The game of baseball is just about as pure a sport as there is in the American culture.  Three strikes, three outs, and ninety feet have been around since the beginning of the game.  In recent years the pure nature of the sport has come under fire for good reasons and, for what seems to be, just change.  The DH, artificial turf, and now instant replay have had major effects at the highest levels of the game.

Sine 1925 American Legion baseball has mimicked many of the rules at the Big-League level while emphasizing sportsmanship, good health, and active citizenship.  Games were nine innings in length, working with a lot of the same rules from the American League.  In many ways American Legion has struggled to maintain some consistency in teams and numbers of players, as many players looked to travel teams in order to play in venues that corralled players and recruiters.  In some ways, American Legion is still a strong name, recently signing a deal with ESPN to broadcast the American Legion World Series from Shelby, NC.

The 2017 World Series in Shelby dealt with a significant amount of rain throughout the week.  The downpours forced some action from the American Legion decision makers as half way through the tournament each game was reduced to a 7-inning affair.  The decision was met with backlash from coaches involved in the tournament, as many of the teams had success throughout the year, building their roster and bullpen to handle 9-innings.  The deal with ESPN to broadcast games on ESPNU may have led to part of the decision, along with the logistics of playing each scheduled game at Shelby High School, home of the World Series.

The adjustment to 7-inning games may have led to part of the rule adjustments approved by the National Executive Committee of The American Legion last week.  Among the rule changes: