History Of Kenosha American Legion Baseball
American Legion Baseball has a long and storied history in Kenosha dating back to the 1940s. Among the program's accomplishments are league championships in 1987, 1988, 2003 and 2007, regional championships in 1956, 1957, 1963, 1964, 1988 and 1989, a state runner-up finish in 1957 and back-to-back state championships in 1963 and 1964.
Below is a summary of that history:
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The 1960s
Kenosha had come close to winning the state championship in the 1950s, qualifying by winning the Region 5 tournament in 1956 and 1957, finishing second as the state runner-up to Oshkosh Post 70 in 1957.
The 1963 team began post-season play by winning a pair of sub-regional games against Milwaukee Post 444 (11-5) and Wauwatosa Post 400 (14-2). The team featured a number of players that had played on the Kenosha (Bradford) High School team that had won the WIAA state tournament that spring. Legion Manager Andy Smith was also the Kenosha High School coach. Some players had been declared ineligible for having competed in local semipro competition that summer, which at the time was not allowed.
The format for regional play at that time matched the winners of two sub-regional tournaments in a best-of-three series with the winner advancing to the state tournament. Kenosha’s opponent in the Region 5 tournament was Brookfield Post 296, which featured players from Milwaukee Pius XI, the state private high school champion that year. Post 21 won the opener at Brookfield, 10-4, before dropping the second game at Simmons Field by the same 10-4 score. Kenosha took the rubber game at Brookfield 25-3, taking a 16-0 lead after two innings, to advance to the state tournament, which was held at Appleton’s Goodland Field.
The state Legion tournament field at that time consisted of six teams and in 1963, along with Post 21, was Eau Claire Post 53, Beloit Post 48, Marshfield Post 54, Oshkosh Post 70 and Green Bay Post 11. Kenosha opened tournament play by defeating Eau Claire (7-4), Green Bay (6-1) and Beloit (8-5) before falling to Oshkosh 16-4. Post 21 then rebounded to defeat Oshkosh 4-2 in the championship game and advance to the national regional at Lima, Ohio.
Kenosha was the youngest team in the tournament field but more than held its own. After losing the opener to Evansville, Ind., 9-1, Kenosha went on a run, defeating Bowling Green, Ky. (6-4), Northbrook, Ill., (10-8) and Independence, Mo. (4-2) before falling to Evansville again, this time a narrower 4-2 count.
Members of the 1963 state champion team were: Ray Schnell, Bob Lutter, Howie Alwardt, Jim Trebbin, Bill Gerber, Chuck Lange, Gordy Meyer, Don Keating, Mitch Urbanski, Larry Mueller, Rich Baumgarten, George Benedict, Bob Truax and Ernie Virgili.
The nucleus of this team returned in 1964 to defend its state title. Opening sub-regional play, Kenosha defeated West Allis Post 120 4-3 and Milwaukee Post 444 16-3 before taking the best-of-three series from Brookfield Post 296 by scores of 14-5 and 13-5. The state tournament once again was held at Goodland Field in Appleton and included, along with Post 21, La Crosse Post 52, Clintonville Post 63, Eau Claire Post 53, Marshfield Post 54 and Oshkosh Post 70. This time, Kenosha swept the field, going 4-0 with wins over Clintonville (4-3), La Crosse (11-4 and 11-0) and Marshfield (6-1) to advance to the national regional at Ashland, Ky.
Things didn’t go as well for Kenosha this time, as Post 21 lost to Detroit, Mich., 7-4, and Poplar Bluff, Mo., 11-0 and was eliminated from the tournament.
Members of the 1964 state champion team were: Virgili, Meyer, Schnell, Baumgarten, Benedict, Trebbin, Lange, Alwardt, Mark Montemurro, Gene Fox, Gary Topel, John Dagon, Bob Junkel and Clint Beth.
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The 1970s, 1980s and 1990s
At some point during the 1970s, interest in Legion baseball in Kenosha faded and no team was fielded. Later in that decade, Barry Freitag brought Legion baseball back and managed the team until 1983, when first Bob Broesch (1984-85) then Al Schaubel (1986-1987) and Amel Bolyard, junior varsity baseball coach at Kenosha Bradford (1988-1993) managed the team. After the 1993 season, Bradford and Kenosha Tremper went to a summer schedule due to WIAA realignment; Kenosha entered a team in the Legion tournament with John Bernard as manager in 1994 and 1995.
In 1988, Kenosha unleashed an offensive barrage in the Region 7 tournament at Genoa City’s Darling Field, sweeping past Genoa City Post 183, Racine Northside and Racine Post 310. However, the stay at the state tournament, which was held at Joannes Stadium in Green Bay, was short-lived. Marinette Post 39 defeated Kenosha 10-1 and then LaCrosse Post 52 knocked Post 21 out of the double elimination tournament with an 11-0 victory.
The next year, Kenosha had a tougher challenge in the regional, edging Racine Post 310, with current Post 21 manager Peter DiGaudio as manager, 7-5 in the championship game to advance to the state tournament, held at Oshkosh’s E.J. Schneider Field. Post 21 ran into eventual state champion Janesville Post 205, which went on to finish third in the American Legion World Series, and Post 205 prevailed, 11-1. The Green Bay Post 11 Bluejays then sent Post 21 home, defeating Kenosha 11-6.
By 1993, however, the WIAA realigned Bradford and Tremper, along with Racine Park, Racine Horlick and Racine Case, into a conference which had summer baseball, and American Legion baseball in southeastern Wisconsin dwindled to a few teams. Kenosha was without a Legion team for the remainder of the decade.
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2003 to 2005
American Legion baseball made its return to Kenosha in 2003 under the sponsorship of Paul Herrick Post 21. The program’s operation had been suspended after the 1993 season when the public schools involved, Kenosha Bradford and Kenosha Tremper, had been switched to the WIAA summer series as a result of realignment by the WIAA, although Kenosha did enter a team in the Legion tournament in 1994 and 1995 after Bradford and Tremper completed their seasons.
In October 2002, DiGaudio, finishing what would be his final season as manager of the Racine Legion Post 310 team, contacted Post 21 about bringing back the program. After resigning his position as Post 310 manager and meeting with Post 21 officials in December, the process of recruiting players began. With the help of Tremper coach John Matera, the team had a working nucleus by early January. DiGaudio became the seventh manager in the program’s history.
In 2003, Kenosha went 19-11, 9-4 in Lakes Area Legion League play, and shared the league championship with Burlington Post 79. Post 21 reached the regional championship, falling to Watertown Post 189, 16-3.
In 2004, Post 21 picked up where it left off, getting off to an 11-2 start, including winning its own Wood Bat Classic and finishing runner-up in the Burlington Legion 4th of July Tournament, but injuries and missing key personnel took its toll, as the team stumbled and finished with a 16-18 overall record and a disappointing 5-7 record in Lakes Area Legion league play, third in the National Division. Post 21 did manage to post a pair of shutouts in finishing second in the Waterford Legion Tournament in late July.
2005 was a difficult season for Post 21. Crippled by a lack of talent, the team wasted a 3-1 start and wound up finishing 9-23 overall. Highlights of the season included a sweep of Union Grove Post 171 and impressive win over a solid Lake Geneva Post 24 team in the Waterford Invitational. Kenosha also played two highly competitive games against Genoa City Post 183 and Beloit Post 48 in the Region 7 State Qualifying Tournament in Janesville.
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2006 to 2008
After the 2005 season, a re-organization of the Legion program saw the existing players from Tremper combined with a 16-Under Junior Legion team which consisted of all Tremper players to form a Varsity Legion team known as the Merchants. A second varsity team was formed out of two remaining players and an influx of talented players from Bradford, Kenosha St. Joseph and Somers Shoreland Lutheran.
In 2006, the Mavericks were co-champions of the Post 21 Wood Bat Invitational, won the Paul C. Andary Memorial Invitational in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and finished 25-10, reaching the championship game of the Region 6 state qualifying tournament before falling short. The Merchants, the predominantly Tremper team, also represented themselves well, reaching the next-to-last round before being eliminated by the Mavericks.
In 2007, the Mavericks remained as the Legion team in Kenosha, with a new 17-Under team, also known as the Merchants, and a new 16-Under team known as the Warhawks.
The 2007 season saw another tournament championship, the Father's Day Invitational in Beloit, and competitive tournament showings in both the Andy Smith Memorial Wood Bat Tournament and the Fred Gordon Invitational in Waukegan. The season started out with a club-record 11 consecutive wins, and Post 21 finished as co-champions of the Lakes Area Legion League with Janesville Post 205, the team's second league championship in five years.
But the season ended in disappointment, as the state's 3rd-ranked team lost its first two games in post-season play to end up short of the state tournament with a 25-10 record.
Going into 2008, the team changed nicknames and identities, being known as the Merchants after affiliating with the highly successful and widely recognized Kenosha Merchants Baseball Club and features a Legion team, a 17U varsity reserve team and a 16U team.
The Merchants ended the 2008 season at 20-11, losing a heartbreaking 10-8 decision to Janesville Post 205 in the regional championship game at Burlington. Highlights of the season included a runner-up finish in the Paul C. Andary Memorial Invitational in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and reaching the championship semifinals of the Andy Smith Memorial Wood Bat Classic, losing to co-champion Palatine, Ill., Post 690 4-3 in 10 innings.
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Kenosha Legion Post 21
1963 Post-Season Results
SUB-REGIONAL PLAY
July 20 at Milwaukee Post 444: Kenosha 11, Milwaukee 5
July 21 at Wauwatosa Post 400: Kenosha 14, Wauwatosa 2
REGIONAL PLAY (Best of 3)
July 24 at Brookfield Post 296: Kenosha 10, Brookfield 4
July 25 at Kenosha/Simmons Field: Brookfield 10, Kenosha 4
July 26 at Brookfield Post 296: Kenosha 25, Brookfield 3
Kenosha wins best-of-three series, 2-1
STATE TOURNAMENT
At Goodland Field/Appleton
Aug. 3 vs. Eau Claire Post 53: Kenosha 7, Eau Claire 4
Aug. 4 vs. Green Bay Post 11: Kenosha 6, Green Bay 1
Aug. 5 vs. Beloit Post 48: Kenosha 8, Beloit 5
Aug. 6 vs. Oshkosh Post 70: Oshkosh 16, Kenosha 4
Aug. 7 vs. Oshkosh Post 70: Kenosha 4, Oshkosh 2
Kenosha advances to Great Lakes Regional in Lima, Ohio
GREAT LAKES REGIONAL
At Lima, Ohio
Aug. 15 vs. Evansville, Ind.: Evansville 9, Kenosha 1
Aug. 16 vs. Bowling Green, Ky.: Kenosha 6, Bowling Green 4
Aug. 17 vs. Northbrook, Ill.: Kenosha 10, Northbrook 8
Aug. 18 vs. Independence, Mo.: Kenosha 4, Independence 2
Aug. 20 vs. Evansville, Ind.: Evansville 4, Kenosha 2
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Kenosha Legion Post 21
1964 Post-Season Results
SUB-REGIONAL PLAY
July 24 at West Allis Post 120: Kenosha 4, West Allis 3
July 25 at Milwaukee Post 444: Kenosha 16, Milwaukee 3
REGIONAL PLAY (Best of 3)
July 26 at Brookfield Post 296: Kenosha 14, Brookfield 5
July 28 at Kenosha/Simmons Field: Kenosha 13, Brookfield 5
Kenosha wins best-of-three series, 2-0
STATE TOURNAMENT
At Goodland Field/Appleton
Aug. 6 vs. Clintonville Post 63: Kenosha 4, Clintonville 3
Aug. 7 vs. La Crosse Post 52: Kenosha 11, La Crosse 4
Aug. 8 vs. Marshfield Post 54: Kenosha 6, Marshfield 1
Aug. 9 vs. La Crosse Post 52: Kenosha 11, La Crosse 0
Kenosha advances to Great Lakes Regional in Ashland, Ky.
GREAT LAKES REGIONAL
At Ashland, Ky.
Aug. 15 vs. Detroit, Mich.: Detroit 7, Kenosha 4
Aug. 16 vs. Poplar Bluff, Mo.: Poplar Bluff 11, Kenosha 0
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Legion Honor Roll
Quite a few alumni of the American Legion program in Kenosha have gone on to play collegiate and professional baseball. Here is a partial list of the top players who have come through the Legion program:
| Player | School |
| Barry Freitag Jr. | Indian Hills (Iowa) J.C. |
| Mark Cibrario | UW-La Crosse |
| Scott Fuhrmann | Bradley |
| Dan Galvin | Winona State |
| Scott Hartnell | UW-Parkside |
| Bruce Miller | Wisconsin |
| Jarvis Brown | Triton (Ill.) J.C./Kenosha Twins |
| Randy Gentile | Southern Illinois |
| Joe Nelson | Miami, Fla. |
| Rich Sniatynski | UW-Stout |
| Pete Kaprelian | UW-Stout |
| Armond Bonofiglio | UW-Parkside |
| Tony Bonofiglio | UW-Parkside |
| Mike Greco | SW Missouri State |
| Jon Andreoli | UW-Whitewater |
| Ryan Taylor | UW-Milwaukee |
| Justin Schaubel | UW-Milwaukee |
| Rob Cibrario | Carthage |
| Eric Wnuck | Carthage |
| Brian Swistak | Georgia |
| Scott Atkins | St. Xavier, Ill. |
| Chris Bolyard | UW-LaCrosse |
| Rick Fossey | Mankato State |
| Myron Glass | Northern Iowa |
| Jason Pisarik | Notre Dame |
| Dan Torresin | College of Lake County |
| Chris Larrabee | UW-La Crosse |
| Bill Broesch | UW-Oshkosh |
| Scott Durkee | UW-Parkside |
| Billy Johnson | UW-Whitewater |
| Adam Kavalauskas | UW-Whitewater |
| Randy Johnson | UW-Whitewater |
| Kris Reiterman | College of Lake County |
| Jake Thorsteins | Wisconsin Lutheran College |
| Paul Pulera | OW-Oshkosh |
| Drew Roberts | Viterbo University |
| Jordan Jaehne-Llanas | Wabash Valley College |
| Garry Paskiewicz | Carthage College |
| Ross Conwell | UW-Platteville |
| Bryan Scriver | Carroll College |
| Cooper Sniatynski | UW-Parkside |
| Tyler Eickmeyer | Carthage College |
| Brandon Dahl | Carthage College |
| Dan Jeffery | UW-LaCrosse |
Information for this listing was provided in part by David Marran, sports editor of the Kenosha News.
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