By Gillian Graham

Staff Writer

 The annual American Legion regional baseball tournament will return to Maine for the first time in more than 20 years for a week of play at the Ballpark in Old Orchard Beach.

The 2011 American Legion Northeast Regional Tournament kicks off Aug. 3 with a home run derby. It continues through Aug. 8 with matchups between top teams from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York.

Sharri MacDonald, local chairman of the tournament, said OOB 365 was able to “show off” the Ballpark to American Legion officials last year. The Ballpark during the past two years has been renovated by a large contingent of volunteers and is now home to summer league team, Raging Tide, and is used frequently for other games and town events.

“They said the kids have never played in such a fantastic stadium,” MacDonald said.

The tournament will feature about 140 players from eight teams, including the host team from Fayette-Staples Post 57 in Old Orchard Beach. Players range in age from 15 to 19 and will stay at the University of New England.

The winning team will fly to North Carolina Aug. 9 to play in the American Legion World Series.

American Legion baseball dates to 1926 when 15 states launched teams. The concept of the league was presented the previous year by Maj. John L. Griffith, who at the South Dakota American Legion state convention spoke about the role of athletics in youth development.

American Legion baseball includes state, regional and national tournaments. Sixty-four teams play in eight regional tournaments, with eight teams going to the American Legion World Series. The winning team receives a trip to Major League Baseball’s World Series.

Nearly 100,000 youth play in the league each year and more than 10 million players have participated throughout its history, according to the American Legion. The league annually awards $51,000 in scholarships to players who demonstrate leadership, character, scholarship and financial need.

Bob Moody, commander of American Legion Zone 5 in southern Maine, said the last regional tournament played in Maine was 21 years ago at the University of Maine in Orono. Recent tournaments were held in Connecticut. The tournament also will be held in Old Orchard Beach next year.

“It’s great for our kids and great for a lot of the other kids from out of state,” Moody said of the new location. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the kids.”

Moody said he looks forward to seeing players react to playing in a former minor league stadium that is much larger than school fields most teams use.

“It’s very similar to playing in a major league park. The kids coming in will love the setting,” he said. “When they drive into the Ballpark they’re going to be amazed.”

MacDonald said there has been “incredible” local support for bringing the tournament to Old Orchard Beach. She said a significant amount of fundraising was done to secure housing for players and operational costs. Major sponsors such as Bob Esposito of Yankee Ford were quick to step in to help make the tournament a reality, she said.

“The whole community is coming together. This event is something that is going to make a huge impact on our town and on the state,” MacDonald said. “It’s bigger than Old Orchard Beach.”

Tickets are $7 for doubleheaders and $20 buttons are available to attend all games. A limited number of buttons can be purchased at MacDonald’s Garage and at the gate. Admission to the home run derby is free.