Today, July 26th, marks the 1st anniversary of the death of Brandon Patch. For the most part, the Patch family is spending the day in quiet silence remembering this very unfortunate tragedy. As Brandon’s Uncle, I have watched the sadness of the family lift, settle back in and lift again. We understand it will be some time before this date can pass without the pain of this loss overwhelming us.
This morning, when I fired up my personal computer, it showed a printing task that had not yet been completed. Unsure as to what it was, I printed the document. There I found a copy of a letter to the editor of the Billings Gazette, from an individual that basically claims that the Patch family’s push for wood bats to be used in Legion Baseball is simply an attempt to place a guilt trip on our young Legion ball players. What a sad and misguided commentary. This suggestion is as far from the truth as it can possibly be.
Personally, I do not like crusades. They seem to end up drawing in the extreme elements and emotions from both sides of the issue. Eventually the cause is lost or clouded to the point it must be dropped. My purpose of this letter is to bring the discussion back on track and ask for the readers to take an honest view of the debate. Why and should metal bats be used in Legion Baseball? To begin, I would like to review some of the things I was taught when I played Legion ball. To answer the critics, yes Cut Bank had a great Legion team. I played on the team that won the State Legion Championship on July 30th, 1967.
I was always taught that the focus of sports and competition is to test and challenge the abilities of those that participate. It introduces the participants to stress and situations that no other form of activity can give an individual or team. In college I learned that team sports is part of the foundation of the American work ethic. It builds leadership and teamwork. Further it helps us develop goals and strategies. We have all heard a coach either advising us or someone else about what it takes to win. The emphasis of that lecture on winning, always contains the words “practice, practice, practice”. It is not better technology, or equipment that is emphasized, it is the honing of the player’s abilities.
Now let’s take a look at the misguided information provided in the previous letter. In one sentence the author states that the performance of metal bats mirrors that of wood bats. Yet, the Lewistown coach felt it would be to the disadvantage of his players to use wood bats when they played Miles City. His line of reasoning was the player’s had not practiced with the wood bats. In the first sentence, he makes it sound like a bat is a bat, is a bat. Yet, he felt the team would be at a disadvantage because they were not the same. Which is it, I grab a 30 oz. bat with the size of grip I like and head for the plate. Does the wood bat perform differently or not?
My job allows me to travel this wonderful state of ours. Since Brandon’s death, I have talked with a large number of baseball enthusiasts all over Montana. The supporters of the metal bats contend the metal bats makes the kids more competitive because they can get around on the ball quicker, they can hit the ball harder and over time it saves money for the team because metal bats do not break like the wood bats. Key words here are “get around quicker” and “hit the ball harder”.
We all want our kids to be top performers. We want them to be as competitive as they can be. When I played ball it meant that given a level playing field, it boiled down to “may the best man or team win”. Key words here are “level playing field”. As long as we are playing with the same equipment it is the team or the individual that makes the difference. So do metal bats and wood bats perform the same or not?
Just for a moment, I ask that you close your eyes and think about how happy you would be if a player from one of our Montana Legion teams was able to land a scholarship and eventually make it to the big leagues. Dave McNally comes to mind. I don’t know about you, but that gets me excited, a Montana kid playing for the American or National League. Yes!!! Now, picture him stepping to the plate. What do you think he is going to be carrying when he faces that very first pitch. Nope … metal bats are not allowed by either League. Our Montana ball player is going to be packing wood. Why??? If metal bats are equal in performance to wood bats, why not?? Well… how about those things I learned when talking to baseball enthusiasts around the state. Metal bats makes our kids more competitive, they get around quicker, hit the ball harder … etc. Well, what about the breakage issue? Look at the number of bats broken during a major league game. Don’t you think the players and coaches would like to go to metal just for that reason alone? OK, now If you can, close your eyes one more time. I want you to picture Barry, Ken and Sammy salivating for the switch to metal. If you listen closely you will hear them say, “move the fence back boys cause this one is out-a here!!” Why would these star athletes be in favor of metal bats? How about … because they can get around quicker and hit the ball harder, which equates to … distance. To make the ball go further, it must travel faster. Hmmmm???
During this whole discussion, I have not mentioned safety. For that I only have a few sentences. For the sake of argument, let’s say Brandon’s athletic ability was as good as let’s say half the players playing ball today. He would not have been a starting pitcher if it were less. I have talked to several people who were at the game that tragic day a year ago, all of them have told me they did not see the ball leave the bat, they only saw the ball after it struck Brandon in the head. Why because it was traveling so fast. Use your better judgement and take it from there.
Bottom line, I have to ask, if we aspire our ball players to get scholarships and make the big league, why have them using equipment that they cannot use when they get there. I have decided to weighed in on this subject because we have an individual in Lewistown that I hope and pray never has to find out what it is like to have to drive out to the cemetery every time he wants to visit with his oldest son. No parent should ever have to experience the pain and sadness that Spud and Debbie Patch experienced one year ago today. Guilt trip?? Get a life. Better yet... save a life!
I love baseball. It was a huge part of my growing up. Please know that I would not have taken this stand if the equipment used by our Montana Legion players was the same as that used by the Boys of Summer in the American and National Leagues. Is making our kids “more competitive” worth another player’s life? More competitive than what? Do our kids deserve a “level playing field?”
To that end, I ask all to support our kids, keep the spirit alive, be safe and play ball.
Forever 11
Mike Money
Proud to be Brandon Patch’s Uncle
Bozeman MT, 59718