{"id":256034,"date":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=256034"},"modified":"2024-08-16T17:20:52","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T17:20:52","slug":"chicagoland-army-reserve-general-is-honored-with-first-pitch-during-state-champion-baseball-tournament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=256034","title":{"rendered":"Chicagoland Army Reserve general is honored with first pitch during state champion baseball tournament"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Brig. Gen. Michael Shanley, Commanding General, 85th U.S. Army Reserve Support Command, delivers a ceremonial first pitch to open the American Legion Great Lakes Regional Baseball tournament, August 7, 2024. Shanley, along with the 85th USARSC\u2019s color guard team represented the U.S. Army Reserve with a first pitch delivery and color guard presentation.<\/p>\n

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\n Soldiers from the 85th U.S. Army Reserve Support Command present the Nation\u2019s Colors during the playing of the National Anthem, August 7, 2024, at the American Legion Post 76-hosted state champion baseball tournament for the Great Lakes region.<\/p>\n

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\n American Legion Great Lakes baseball tournament players line the baseball diamond at Lee Pfund field prior to the National Anthem, August 7, 2024, during the American Legion Post 76-hosted state champion baseball tournament for the Great Lakes region. Brig. Gen. Michael Shanley, Commanding General, 85th U.S. Army Reserve Support Command, along with the 85th USARSC\u2019s color guard team represented the U.S. Army Reserve with a first pitch delivery and color guard presentation.<\/p>\n

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\n Brig. Gen. Michael Shanley, Commanding General, 85th U.S. Army Reserve Support Command, pauses for a photo with Mayor Frank Saverino, Mayor, Carol Stream, Illinois, during the American Legion Post 76-hosted state champion baseball tournament for the Great Lakes region, August 7, 2024, at Lee Pfund field. Shanley, along with the 85th USARSC\u2019s color guard team represented the U.S. Army Reserve with a first pitch delivery and color guard presentation.<\/p>\n

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Story by: Lt. Col. Brian Dunn<\/p>\n

CAROL STREAM, Ill. – American Legion Post 76 hosted the state champion baseball tournament for the Great Lakes region, August 7, 2024, where Brig. Gen. Michael Shanley, Commanding General, 85th U.S. Army Reserve Support Command, delivered the ceremonial first pitch to kick off the tournament.<\/p>\n

The tournament placed eight teams in a double-elimination competition, with the winner advancing to the American Legion World Series in Shelby, North Carolina.<\/p>\n

Shanley met with American Legion organizers, community leaders and team players that assembled for the championship tournament at Lee Pfund field in Carol Stream, Illinois.<\/p>\n

Prior to an on-field electric guitar rendering of the star-spangled banner, American Legion players across eight Midwest teams lined the baseball diamond perimeter, as Army Reserve Soldiers, from the 85th USARSC, presented the nation\u2019s colors to midfield. The ceremony gave Shanley an opportunity to witness the American Legion delivering a positive impact to the military, and the surrounding community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe American Legion is forging these players with important skills, such as patriotism and respect,\u201d said Shanley. \u201cThey are learning much more than just baseball – you see it out here tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

The American Legion was founded in 1919 on four pillars of service that continue to be the core of its beliefs: veterans\u2019 affairs and rehabilitation, national security, Americanism, and children & youth. During the evening\u2019s game, those values were exemplified by the team\u2019s players. Matthew Betancourt, 19, played his second year on the American Legion Post 76 Thunder, which hosted this year\u2019s regional tournament.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are playing for the veterans,\u201d Betancourt said. \u201cIt\u2019s huge that the Army is here tonight; it\u2019s why we are playing \u2013 to show them respect, and to give back.\u201d<\/p>\n

This concept of selfless service, as noted by Betancourt, was on full display at the American Legion tournament, connecting all in attendance – from the players, the community leaders and American Legion organizers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do it for the kids \u2013 I\u2019ve been coaching American Legion teams for 37 years\u201d said Jim Moran, the tournament\u2019s director. \u201cI\u2019m honored and proud to be doing this job. It\u2019s significant to have Army Reserve representation here tonight. Some of our players will go on to serve in the military. It reinforces what we believe in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carol Stream Mayor Frank Saverino echoed this sentiment by noting the patriotism and service-oriented mindset of the players.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese young players are our future, and I\u2019m honored to have them here tonight,\u201d said Saverino. \u201cI hope some of these players are influenced to consider a career in the military.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following Shanley\u2019s first pitch delivery across home plate, the tournament was underway. In the first game, American Legion Post 76 Thunder faced the Wisconsin state champions from DePere, Wisconsin. As Shanley watched the tournament unfold, he reflected on the symbiotic relationship between the American Legion, in their support of veterans, and what he sees as his primary mission as a commanding general in the U.S. Army Reserve.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur number one job as leaders, is to grow other leaders. I try to live by that every day,\u201d Shanley said. \u201cI\u2019ve learned from leaders before me that provided me the opportunity to not only succeed, but also to fail \u2013 and to learn from those failures. It\u2019s how you grow. Now, I can give back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Betancourt\u2019s team Post 76 (Carol Stream Thunder) won their first game but were later eliminated from the tournament. The American Legion team from Midland, Michigan won the Great Lakes tournament and will face eight regional winners from across the nation as they advance to the American Legion World Series in Shelby, North Carolina. The ALWS will be televised on the ESPN network August 15-20, 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 \/ 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 Brig. Gen. Michael Shanley, Commanding General, 85th U.S. Army Reserve Support Command, delivers a ceremonial first pitch to open the American Legion Great Lakes Regional Baseball tournament, August 7, 2024. Shanley, along with the 85th USARSC\u2019s color guard team represented the U.S. Army Reserve with a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":256036,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-256034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=256034"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":256041,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256034\/revisions\/256041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/256036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=256034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=256034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=256034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}