Galesburg Post 285 will host the 2023 Illinois American Legion State Baseball Tournament at a location where it says it feels welcome and makes sense financially.
Originally set to be played at Jim Sundberg Field on the campus of Galesburg High School, Post 285 Coach Jeremy Kleine announced this week all games of the upcoming Illinois American Legion State Baseball Tournament will now be played at Knox College’s Blodgett Field. The 6-team, double-elimination tournament is set for July 26-29.
The venue move comes after changes to District 205’s Facilities Use Agreement last July nearly doubled the cost to rent Sundberg Field. Post 285 has split playing its home games this season between Knox and Carl Sandburg colleges.
Post 285 Baseball manager Jeremy Kleine tells WGIL several factors led to the decision to not play games at Sundberg Field — both during the regular season and state tournament.
“Sandburg and Knox have been fantastic to work with this summer for the use of their fields,” Kleine said. “They’re doing everything they can to help us out.
“I want us as a Legion program to come across to our donors as being good stewards of their money. And we felt like Knox could provide just about everything that the high school facility can provide at half the cost.”
District 205 doubles hourly rental fee at Sundberg Field
Last year, Legion Post 285 paid $50 an hour to rent Sundberg Field. Figuring a total of 3 hours from field prep, to the game time, to cleanup, that meant the Legion paid about $150 a game to use Sundberg Field. They also were responsible for chalking the field.
After District 205 modified its facilities lease agreement a year ago, the new cost to use Sundberg Field doubled to $100 an hour, or what translates to approximately $300 a game.
“Sandburg and Knox this year charged us approximately the same rate we paid last year to use Sundberg Field,” Kleine said. “And their coaches get the field ready for us.
“Knox’s field is in really good shape. Coach (Jami) Isaacson has done a great job and the field looks and plays fantastic. Our kids love playing there.”
Post 285 Co-Baseball Chairperson Laurie Sykes lobbied to get a reduced rate for the use of Sundberg Field at the July 10 District 205 Board of Education meeting.
District 205 Assistant Superintendent of Finance Jennifer Hamm said during the meeting the baseball facilities at Carl Sandburg and Knox colleges were not comparable to Sundberg, noting the GHS facility has lights and a concession stand.
Hamm also noted contractual bargaining agreements that provide district personnel rights to maintain the facilities.
The school district does offer reduced rates to in-house programs like the Junior Streaks and Future Streaks, and has a grandfather agreement for a reduced rate for the Galesburg Junior Football League and FC Galesburg soccer to use District 205 facilities.
The Galesburg Youth Baseball League paid $100 per hour to lease Sundberg Field for a tournament earlier this month.
District 205 Board President Courtney Rodriguez spoke in opposition to the higher hourly rates at the July 10 board meeting, saying she believed the Legion Baseball program should be get a reduced rate, much like the JFL does.
“I think the facility rates are extremely too high,” Rodriguez said. “We are pushing people out. That is not what we’re here for. We’re here to glorify what we have spent people’s money on.”
Board member Jake Taylor agreed that the prices to rent the facilities, specifically for Legion baseball, were too high.
And Pamella Bess-Tabb — the lone board member to vote against the Facility Use Agreement last year — said she wants the fees to be equitable.
“I would like to see the fees be reduced,” Bess-Tabb said. “I don’t feel like it matters what entity it is, or where the kids are from — we’re here to support kids.”
Legion does not qualify for ‘hometown’ rate
But GHS Athletic Director Eric Matthews, speaking at the July 10 board meeting, reasoned the Galesburg Legion Baseball program does not merit a financial break to lease Sundberg Field because it does not feature “our kids.”
“The Galesburg teams are our kids — they’re all our kids,” Matthews said. “The Junior Streaks and Future Streaks are our kids. We wanted to make it affordable to keep our kids involved.
“So we came up with something minimal, but to also (require) a skin in the game. The Legion here used to be our kids, a long time ago. Then the Legion didn’t exist for awhile. And now, I don’t know how many Galesburg kids are on team — I’ve heard 3, I’ve heard 4. But there’s a separation there. It’s our kids in the one category, paying a minimal fee, and you have an outside group like the Legion, not most of our kids.”
According to Kleine, Galesburg Legion teams have always included a number of non-Galesburg players on its roster since the program was started in 1955. He conceded there are fewer Galesburg players on the roster than there once were, but said this summer’s 18-member team has 7 players from Galesburg. There 4 players from Bushnell-Prairie City, 3 from United, and 1 each from Knoxville and Monmouth-Roseville.
“I don’t necessarily feel like they are singling out the Galesburg Legion program, because they are charging some other entities the same rate,” Kleine said. “But I feel like the district, and or certain positions within the district have not been happy about Galesburg Legion Baseball making a comeback. There hasn’t been an open ‘we want our kids to play Legion’ baseball.’”
School board member Tera Boettcher asked if District 205 could attract more programs to use its facilities if the prices were less expensive. Matthews said, “I’ll be honest, I like it when it’s just our kids.”
School board members eventually agreed to table the issue. They will seek new recommendations from the Building and Grounds committee and revisit the Facility Use Agreement at the September board meeting.
Tournament will generate tourism dollars
Kleine said the state tournament will generate tourism dollars for the community from hotel room, dining and shopping revenue from Galesburg businesses.
“This is really kind of a special event,” Kleine said. “It doesn’t happen every year that you get host a Legion state tournament. We think it’s going to bring a fair amount of people to the community who are going to spend money at hotels and restaurants and shopping.
“I would think it would be a chance to show off Galesburg High School, the baseball field and their facilities. Could we not make a one-time special event charge?”
LISTEN: Galesburg Legion Baseball hosting State Tournament, looking for community support
Kleine said it would have cost approximately $3,600 to lease Sundberg Field for the 12 state tournament games, twice as much as it would have cost a year ago.
He noted the state tournament can work around the need for a field by scheduling games earlier in the day at Knox College.
As host of the Legion State Tournament, Galesburg Post 285 also is responsible for lodging costs for the 5 visiting teams comprised of 18 players and two coaches. Kleine said Knox College has accommodated Post 285 by agreeing to lodge the teams in campus dorms at a sports camp rate.
In April, Post 285 received $10,000 in 2023 External Agency Funding assistance from the City of Galesburg
Post 285, as the host program, gets an automatic bid in the 6-team state tournament. But it is still required to play in the Division tournament this week in Moline. Should Galesburg win the Division, the second place team would join them at state.
Galesburg carries a 13-10 record into the postseason.
