Back in the olden days covering American Legion baseball

I can't help reminisce about my first interaction with American Legion baseball.

An illness kept me from playing the game at that level back in the day, even though baseball was my biggest sporting love.

A few years later, with my first job after college as a sports editor for the Northern Wyoming Daily News in Worland, Wyo., I was able to cover the game.

For three summers I covered the Worland Indians. In that final season in 1986, Worland hosted the Wyoming American Legion State Tournament.

Worland had a fireballer who kept the Indians in most games but it was the Laramie Rangers who won the tournament. I was feeding boxscores to the Laramie Boomerang and Wyoming Hall of Fame sports editor Bob Hammond.

When the tournament concluded, Bob asked me if I was interested in coming down to work for him at the Boomerang. I said I would be there in two weeks. My leaving had nothing to do with a dislike for Worland and the Daily News -- I loved living and working in Worland -- but the opportunity to work at a larger newspaper and a chance to cover Division I athletics was too good to pass up.

I worked at the Boomerang for about 18 years and lived in Laramie for about 23 years. Most of that time I covered the Laramie Rangers at beautiful Cowboy Field.

In that first year of covering the Rangers, Dennis Diehl was the manager. Dennis was a very aggressive and boisterous coach with his players, umpires and even opposing fans. But he was a heck of a good coach. I'll be honest, in that first year I was a bit timid around him. That changed after the last game of the Rangers annual tournament. After the post-game interview, Dennis invited me to come up to the press box. As I entered, he tossed me a beverage as he and his coaches celebrated finishing another successful tournament.

I was no longer as timid around Diehl and would go on to enjoy covering the Rangers under him and several managers through the years before relocating to Rapid City in 2012.

Fast forward to 2022 and the Rangers are in Rapid City for the second straight season as they compete in the 16-team Veterans Classic at the Black Hills Surgical Ballpark, commonly known as Fitzgerald Stadium.

I look forward again to watch the Rangers, who handed powerhouse Post 6 from Cheyenne its first loss of the season recently (Post 6 is 6-0 against Post 22 this season).

I look forward to visiting with a few Laramie people I know. The team doesn't know me but I know about them and I know their manager Aaron Lozano and some parents.

My only regret is I wish Bob Hammond, my boss for over 17 years and good friend, could make it out to watch the Rangers with me one more time.

But hang in there Bob and I'll be thinking of you and will save a seat for you regardless.

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It's been a little different American Legion baseball season for me, I must admit, after my full-time retirement last fall from the Rapid City Journal. I have covered one game for the Journal this season but have just been a fan for the rest of the season.

I'll only be a fan this weekend, but I'll watch the games with the idea that I am working somewhere, even if it is only in my mind. I'll keep track of all of the scores and probably post them on Twitter.

I'll probably have the lede written in my head as I leave The Fitz, albeit trying to remember where I parked in the packed parking lot at the same time.

And if it rains, I'm heading to the press box just because.

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Although the annual Firecracker Tournament is the big and historic tournament for Post 22 every year, the Veterans Classic is not chopped liver, although I really don't know what that means.

It's a 16-team tournament that has two pools -- Post 22 hosts eight teams at The Fitz and Post 320 hosts eight teams at Pete Lien Memorial Field.

The teams will play Thursday through Saturday with each pool seed facing up Sunday -- No. 1 seed vs. No. 1 seed, No. 2 seed vs. No. 2 seed and so on.

Along with Post 22 and Laramie, also in The Fitz pool will be Cheyenne Post 6, Bellevue, Neb., Fargo, N.D. Post 400, Miles City, Mont., Mitchell and Pierre. In the Pete Lien pool will be Rapid City Post 320, Sturgis, Gillette, Wyo., Alliance, Neb., Post 406 Flyers, Renner, Fremont, Neb. and Plattsmouth, Neb.