The Post 87 HiToms appeal has been denied

Latest news coming by way of Twitter:

The Post 87 HiToms appeal has been denied.

Press conference Thursday at 3 at Finch Field.

*****Never thought the Post 87 HiToms had a chance to win this appeal….It made way too much sense for the American Legion office in Indianapolis to rule in their favor…

Don’t see how anything good can out of all of this, but maybe the American Legion baseball group can get their act together and get things in order for the future…Just couldn’t see them going back and re-playing those games…If they did that it would make the Legion officials look bad in the eyes of their followers and they had way too much pride to give in and let this happen in the favor of Post 87, again it made way too much sense for Post 87 to receive a favorable ruling…

Shelby has way too much power and as the host of the World Series there is no way the National Legion office was going to do anything to mess up that apple-cart…

This has turned out way bad for Post 87, but like we were saying earlier, maybe the Legion leaders will find a way to get out of their own way and get this right in future….Let’s hope so….*****

from HiToms Baseball:
HIGH POINT-THOMASVILLE, N.C. – The Post 87 HiToms’ appeal to American Legion’s national office about the North Carolina state tournament was denied.

A press conference about Post 87’s appeal will be held at Finch Field this afternoon at 3 P.M. Legion athletic director Greg Suire and head coach Rob Shore will be in attendance to answer questions.

18 thoughts on “The Post 87 HiToms appeal has been denied

  1. This is absolutely horrible for the boys. They are completely innocent victims in a politically corrupt system. I think one of the hardest parts is knowing Shelby won by default and they continue to carry on about being State Champs on social media knowing that there is a team out there that for no good reason never got the chance to compete. Shelby should take their victory and be a little more humble about it because in the eyes of all the teams, they are not winners!!

  2. Dear Parents,

    This is a turning point for Legion Baseball. Are you going to allow Your Boys to Play American Legion Baseball when they are a corrupt organization that has sold their soul for GREED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. So Sorry for those kids and coaches and Hitoms who fought so hard for the players.
    As an American Legion Auxiliary member, I am ashamed of the way this has gone down, and I would like all member of the Americal Legion and Auxiliary to send emails and letters to your state and National legions.
    A black eye that is now trying to be pushed under the rug. We cannot let that happen now and to other Legion teams.

  4. Congratulations National office of American Legion your favored team Shelby is by your doing and corruption your “paper State Champion”. Definitely not the best team that played in that tournament but your office fixed that right up for them. I can only hope going forward your partner Baseball Factory severs their partnership with you cutting off your money and access to our kids. Since no one in their right mind would allow their kids to go to a “sanctioned” showcase to later have himself and his team wrongly disqualified. The only shining light in this for me is the Post 87 Legion team my son played for has steller coaches that teach integrity and character along with outstanding baseball skills. Oh and the hope that the “paper” state champs let the next round be decided on the field. I have no doubt their ability or lack there of will show.

  5. from Alan Ford at the Shelby Star(http://www.shelbystar.com)

    The protest by High Point to National American Legion officials was unanimously denied by the committee it was announced Thursday morning. Post 82, which won the event on the field Tuesday at Lexington, will now advance to the Southeast Regionals in Asheboro beginning Aug. 7.

    Shelby would open against the Georgia champion (Covington) at 4:30 p.m. in the opening round.

    “We’re just happy to be representing North Carolina in the Southeast Regionals,” was Shelby coach Mike Grayson’s only comment regarding the decision.

    It was Grayson’s protest after High Point had defeated Shelby last Saturday night in the second round at Lexington that sparked a chain of events leading up to the latest announcement.

    CLICK HERE for complete post from Alan Ford at the Shelby Star…..

  6. If the national office still has the gall to take the Baseball Factory’s money after this whole thing they have lost all respect and that is a glaring insult to the honor of all the veterans the organization is supposed to represent.

  7. Looks like we all got thrown under the buss by everyone at the american legion national office. I hope that everyone will boycott “The Baseball Factory”. That will be the first step in cutting the cord at the american legion national and state offices’.

  8. Some of the key points from Greg Suire of the HiToms as the press conference today and I was listening in on-line and was just getting top points…

    Cesar Trejo met all Legion Requirements…

    The Baseball Factory and Under Armour(apparel) are one-in-the-same for the tournament event….

    There was a big question in the Tournament Guidelines vs. the Tournament Rulebook…

    The 2014 Rulebook was probabley printed in 2013 and would outdated to a certain degree regarding certain rules…

    Baseball Factory has been tied in with the American Legion since 2009…

    The Baseball Factory and American Legion relationship is is printed in several documents…

    The Baseball Factory encourages the American Legion to send players to its events…

    Just some of the key points from Greg Suire today that we were able to jot down from the Press Conference…

  9. The only thing that I do not see addressed is did Cesar Trejo or someone from Post 87 HiToms submit the form to the American Legion to get his release to attend The Baseball Factory event? That is the one rule that they are leaving out that no one is addressing.

  10. Rule 6 requires a form to be filed ONLY if this occurs during the regular season. Mr. Trejo attended the workout during the playoffs. Rule 6 further provides that there is no need to get a form signed once the playoffs start because the director cannot sign a form. Thus, there was no form that he could have signed.

    Rule 5 is the applicable rule here. It provides that, during the playoffs, players can only attend Baseball Factory and USA baseball events, which is what Mr. Trejo did. Rule 5 makes no mention of a form, but certainly provides that players can attend the sanctioned events during the playoffs.

    This point was hammered home to the national committee but they did want to admit that they made a mistake – a mistake for which innocent kids had to pay. I am intimately familiar with the rules involved here and Mr. Trejo made no mistake and did nothing wrong.

    Everyone at the state and national level wants Shelby to go forward. I have never seen a more corrupt operation than American Legion baseball. What they have done here is the opposite of what I always thought American Legion baseball was all about.

    I just hope we never lose a war after the fact because some governing body who wants the other side to win claims that one of our solders did something wrong.

  11. As a Post 87 HiToms Parent, I am truly disappointed in how State and the National American Legion handled this whole situation. Post 87 HiToms are State Champs and we did nothing wrong! Baseball Factory is a sanctioned event of American Legion and if they read there own rules – no documentation was needed for sanctioned events.

    These young men did not deserve to be ousted from a well-deserved state championship. Win or loss, these young men showed grace and integrity. I am proud to know all of these young men and glad I had the opportunity to see them play.

    Again, its sad to say that the state and national American Legion dropped the ball here. My deceased father (retired Army – WWII) and brother (Army-Vietnam War) are rolling over in their graves and ashamed.

  12. I think the American Legion has set the whole thing up for Shelby. Just think about it they are having a Baseball Factory event this weekend so next week Shelby can protest after there next loss. The Shelby coach needs his head checked, in the link above he said they won the tournament on the field.I’m sure they lost two games in that tournament on the field.

  13. We know who the real State Champs are…..HiToms and who the losers are…..Shelby/Legion/Baseball Factory/Baseball. This is such a shame. Does former Post 87 player Will Meyers know, does ESPN know…..someone needs to notify ESPN before they broadcast W.S. in Shelby

  14. Here is a copy of the letter that was sent to us today by Rob Shore with the Post 87 HiToms….

    The National Appeals Board is in unanimous agreement that Post 87 HiToms player Cesar Trejo was in violation of American Legion Baseball Rule 6 D. Dual Participation, making him ineligible for post-season tournament play and in accordance with American Legion Baseball Rule 5 C. shall be disqualified and all games in which he participated be forfeited.

    The decision of the National Appeals Board is final.

    Michael D. Buss

    from GreensboroSports.com:

    Wonder how this will effect future American Legion Baseball paticiption by the kids from the High Point/Southern Guilford/Jamestown areas and wonder if the HiToms will keep their teams involved in American Legion play next with the Senior and Junior Legion teams?????

  15. This is a tragedy for baseball. Legion would lose in a court of law i believe. The writing is on the wall here. Do the math.

  16. What I carried away from the press conference was that the Hitoms are committed to American Legion play and that they are also committed to pushing for big changes on the rules from National.
    American Legion competition is coming back strong in NC and it seems a shame that these players have to deal with rules that have not been updated and National needs to look at this in the off-season. I am sure that the Hitoms would be GLAD to help them update the rule book for next year to clarify the rules or change overlapping areas between ‘tournament, regular play, what is considered ‘santitioned’ etc.
    The sad part is the ‘love of the game’ has been diminished from these players and coaches and that is where the HiToms will have to leave this year and bring back determination next year to those returning players and coaches who ‘love’ the game.

  17. Still trying to understand how Shelby Post 82 was allowed to break the following rule:

    The RULE Book states: (8) “Protest Procedures…All protests in area play must be recorded with the home plate umpire before the last out of the game.” The RULE (8) also goes on to state (IN CAPITAL LETTERS) ELIGIBILITY PROTESTS OF PLAYERS MUST BEAR WRITTEN PROOF OF INELIGIBILITY AND MUST BE FILED WITH THE AREA COMMISSIONER BEFORE THE END OF AREA PLAY.” So, explain to me how Shelby was allowed to go HOME and then CALL BACK hours later??

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