If there is ever a fourth legend added to the cathedral that is 3 Legends Stadium, it will be Jeff LeProwse.

It is safe to say that without Jeff, American Legion Baseball would not exist in the Mining City. At least it wouldn’t in its current form.

Jeff coached the Butte Miners from 2012 through 2021, and that era will go down as the most important stretch in program history. The Miners down to 11 players by the end of his first season as coach. Then, the team lost its home at Montana Tech’s Alumni Coliseum before his second year at the helm.

While folding the program was on the table, there was no way to agree to that. Jeff said his players would play on a parking lot if it meant playing baseball.

So, the Butte Miners played on Copper Mountain Park’s Field 4, which is a Senior Little League field, for four years. Some of that time, they were a team without a conference because they did not exactly get a lifeline from some of the others Legion programs around the state.

But they were still a team.

Thanks in large part to a ton of work by Jeff, the Miners opened Miners Feld at 3 Legends Stadium in 2017, and the program grew. Eventually, the program brought back the Muckers. Today, the Legion program in Butte is so big that it has three teams — the Miners, Muckers and Motormen.

After the 2021 season, Jeff stepped down as head coach of the Miners, even though his team came within one game of the Class A State tournament two years in a row. But he stayed on as president of the board, and he handed the team to his older brother, Jim.

Of course, we all know what happened next. The Miners went on a magical run that saw them win their first state championship in 69 years. The went on to win the Northwest Class A Regional title.

This Legion season, Jeff is returning to the field, this time as an assistant coach to his brother. He is still planning to maintain his role as president, though that needs to be voted on first.

So, in addition to trying to keep Jimmy’s squeeze bunts to a minimum, Jeff will still have to work on keeping the program going strong. That includes raising funds.

That is where Friday’s Bingo Night comes in. Play for the fundraising event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall. Cost is $25 Bingo pack includes 10 games, three cards per game. That also comes with 10 tickets for drawings. Players must be 18 or older.

Tons of great prizes are just waiting to be win.

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