which this season includes the Yakima Beatles and the Newport Beach Mariners.
“The players don’t pay a cent for this,” said Ohnstad, a Navy fighter pilot who retired from the service as a captain in the Merchant Marine and is now Commander of American Legion Post 416 as well as Baseball Commissioner for District 22. “We pay for balls, fields, uniforms, umpires … everything. But it’s expensive and some of our sponsoring Legion Posts have trouble raising the money.”
Ohnstad said “to run this program the way it should be run, we need financial backing. We need baseball people in the community to step up and help these boys. And no donation is too small.”
For more information or to donate, contact Peter-Rolf Ohnstad at 760-809-1752 or email commissioner@ald22baseball.org. Ackerman can be reached at 858-204-0119 or dackerman51@gmail.com.