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Alumni Baseball Game: "Old Timers" vs
Today's Badger/Legion Team |
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June 24, 2015 |
With guys ranging from one month before their
39th birthday (Jed Bateman), to a diaper dandy
just turning 20 (Garrett Skeen), the American
Legion Alumni players strapped it on for a fun
and an enjoyable Saturday afternoon of America’s
pastime.
While the success of a baseball game is often
determined by the final score, these two games
played were successful by the sheer number of
“old timers” that wanted to relive their past
and see what, if any, they had left in them
before they go out to pasture.
(Story continues below these
photos).
Shortly after all 18 Alumni players were
announced, the game began with a bang as the old
timers put two runs on the board in the first
inning. Who cares that the youngest of the
bunch, pitcher Seth Bateman age 14, was facing
the old guy, Uncle Jed Bateman at the ripe age
of 38 yrs 11 months. The wiser and older of the
two prevailed. But soon after, the reality of
trying to play a young man’s game again set in
on the aging Bateman as he realized he still had
a hamstring but it wasn’t the same one he used
to play on. He came up lame breaking for home,
but still managed to score on the play. A
fitting end for him as Jed scored the first
official run ever on this field back in 1994. He
was carted off with the crowd of onlookers
applauding his efforts. Jed said, “I was kind of
bummed, I surprised myself with how excited I
was to play in this game."
It was the energy the Alumni players displayed
that was the excitement of the day. At the end
of the first game, the youngsters walked away
with the “W.” Pitching coach Birch Rose called
in their flamethrower Justin Anderson to keep
the game tied at 7-7 in the 8th inning.
Anderson, who has been touted to throw near the
90 mph mark in his glory days, had the boys a
bit nervous and knee knocking as he was warming
up. Anderson’s first pitch sailed high and out
of reach of the catcher’s mitt for a wild pitch
and the youngsters won 8-7.
(Story continues below this photo).
Jake Johnson, pushing mid 30’s, played like
Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals and
actually threw out two Legion base runners in
the process. As of Monday morning, he was still
on the massage table getting treatment. “Jake
told me to send him a few base stealers, I did,
and he didn’t disappoint, he still has it,” Cal
Bateman said.
Birch Rose and Mike Schulte, both assistant
coaches of the current Legion and high school
programs, showed the youngsters how to play the
game both on the field and at the plate. Schulte
threw the first three innings of the game and
displayed the grit of his past and blasted a
ball off the fence in the second game to remind
the boys that he’s still “got game.” Rose, who
was quite the pitcher in high school and
college, kept the hitters at bay with a mixture
of fastballs (maybe mid 60’s, sorry Birch) and a
very slow curve.
There was Matt Clark who made a spectacular
diving stop at third in the first game and ran
like a deer around the bases. Todd Bateman,
whose only goal was to show his nephews Brady
and Seth that he too could still play, played
multiple positions and crushed the ball. Derek
Barnhardt, who had several hard hits, felt like
he was hit by a truck the next day and Ben
Greenslitt, former Gonzaga Bulldog player, had
this to say on Facebook: “Great day! Sore
muscles #old #fat,” but still managed to hit
three hits in the second game and a running
catch in left. When you walked by the Alumni
dugout it looked like a MASH unit with band
aids, gauze pads, knee braces and smelled like a
Ben Gay factory.
Birch Rose: “I feel like a small herd of ponies
just trampled me.”
Todd Bateman: “I am comically sore, but it was
worth it.”
Collin Gause: “Great time, couldn’t have asked
for a better day, match-up, or fans!”
Mike Schulte: "It was great to see all the
baseball 'family' from the last 21 years back
together at the field again....can't wait to do
it again."
The Alumni game was filled with six current/past
coaches of the High School program/Legion which
included guys like Mike Schulte, Jake Johnson,
Birch Rose, Clint Arthur, Justin Anderson, and
Kevin Dinning.
These men have provided invaluable lessons of
life and baseball to the young men of Bonners
Ferry, and at the end of the game the Alumni
players shared with the 14-18 yr. olds the
future of their lives and how to live life.
(Story continues below this photo).
The second game ended in a 13-11 victory for the
current Legion team, but not before one big
comeback from the Alumni players.
“Having coached most of these alumni players for
two years, many years ago," said Cal Bateman,
"it brought me great happiness to see them play
again. I was a little emotional watching them in
their pre-game warm ups. Seeing them again,
knowing what a great group of men they are,
watching them play with the energy of their
youth. I think I can speak for all in attendance
when I say it was a GREAT DAY! It was a pleasure
for family and friends to come out again and
reunite friendships and memories. Thank you for
allowing us this experience.”
Added Todd Bateman: “What a great experience. I
think there was a lot of excitement and
anticipation from this alumni group heading into
the game. We had a great time out there. What we
lacked in agility and ability we made up for in
enthusiasm and love for the game. Perhaps the
best highlight of it all was seeing all the
parents and fans. The same support that meant so
much to us years ago was out there to cheer us
on once again. We are very fortunate to be a
part of such a great community.”
As of early Monday morning, word was that
approximately 18 men called in sick to their
respective jobs to continue the healing process
after playing Saturday.
At the end of the day, the American Legion Post
55 baseball program wants to thank everyone who
joined us for taking the time out of their day
to have some fun and support the program. There
were a lot of familiar faces, it was a long
overdue reunion. We also would like to thank
Alan Dickson and Chad Carle for volunteering
their time to umpire for us, and Melissa Bateman
and her volunteers for cooking and running
concessions.
The Alumni are very appreciative of all the
fans, both current fans and alumni fans, who
came out to support the game. The event raised
nearly $1,000 to help support baseball in
Boundary County.
Complete Alumni Roster: Beau Winey, Ben
Greenslitt, Birch Rose, Casey Johnson, Clint
Arthur, Collin Gause, Derrick Barnhardt, Garret
Skeen, Jake Johnson, Jed Bateman, Jon Winey,
Justin Anderson, Kevin Dinning, Matt Clark, Mike
Schulte, Steven Schulte, Todd Bateman, Willie
Maas.
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