SLABA: Local Youth Baseball Organization Thriving

There was once a time around St. Louis when American Legion baseball was the standard for summer action on the diamond.

With the rise of traveling “select” teams over the past decade, Legion baseball has lost some of its luster. Despite these select teams drawing more and more players, often for a hefty fee, one organization that remains as strong as ever is the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Association.

“When I was growing up, it was all about Legion,” said Mike Pohlman, head coach of the St. Louis Tigers. “Now I think it’s all moved to SLABA and the (independent) teams.”

While the base schools for the St. Louis Tigers are Ladue and Webster Groves, they have probably the largest pool of schools to draw from, including University City. In fact, 2011 University City graduate Jake Mavropoulos, who led the Lions with 34 runs batted in last season, is among the Tigers 18 and under team

The Tigers play their home games at Heman Park in University City, Brentwood Park, Kirkwood High School, Webster Groves High School, Aviation Field in Forest Park and Jack Buck Field.

“This year our talent is just through the roof,” said Tigers 18-and-under coach Matt Pohlman, who is in his second season. He added that because some of his players also play on other teams, it’s led to inconsistent lineups, making it hard to develop chemistry. The result has been a mediocre 9-10 record, largely due to a lack of pitching.

“For the most part it’s a good team,” Pohlman said. “It’s just a matter of having everybody together. We’re right there, just need to have a little better starting pitching.”

SLABA was established in 1987 to provide St. Louis-area high school players and younger teams with maximum exposure to the toughest competition. This was accomplished by affiliating with nationally recognized and sanctioned youth baseball programs.

SLABA currently has national affiliations with PONY Baseball, Inc., the American Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC), and the National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF). The league sends teams from each of its age groups to various postseason tournaments hosted by these affiliations throughout the country. The PONY and NABF affiliations give teams an opportunity to play in national playoff tournaments.

Membership is limited to organizations which are assigned specific boundaries based on two public high schools in their area. SLABA organizations draw players from two base school districts, private school players and players ages 13-to-18 from “open” school districts.

The league has 10 teams: Jefferson County Barnstormers and Blazers, South-West Stars, American National Eagles, Eagles West, Lincoln County Raiders, Stallions, Johnny Mac Thunder, St. Louis Tigers and Meramec Valley Travelers.

SLABA Baseball Serves as Path to Pro Ball

Former SLABA players include St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kyle McClellan, who is a native of Florissant, attended Hazelwood West and currently resides in Maryland Heights, and Cardinals third baseman David Freese, who is a graduate of Lafayette High School.

Perhaps the most prominent local player who played SLABA baseball is another Lafayette graduate, Philadelphia Phillies all-star first baseman Ryan Howard.

The 18-and-under postseason awards are named after several SLABA alumni, including the Kyle McClellan Pitcher of the Year, the Ryan Howard SLABA MVP and the coach of the year award named for Jim Medlock, a former insurance agent who founded the American National Eagles in 1975.

Howard played three seasons for the Ellisville Redbirds from 1996-1998 before moving onto Southwest Missouri State.

SLABA will hold its all-star games for each age-group level on July 31 and Aug. 1 at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O’Fallon, Mo. Other games can be heard regularly on Prepcasts.com and 101 ESPN broadcasts a game of the week every Friday.

Pohlman said players can get the same benefits from SLABA as they do with the high-priced select teams.

“SLABA and prospect teams travel and allow kids to get noticed by college coaches. SLABA gives you the time you want to have during the summer,” Pohlman said, “but you’re still playing baseball almost every night. The difference is that 30 to 45 minutes after the game you’re home.”