Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Shelby, NC (WNN)— Behind the scenes, JJ Guinozzo sits in the press box at Keeter Stadium, quietly working with his scorebook and laptop. He's been a constant presence at the American Legion World Series for over fifty years. Now in his 54th year as the official scorekeeper, he's kept track of 764 World Series games, thanks to his sharp memory, accuracy, and passion for baseball.
Guinozzo grew up in New Orleans and Memphis, Tennessee. He attended Whitehaven High School, just down the street from Elvis Presley's home in Memphis. His connection to Legion baseball started in high school, where he played for his school's Legion team in the summer.
He later covered games for a newspaper in Memphis and was then asked to serve on the American Legion local committee. He covered state tournament games and regional games before being asked to join the national tournament team in December 1972.
"I did some state tournament games and regional games. And in December 1972, after one year with the World Series, the national people asked me to come up and do the World Series. I've been here ever since."
Guinozzo has scored World Series games around the country, but after years of shifting between cities, Shelby, North Carolina, became a permanent host. At first, Guinozzo was a bit unsure, but he quickly grew to admire how dedicated the city was to pulling off a successful event.
"Shelby is indeed the best place to play. They had over 900 volunteers last year; I was told they have more this year. It's a community effort backed by Cleveland County, the city, the state, and, of course, all of the local visitors."
Guinozzo also complimented the facilities, especially Keeter Stadium. The stadium is part of Shelby High School and is well-known for its beautiful natural grass field. "When I show people videos and photographs, they can't believe this is a part of Shelby High School," he said.
Over the years, Guinozzo has collected many stories. One story happened at a championship game in Rapid City, South Dakota. Six umpires called a balk during the game, leading to an exciting victory.
Another occurred in New Orleans circa 1984. Guinozzo witnessed Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, take down Brooklawn, New Jersey, after back-to-back walks in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Guinozzo also shared a funny story about the time he asked workers at the Cookout restaurant to make him an interesting milkshake combination: "I asked the people over at the Cookout to make me a double chocolate frozen liver mush milkshake."
As Guinozzo describes it, it's one of a kind. To make it, take a livermush patty and dice it. You then sprinkle it on top of the whipped cream and add nuts. He has offered the milkshake to those in the press box, although no one wanted to try it.
Workers frying livermush at the 2022 Cleveland County Livermush Festival- October 15th, 2022
WNN
Although Guinozzo started long before computers, he has slowly embraced modern technology to preserve the history of American Legion baseball. "Everything's computerized now, so we don't have to write everything down," he explained. "Just press a button, and when you get home, all you do is crash in your hotel."
He has created flash drives of Legion statistics for anyone who asks for them. He keeps hard copies, programs, and photographs in five filing cabinets. Although he is now 76 and has health problems, he plans to pass his records on to Richard Walker, a journalist who is passionate about sports.
"Richard enjoys record-keeping and putting stuff together. He would always contact me and say, "Do you have who won the 1960 regional tournament? "So, I'm going to pass everything on to him."
Going to a high school near Elvis Presley's home in Graceland brought some pretty wild experiences for Guinozzo. Once, he was asked to unlock the football stadium at Whitehaven High School at 3 a.m. so Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Charlie Pride, and their cheerleaders could play football. "I'd do a play-by-play, Elvis passing to Johnny Cash, tackled by Jerry Lee Lewis," Guinozzo said.
Elvis Presley plays touch football at the Dave Wells Community Center on Dec. 27, 1956.
Barney Sellers / The Commercial Appeal
Opening day for the American Legion World Series, initially set for August 14, was canceled. This was due to the outfield being too wet from earlier rain. Guinozzo mentioned that the sun was shining when officials gathered at 7 a.m., but they determined that the outfield was still soft and wouldn't be safe for the players.
The decision came from the national director, the head groundskeeper, and the head umpire. The national director makes the final decision on whether or not a game will be played. Once a game is started, the general manager makes a decision. It is up to the umpires to stop the game.
Rain has historically been a big factor at the World Series, causing opening-day disruptions 53 times. The last full washout happened in 1963 in Keene, New Hampshire. In Shelby, rain delays aren't unusual, and this year's careful decision showed a strong focus on keeping the athletes safe.
Guinozzo wants to be remembered as friendly and accurate, someone who kept exact records. He says knowing the rules is crucial—going through the rulebook every week is essential for doing the job well. Despite his age and health issues, Guinozzo is dedicated to keeping the history of American Legion baseball alive.
As the "scoring czar" of the American Legion World Series, Guinozzo's hard work has made a lasting impact, much like the stats in his scorebook.
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