|
Historical Perspective
In the summer of 1993, five prominent youth baseball organizations (American
Amateur Baseball Congress, Babe Ruth Baseball, Dixie Baseball, National
Amateur Baseball Federation, and PONY Baseball) came together in
Battle Creek, Michigan to compete in the National American Amateur
Baseball Tournament. The event was a success and what is now the USA
Baseball Tournament of Stars was born.
 In
1994, the event moved to Evansville, Indiana. Pine Bluff, Arkansas
hosted the event in 1995 and 1996. The NAABT called Chicago, Illinois
the home of the event in 1997 and 1998. Reviving Baseball in Inner
Cities, a Major League Baseball sponsored organization to promote
baseball in metropolitan areas, joined the team in 1998.
Beginning in 1999, the NAABT became the USA Baseball Tournament of
Stars. Orlando, Florida was the site of the 1999 tournament. The home of
the 2000 event was Cooperstown, New York. Joplin, Missouri hosted the
2001 event after hosting the USA Baseball Junior National Team Trials in
1996, 1997 and 2000. Beginning in 2001, USA Baseball combined the
function of the Junior National Teams Trials with the Tournament of
Stars. Now, 120 players or more are candidates for the Junior National
Team as opposed to approximately 45 players in the former trials format.
Beginning in 2003, the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars is glad to
welcome American Legion Baseball to the event.
The organizations have been involved with the NAABT/ Tournament of Stars
for just ten years, but by no means does the history of these
organizations stop there. NABF began organizing leagues in 1914,
American Legion in 1925, AABC in 1935, PONY and Babe Ruth in 1951, Dixie
in 1955 and RBI in 1989. During the 20th century, Americans fell in love
with the game of baseball and the amateur player development system grew
accordingly. In a truly great American grassroots success story, the
youth of this nation have been imparted the value of sport though the
efforts of parents, volunteers and through interaction with teammates
and opponents in healthy, highly organized competition. When players are
old enough to begin playing organized baseball, countless volunteers
spring to action through the direction of these organizations to form
teams and leagues across the nation. Players learn about the spirit of
play and develop a love for the game of baseball, both as players and as
fans.
 Eighteen
players will be honored by each organization and in turn, each player
will have the chance to honor the organization that has been
instrumental in their development as an elite level player in the
amateur system. USA Baseball will select an at-large team to the event
to round out a very competitive field of 144 players. Eventually, twenty
players whom attend the event will represent the United States in
international competition.
In its eleventh year of existence, the Tournament of Stars remains as a
premier event for the amateur player and an event where athletes enter
the Olympic development "pipeline." With the support of the
participating organizations, the Joplin Sports Authority and Major
League Baseball, USA Baseball is able to deliver the Tournament of Stars
in its current form. USA Baseball is proud to not only lend its name to
the event, but to be an intricate part of its function and continued
development. |
