By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Things have been looking up for the Great Bend Bat Cats. The Barton County Commission proclaimed June 25 as Bat Cat Day. Later that evening, the baseball team defeated the league-leading Kansas Cannons at Al Burns Memorial Field, then swept Newton ahead of Sunday's All-Star game in Wichita. Eight Bat Cats took the field Sunday in Wichita with some heavy hearts. Following Thursday's win against Newton, Manager Roger Ward said someone burglarized the team's clubhouse.
"Whoever did it worked really hard at trying to get in multiple ways, and they finally got in," he said. "It's like our office. We're a non-profit business. We finally worked and got all this stuff."
Taken were various items including cash, checks, a safe, and various electronics, both personal and team-related. Ward's immediate thoughts were about the future of the team.
"Being the leader of the program, I've had to try to keep my head straight when, to be honest, this is the first time in a while I've wanted to just disappear," he said Monday morning on 1590 KVGB's "AM Great Bend Show." "Lot of personal guilt, feeling guilty, blaming myself. Everything flashes in front of you; the last eight years of what you've tried to build."
But there is hope. Friday morning, Ward reached out to the manager of the Hutch Monarchs. That manager reached out to Fastenal. Already, firework packages have been donated to auction for the team. Others are donating cash.
"Teammates of mine from over 30 years ago," Ward said, "people around the country, former players, families, random people, people who just care about the Bat Cats, about our community, about the kids that are here, even families of current players who have already invested a lot of time, they want to make sure we finish it out."
Tuesday night, the Bat Cats will play the Great Bend Bombers in an exhibition game. The Great Bend Recreation Commission will have free hot dogs and sno cones for rec league players who attend. Different groups of players will also run the bases in between each inning.
Visit the Great Bend Bat Cats Facebook page for more information on how to donate to the team. Anyone with information about the burglary is encouraged to contact the Great Bend Police Department.