NEW ULM — New Ulm native Doug Palmer was named the 2018 American Legion Baseball Graduate of the Year prior to the Division I State Legion Tournament in Edina August 1.

Palmer played for the 1978 New Ulm American Legion team, a team that qualified for the national tournament in Yakima, Washington that year.

Palmer joins fellow 1978 tammates Terry Steinbach (honored in 1988) and Jeff Schugel (honored in 2010) as New Ulm recipients of the award.

Palmer earned 10 varsity letters at New Ulm Cathedral, including four in baseball. While playing for New Ulm Legion Post 132, he compiled a 16-4 record and 1.95 ERA and hit .353 over three seasons. During the 1978 season, he had a .441 batting average, including going 19 for 28 in regional and World Series play. Palmer’s .679 average earned him the Louisville Slugger Award (highest average in regional and World Series play) and the .679 average still holds the record today.

Palmer later went on to win a Minnesota Satte Amateur championship with New Ulm Kaiserhoff in 1980 and he played college baseball at Creighton University, where he was a four-year starter as a middle infielder. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 1983 June draft (12th round), a draft that featured four New Ulm players (Terry and Tom Steinbach, Jeff Schugel, Palmer).

Palmer currently lives in Winter Garden, Florida and is married to Melynn. He has two daughters, Dani and Morgan.