Registration for the 2021 American Legion Baseball season will open Jan. 1.

Register online at baseball.legion.org.

Registration fees for senior teams are $50 for national registration, $35 for administrative fees and either $130 for season personal accident insurance or $200 for year-round insurance coverage. General liability insurance costs are $120.

Registration fees for junior teams are $25 for national registration, $35 for administrative fees and either $110 for season personal accident insurance or $160 for year-round insurance coverage. General liability insurance costs are $82.

The Massachusetts registration fee for senior and junior teams is $50.  Insurance purchases will be available Feb. 15.

As part of the education and training requirements of Public Law 115-126, the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017, all coaches, managers and volunteer staff members must complete the Abuse Awareness course either through Protect Youth Sports or USA Baseball. All coaches, managers and volunteer staff members must also have a completed and passed background check.

The Massachusetts Athletic Committee is considering holding two Senior Championship Tournaments in 2021 in view of the MIAA's plan to delay the start of the high school baseball season until April 25, 2021. Under the MIAA's plan the high school baseball season will run through July 3, 2021. The Athletic Committee has asked all Districts to consider holding a senior tournament as part of their regular season which would lead to a Senior District Champion being named by July 22, 2021, in time for the start of the Senior Department Championship Tournament, scheduled to be held at Quincy's Adams Field on July 24, 2021. The remaining teams in each District would continue to play and name a Champion in time for the start of the second Senior Championship Tournament which will commence on August 7, 2021. Final plans will be announced subsequent to the MIAA's announcement of its final plans for the 2021 season. 

Plans for the Junior Program involve holding a single Championship Tournament beginning on August 7, 2021, at Weymouth's Libby Field.

• The American Legion Baseball Committee announced at the Chairmen's Conference that MLB's Minimum 3 Batter Rule will not be adopted for use by American Legion Baseball in 2021 nor will players born in 2001 be allowed to participate in 2021.
• No other substantive changes to the National Rules are anticipated for 2021. The National Rule Book will not be available in print form in 2021 but will be available for download on the National and Department websites.
• The National website will be available for team registration beginning on January 1, 2021.
• Team Staff members who passed their Abuse Training in 2020 will not have to take the course again in 2021 but will have to pass a background check administered by Protect Youth Sports in 2021.
• National Americanism Chairman Richard Anderson has requested all Departments to make every effort to send a Champion to their Regional Tournament. Department Chairmen have been given latitude in 2021 as to how to determine a Department Champion where the local high school governing body has extended the high school season past its normal conclusion. Massachusetts must name its Champion by August 1, 2021.
• The Region One Tournament hosted by Shrewsbury Post 397  will begin on August 4, 2021.
• The World Series will begin in Shelby, NC on August 12, 2021.

Baseball Chairmen from all 50 Departments met at Legion Headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana on September 27 through 29, 2019 to recap the 2019 season and prepare for 2020.  Among the subjects discussed were suggested rule changes and changes to the background check procedure resulting from recent federal legislation which requires coaching staffs of youth sporting teams to undergo training on spotting signs of sexual and physical abuse of minors.  

Traditionally the American Legion presents the World Series uniform jersey to each Department Baseball Chairmen who's Department appeared at the  World Series.  Shown from left to right are Department Baseball Chairmen: Gary Stone of Missouri, Charles Abrahamson of National Champion Idaho, Richard Anderson - Americanism Chairman, Dick Paster of Massachusetts, Sidney Parfait of Louisana, Don Wallis of Illinois, Tom Drury of New Mexico and Mark Cauble of North Carolina.

Congratulations to Shrewsbury Post 397 for winning its 2nd Tournament Championship in three years. Shrewsbury advanced to the 2019 American Legion World Series which opened on Thursday,  August 15, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.  It was an all Massachusetts Region One Final as Shrewsbury defeated Department Champion Lawrence 3 -1 in Game 15 of the Tournament.

Congratulations to Lawrence for winning the 2019 Senior Championship Tournament and to Lynn Post 291 for winning the 2019 Junior Championship Tournament.  

Players who have played American Legion Baseball in prior years must register, tryout and play for the last team they played for.  In certain instances, players who fail to make the team they last played for may request a Transfer from their team manager and, if granted, must register and tryout for the next closest Base School team to their parent's legal residence.  Players who are otherwise eligible for a Transfer may only obtain one Transfer during their American Legion eligibility.

Roger O. Gagnon, Past Chairman of the Department of Massachusetts Athletic Committee from 2010 to 2015, died on December 28, 2020. Roger served in the U.S. Navy during the Viet Nam War and served 30 years in the Massachusetts National Guard. Prior to becoming Chairman of the Athletic Committee, Roger was Vice Chairman  and Member of the Committee.

The 2020 recipient of the John Lutinski Scholarship is Alex Millar of Somerset, Massachusetts.  Alex played his American Legion Baseball with Warren S. Hathaway Post 228 and will attend Bryant University.  PNC Comer made the presentation at the Post on Thursday, July 23, 2020.

The Athletic Committee has named Diamond Baseball model D1-AL-MA as the only baseball authorized for use in Massachusetts during the 2020 and 2021 regular and post seasons. The following retailers are direct retailers for Diamond Sports and may be contacted to obtain balls for the 2020 season:

On Deck Sports/Pro Mounds, Braintree
Tricon Sports, Lexinton
Grogan Marciano Sports, Mansfield
Beacon Sporting Goods, Quincy
Gibney's, Worcester
Butler's Sporting Goods, Hyannis
Piesco Sporting Goods, No Easton
Rockland Athletic, Rockland
Tri Valley Sports, Medway
NEATCO, Peabody
Whip's Sports, Springfield