By Thomas Grant Jr.
For Mookie Wilson and Bill Spiers, the road to Major League Baseball began with South Carolina American Legion.
Both played for Orangeburg Post 4 before going on to college and professional careers. A state champion at Bamberg-Ehrhardt, Wilson went from Spartanburg Methodist College to the University of South Carolina and won a World Series ring with the New York Mets.
A native of Cameron who played high school baseball at Wade Hampton Academy, Spiers went from Clemson University to getting drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers, then the New York Mets and finishing his career with the Houston Astros.
Thursday at Seawell’s, the two South Carolina natives were among the eight newest inductees into the second S.C. American Legion Hall of Fame class.
“I’m here today to accept one of the most prestigious awards that I have ever, every gotten and that’s the Hall of Fame South Carolina American Legion baseball,” Wilson said.
“I remember American Legion was the ‘it’ of baseball,” Spiers said. “Things have changed so much with travel ball and all that, but American Legion, as a little kid, you were just dying to play and it actually was a great avenue for me to get to where I got. To get to Clemson and get on the major leagues.”
Another inductee, Justin Hawkins of Chapin/Newberry Post 193, had a highly decorated career in American Legion. The Mid-Carolina graduate who played at Clemson was the 2015 national American Legion Player of the Year after leading Chapin/Newberry to the American Legion World Series championship and 32-1 record.
It was at the Southeast Regionals where Hawkins said the team realize it was a championship team. He also saw a carryover in high interest in American Legion baseball after Chapin/Newberry became the first South Carolina team in 76 years to win the ALWS.
“Honestly, I think that boosted a lot of confidence, especially around our state, in our community,” Hawkins said. “Newberry County, Chapin, going into the Columbia, a know a lot of guys would come up to me and ask me overall how do you get into American Legion or where do you start? What was the experience like?
“I was like ‘It’s top notch baseball.’ We had South Carolina, Clemson, Alabama, North Carolina. All kinds of crazy recruits. We had pro scouts in the stands. You get seen for sure at American Legion. I think it’s a great space to play on and just by having a South Carolina team winning that year I think it brought a lot of confidence in the younger group coming up through to realize that there’s more baseball to play than just travel ball.”
Getting enshrined into the Hall of Fame had additional meaning to Hawkins as a third-generation Legion player.
Other members of the Class of 2024:
Dr. Wallie B. Jones – The longtime head coach of Sumter Post 15, who led the program to nine state and two Southeast Regional titles. He had an overall record of 637-187 and was also an All-ACC second baseman for the University of South Carolina.
Tommy Moody – The late longtime University of South Carolina broadcaster played three years in American Legion.
Keibler James – The late 1958 American Legion Baseball Player of the Year for Greenwood Post 20.
Joe Clayton – The late Director Emeritus of SCALB, he spent 28 years involved with American Legion baseball working with Charleston Post 147. He was also instrumental in the addition of league teams.
Jesse Campbell – A Spartanburg Post 28 athletic officer for 28 years and post commander for 12 years.
Photos by Thomas Grant Jr.
Feature Photo: Former Orangeburg Post 4 and Major League Baseball players Bill Spiers and Mookie Wilson.
