Legion Baseball: Adamson named Legion Graduate of the Year

WILLMAR - Willmar’s American Legion baseball coach Wade Adamson received an award previously bestowed upon Kent Hrbek, Mike Kingery, Dave Winfield, Paul Molitor and Jack Morris.
Adamson was named the American Legion Graduate of the Year.
Adamson, who received the honor in July, graduated from Willmar High School and played college ball at South Dakota State University.
Adamson was 6-1 for the Jackrabbits and the team won conference championship his junor and senior years, including a 12-0 conference mark his final season.
The Minnesota Twins drafted the right-handed pitcher in the fourth round of the 1978 draft and he was 5-7 with a 3.21 earned-run average his first season with Class A Wisconsin Rapids.
Adamson was promoted to Class A Visalia, Calif., and was 11-5 with a 4.13 ERA, throwing 140 innings. He pitched three complete games and two shut outs.
Arm trouble ended his professional career and he returned to Willmar. He played 10 years with the Willmar Rails amateur team and he coached the Willmar varsity team for years. He recently took over head coaching duties of the Legion team, and he’s a member of the city’s baseball and fastpitch booster club.
The American Legion’s first graduate of the year was named in 1988, and Adamson is the first Willmar native to win it.