Dirk Johnsrud says it was a cruel way to discover that something so dear to his heart, and his family, was being changed.

Johnsrud found out the Sapa-Johnsrud Memorial Tournament was renamed the Glacier Twins Memorial Tournament while reading the April 3 edition of the Whitefish Pilot.

“They (Glacier Twins) never even notified us (the Johnsrud family),” he said.

“I was saddened, in disbelief.

“I couldn’t believe this tournament, which has been an icon in the Glacier Twins (American Legion baseball) program for 28 years, that they suddenly wanted to do away with it.”

The Glacier Twins started the event after Ray Johnsrud and Jim Sapa died in a tragic 1984 car-train accident in Columbia Falls. To honor their memory and their love for baseball, the Twins held the first Sapa-Johnsrud Memorial Tournament the following year.

The tournament, which often drew some of the best AA teams from the Pacific Northwest, Canada and California, has, however, fallen on hard times in recent years. Last year the field consisted of just five teams, including a Senior Babe Ruth team, and the year before there were just seven.

The 2012 tournament was also moved up a month to June from its traditional dates right after the 4th of July.

Glacier took a 6-23-1 record into last year’s Sapa-Johnsrud Memorial Tournament.

During its heyday, 12-15 teams competed in this event, which ran from Tuesday through Saturday on fields in Whitefish and Columbia Falls. Most of the teams were repeats and there was a waiting list for others to gain entry.

The Glacier Twins decided to rename the tournament this year as a way to also pay homage to other former players and program supporters who have passed on. Those names include Chris Managhan, Matt Hein, Shawn Kelso, Byron Whitcomb, Jim Chapman and Randy Dawdy.

Johnsrud says he wrote a letter to all nine board members to voice his displeasure with the Glacier Twins renaming the tournament.

“I understand they went down to Class A (eliminated the AA program), but I don’t want to see my cousin’s (Ray) memory or this tournament end,” he said.

“At one time it was a premier (Class AA) baseball tournament. Even a team from Florida played in it one year.”

The next Twins monthly board meeting is Monday at 7 p.m. at the JCCS Building (307 Spokane Ave.) in Whitefish. Johnsrud wants people to show up for support and to voice their opinion on keeping the Sapa-Johnsrud Memorial Tournament going.

“I’m hoping they would reconsider, keep it the way it is,” he said.

“We have no disrespect (to the other individuals being honored). I feel there should be another honor for them, or an event, and not to take away from Jimmy and Ray.

“They were coming home from practice (when the accident happened),” Johnsrud said.

“Ray was buried in a Glacier Twins uniform. That is very significant to us.”