The Daily Alaska empire., 1937-12-28
A. |. BASEBALL PROGRAM GOES
 OVER FOR 1888
Junior Program Assured by Grant of I've nty
 ThousandDollars


 INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Dec. 2S.-- Organized baseball has again voted grant of $20,00o to the American Legion for the support of its Jun for Baseball program during 1858, thus assuring another summer sea sen of wholesome recreation, expert instruction and character building for more than 500,000 boys.
 Continuation of organized base balls financial aid to this great youth training activity of the Amer ican Legion, was authorized by un- animous action of the Baseball Commission at it's session in Chi .cago, December g. The Commits sion is composed of the represen- tatives of all of the clubs of the American and National Baseball Leagues.
 The Commissions action followed the formal petition for continued financial support of the Junior Baseball program made by Homer l.. Chaillaux, National Director of Americanism of the American Le- zion. He pointed out to the assem- bled baseball magnates that the American Legion through it's Jun for Baseball program not only was helping to develop fine sportsman ship and good citizenship among the boys of the nation, but also was helping to bring back baseball as recognized major sport in many high schools throughout the Unite d States.
 Gives S3OO,0O0 Since 1928 The 1888 grant to the support Of Junior Baseball will be playable in $10,00O installments to the National Americanism Commission of the American Legion, on July l, and August l, respectively. It will bring close to $300O00 organized base balls financial aid to Junior Base ball since 1928.
 The money which the Baseball Commission contributes annually toward the Junior Baseball pro- gram is earmarked exclusively for the purpose of defraying the trans portation and other expenses of the championship teams playing in the regional and sectional tournaments and in the Junior Worlds Series.
 Will Be 18th Season
 The 1888 Junior Baseball season will be the twelfth in the history of this American youth activity | The season will open officially June 30, 1888. This date is the deadline for the enrolment of eligible boys in the program. There probably will be more than 30,00O teams spon- sored by American Legion posts throughout the nation. These teams play elimination games to determ- line first the city championships, then the county championships, then the congressional district cham pionships and finally the state championships. The state cham pionship teams then meet in region- al tournaments to determine the regional championships. Regional winners progress into the sectional tournaments. The sectional tour naments determine the annual fi- nalists who compete in the Junior Worlds Series.
 American Legion posts sponsoring Junior Baseball teams usually sup ply the youngsters with full equip ment Including gloves, mitts, bats, masks, balls and in many cases with uniforms. They obtain also expert coaching, often employing the ser vices of former big league stars. The boys are given the best instruc- ton possible on how to bat correct ly, how to pitch, how to run bases and how to field. For these pur- poses Legion posts spend many hun 0feQS or UilOuSdiluS Ol uUlldlS oli- nually. While they are doing all this, the Legionnaires also teach the boys the code of good sports manship, flag etiquette and other things that help to prepare the lads for better citizenship. No team may carry more than Is players.
 Strict Eligibility Rules
 Enrollmslt in the 1888 Junior Baseball Program will be open only to boys who are amateurs and who will not have attained their 17th birthday before March 3l, 1888. A boy born prior to midnight March 30, 1921, will not be eligible. Ey- cry boy who desires to enroll must furnish certified copy of his birth lcertificate, along with his sigma ture and his photograph for identi- Ification purposes. Tn cases where no birth certificate is available, boys
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