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Friday, September 5, 2008
A Tradition of Legion Status
St. Paul, MN
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By: Mike King
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Photo(s) By: Bill Gardner
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Coaching is a special job that is not for everyone. It helps if you have played the game at a high level, understand the game and carry a passion for the game.
Ron Adams from North St. Paul American Legion Post 39 has all of these traits. In his playing days back in the 70’s, Adams represented North High School in the state tournament along with assistant coaches Jeff Motz and Bob Horner. They have great memories of playing together and want to pass that on to the kids that they coach. Including the third assistant coach Ken Wiekens, the squad of coaches has been in the “39ers” dugout for 18 years. All of them enjoy teaching the boys about the game of baseball and life in general.
Coaching American Legion baseball has its advantages over high school. You get to pull from a larger selection of kids and often times Post 39 gets to choose from kids that attend North, Hill-Murray, and Tartan. Adams enjoys the pride of representing a post and a city.
“Legion ball is a good brand and is a level of the game where we can really utilize our own knowledge to teach the kids,” said Adams. This coaching staff has proven that they can bring the players to the next level and many of their players have made it including Rob Quinlan of the Anaheim Angels.
Two of this past years players will be playing for the University of Minnesota this fall – Matt Puhl from North and Troy Larson of Hill-Murray. Other hopeful college players included Josh Olson, who will be a junior at Hill-Murray and sophomore Joe Rubbelke from North. Together this team posted a 37-12 record overall and went 3-2 in the Legion state tournament.
Adams has posted a best guesstimate record of 467-273 from ’89 thru 2008, not including the few years he coached prior. “It’s nice to win but it’s about giving everyone an opportunity,” said Adams. “15-18 guys make the team and they all get a chance to earn their spot.” Adams’ philosophy is different than many winning programs because he wants to try to make it a good experience for all the kids.
On a personal note, I had the opportunity to play for coach Adams back in 1980. One of his most distinguishing characteristics that I can remember was his booming voice. We could hear loud and clear all the way across the ballpark, which is a great thing unless you’ve screwed up. I know that I tested his passion for coaching and was very pleased to see that even my stunts couldn’t sway his love of the game. I considered it a great honor to play Adams and Post 39. Legion ball was a great way to wrap up a summer while getting ready for the school year...all the while learning some life lessons.
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