Wee-Ball team goes to bat in memory of fallen law enforcement officers

When the Yankees take the Wee Ball field this season in Crawford County, they will bear the names of fallen law enforcement officers.

Head coach, and former corrections officer, Christopher Ryan paid the $200 sponsor fee to pay tribute to one of his friends and other law enforcement officers recently killed in the line of duty.

Normally, the sponsor’s name or business is emblazoned on the uniforms, but the Ryans wanted to do something to show their support for those who dedicate their lives to serving others.

“All of our kids have officers’ names on their shirts,” Ryan’s wife, Amanda, said Wednesday morning. “We just support our law enforcement and we thought it would be a good idea to honor them for their service.”

Ryan’s 4-year-old son Champ wears the No. 22 jersey with the name of his father’s friend, former corrections officer Lt. Dexter Irvin, across the back.

Champ’s twin sister, Madison, has the name of Bibb County sheriff’s investigator T. J. Freeman on her No. 19 shirt.

Freeman died in a crash with a fleeing suspect last May.

Other players on the Yankees are wearing shirts with the names of four other fallen officers gunned down last year— Eastman police officer Tim Smith, Americus policeman Nicholas Smarr and Peach County deputies Patrick Sondron and Daryl Smallwood.

Players also are honoring the memory of the late Crawford County sheriff’s Maj. Harold Dickey, who died last year.

One player chose to pay tribute to the memory of a military family member, the late PFC Lovett Thomas, Amanda Ryan said.

The team of 3- and 4-year-olds played had their opening ceremony Saturday and played its first game Tuesday night.

“At this age, they don’t keep score, but we say we won,” Ryan said.

The Yankees take the field again Thursday.

This story was originally published March 22, 2017 at 1:12 PM with the headline "Wee-Ball team goes to bat in memory of fallen law enforcement officers."