Sports

Post 512 hopes to build on recent success

• American Legion Post 512’s baseball team feels like a second half turn around could be in order, but the future for the American Legion teams is not as optimistic.

Derek Barichello

ALBANY — American Legion Post 512 baseball co-coach Jesse Barnes could only smile for a moment.

After a 1-2-1 record at a Pensacola, Fla., tournament, he felt his team’s potential is starting to show heading into the season’s second half.

“We’re playing a whole lot better and we’re hitting the ball,” said Barnes, whose team started the season 0-4. “We beat a team in Pensacola that I bet could beat the teams we play around here. We’re optimistic about the second half and we’re going to try to turn it around.”

Post 512 will get that opportunity right away as it is scheduled to play crosstown foe and region opponent Post 30 at 6 p.m. Monday at Paul Eames Sports Complex.

With all that said, however, Barnes’ smile faded away when he thought about building on that momentum.

Barnes said the team cannot conduct a full practice because most of his players have other responsibilities such as summer football practices or basketball camps.

“It’s a shame,” Barnes said. “Kids cannot even play baseball anymore. I feel like these football coaches pressure these guys to come to every single camp or practice in the offseason and as a result it hurts the baseball in Albany.”

With a pitching staff five arms deep and the bats starting to get hot, Post 512 co-coach Ho Chi Lumpkin Sr. believes a little more practice could make the difference.

“It’s just so hard to build a team when you can’t build that camaraderie,” Lumpkin Sr. said. “I see the potential there. We have a good group of baseball players. It’s just unfair that we can’t see them fulfill their potential.”

There are also other distractions for youth baseball players such as travel-baseball leagues, that are possible causes for more concern.

Post 512 manager Herb Gardner, who in his 10th season affiliated with the program, is worried this could be the beginning of the end for American Legion baseball.

“It’s a big concern,” said a somber Garner on Thursday in his small office at the Post 512 building. “The numbers are down. This is the first year we haven’t had a junior varsity team, which really helps the program rebuild itself. I guess, most of these kids want to play football, primarily.”

The lack of participation is not limited to Post 512, Post 30 coach Don Norman expressed the same concerns. Like 512, Post 30 did not field a junior varsity team for the first time this summer and most of the players from Norman’s squad are not even Albany residents.

“I’m worried it could change,” Norman said. “Everyone wants to play in that travel baseball. That way you show up that weekend, play ball and go home. There are no practices and no games in the middle of the week.”

Sensing interest in American Legion baseball declining, Norman became even more worrisome.

“What makes American Legion baseball so great is that the kids pay an affordable fee to play,” Norman explained. “Some of those travel ball leagues get expensive. It costs $20,000 year to field a team and the American Legion raises all that money through fundraisers so that any of these kids can reasonably play ball.”

Still, as the long-term future of Post 512 and American Legion baseball in general looks bleak, Post 512 has every reason to stay excited about  this year’s chance to make some noise in the region.

Barnes said Andrew College signee and former Westover standout Brandon Lee has led the way on offense and defense. He listed strong hitting performances from Dougherty’s Rico Watts, Ken Bishop, Felton Walls and Adrian Davis.

Westover’s Ho Chi Lumpkin Jr. and Roger Pace have also provided intangibles in clutch situations.

“As long as our bats stay hot, we’ll be competitive,” Barnes said. “I think the tournament in Pensacola was great for us because we showed what we can do. Now we need to show it with the teams around here.”

Given the circumstances with the inability to practice and the growing decline of baseball in Albany, Lumpkin Sr. said he is proud of this year’s Post 512 group.

“I’ve watched these kids since they were in little league and through pony league,” he. said. “They’ve really grown. I think a lot of these seniors can turn around and have great collegiate careers in baseball.”