Eagan Patriots Baseball
Eagan Post 594 is proud to sponsor the American Legion Patriots Baseball Team. They are a Division 1 team (SR Legion Team – 19 and under). There are 376 American Legion teams in Minnesota in 2025.
American Legion Baseball History
American Legion Baseball is a national institution, having thrived through a world war, several national tragedies, and times of great prosperity as well as great despair. Community service has always been a core value of The American Legion. In 1925, this commitment was furthered to include a baseball program.
The league was first proposed at an American Legion state convention in Milbank, S.D., when Sioux Falls attorney and Department Commander Frank G. McCormick invited his close friend, Maj. John L. Griffith, to address the convention. Instead of a traditional speech, Griffith, who was also the collegiate commissioner of the Western Conference (now the Big Ten), spoke about the role athletics can play in the development of youth.
Each year, thousands of teams across the United States participate in American Legion Baseball, making it one of the largest and most respected amateur baseball programs in the country. Through its commitment to fostering youth development and honoring the legacy of American veterans, American Legion Baseball continues to play a vital role in shaping the future of young athletes and building stronger communities.
Minnesota American Legion Baseball History
Minnesota began its participation in American Legion Baseball in the early 1920s. Some Minnesota teams trace their continuous participation back to 1923, and, with no season in 2020, that made 2023 the 100th season. National American Legion Baseball began in 1926, so it is celebrates its 100th season this year, 2025.
Minnesota’s first state tournament was held in Mankato in 1926, and it has been held every year since, except for 2020, when the season was canceled as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Otherwise, Minnesota is one of only three states in the nation that has held a tournament every year since the program’s national inception in 1926.
In 1959, Minnesota topped the nation, by having more registered American Legion teams than any other state. It held this distinction for nine years. Pennsylvania then surpassed Minnesota, with Minnesota being second for many years. In 2014, however, Minnesota again topped the nation, having 306 teams. Minnesota has continued to lead the nation ever since — 2024 (383), 2023 (396), 2022 (383), 2021 (372), 2019 (366), 2018 (351), 2017 (357), 2016 (323), 2015 (306).
In 2024, Pennsylvania was second, at 305 teams. Then it was Nebraska (272), Wisconsin (223), Massachusetts (105). These five states send two teams to the regionals.
No other state has exceeded the 300-team mark every year of the last 10 years of season competition. As of rulebook presstime, Minnesota was sitting at 396 teams for 2025, though that number could dip before June 1.
In over 100 seasons of play in Minnesota, materials have been supplied to roughly 27,100 teams, who provided playing opportunities to an estimated 420,000 players. There are an estimated 6,400 players, aged 8 through 18, who play baseball within various community programs throughout the state, with the support or sponsorship of their local American Legion posts. Some Legion Baseball teams are sponsored by VFW posts or local baseball associations.
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