MADISON – Madison American Legion, Post 229 has organized and will present two activities for youth who live for grabbing a hit to second base and the spray of dust during a slide into home.

The venue for both events will be Palmer Park at 574 Palmer Road in Madison. Legionnaires are presenting the baseball activities in coordination with the City of Madison Parks and Recreation Department.

On May 5, the Jr. Home Run Derby competition will be held on the upper baseball quad starting at 6 p.m. The activity is ‘powered’ by MLBdevelops.

“Bring you bat and glove!” Post 229 Commander Larry Vannoy said. “Although Major League Baseball is the major sponsor of the event, we are not receiving any financial support. This is a ‘home grown’ event that we are hosting.”

“We are the only host in a 50-mile radius of Madison and only one of two competitions within a radius of 75 miles,” Vannoy said. “The competition is open to both boys and girls and for any player, not just Madison residents.”

The age groups are boys and girls will be U12 and U14. The cutoff date for ages is July 17, 2021.

Each competitor will be allowed 10 ‘outs.’ Any ball that is not a home run will count as an out. In addition, ‘a swing and a miss’ by a batter will be considered an out. Fences at the competition will be age appropriate.

Registration is available only online. To register, visit mlb.com/junior-home-run-derby/find-a-competition. Youth who are participating must present his or her birth certificate and verification of health at the competition.

The second event is Major League Baseball’s Pitch, Hit & Run competition on May 19 at 6 p.m. at Palmer Park. The age groups for boys and girls are 7-8 years old, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14 years old. The age cutoff date is July 17, 2021.

Baseball players will compete at the park’s lower baseball quad. Softball players will report to the softball quad.

Registration is available online only. To register, visit mlb.com/pitch-hit-and-run/find-a-competition. At the competition, all participants must present their birth certificate and verification of health.

For more information, call 256-258-8534, email commander@americanlegionpost229.org or visit americanlegionpost229.org or Facebook/American Legion Post 229.