EX-MLB PLAYER Bill Bathe on World Series Magic, Earthquakes,
and Serving 20+ Years in the Tucson FD
From the clubhouse to the firehouse.
On October 27th, 1989, Bill Bathe engraved his name into Major League Baseball lore. Pinch-hitting in the 9th inning of Game 3 of the World Series between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants, the then 28-year-old backstop connected on a 1-0 pitch from Gene Nelson to crush a 3-run homer over the left field fence at Candlestick Park. This made the California-native just the 5th player in National League history to homer in first World Series at bat.
In one swing, Bathe experienced the fever dream of every baseball-crazed kid. As he circled the bases, he thought of the journey that brought him to that very moment. The 12-hour bush league bus trips, the injuries, the winter league near-death experience on a surgeon’s table in Venezuela, his family, the ups, the downs, and the recent regional devastation of the World Series-halting Loma Prieta Earthquake. It was a lot in the moment, and even in a game – and in a series where his team was overmatched and baseball felt like an afterthought, he had accomplished something amazing on the biggest stage imaginable.
“You know, I hit that ball over the head of my former minor league roommate, the late great Tony Phillips,” mused Bathe. “So, the next day, I had to give him a hard time about trying to leap at the wall and rob me.”
THE DAY THE EARTH SHOOK
While the pre-game interaction served as a brief break from the pressure cooker that comes when a World Championship is on the line. Just a week and half earlier Bathe had found himself prepping for Game 3 when disaster struck. A massive 6.9 earthquake shook the San Francisco Bay Area minutes before first pitch at 5:08PM PST, sending a packed Candlestick Park into a mix of panic, confusion, and fear as police mobilized on the field and SFPD Commissioner Isiah Nelson addressed the crowd, calmly ordering players, staff, and 50,000+ fans safely out of the ballpark and into the unknown.
The game was immediately cancelled as the city went into damage control and the emergency response efforts were put into overdrive. Soon after, MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent called for the postponement of the World Series. The days to follow were a whirlwind. The overall damage was extensive, as the collapse of a section of the upper level of the Bay Bridge and the destruction of the Nimitz Freeway snarled traffic for miles. San Francisco’s famed Marina District raged with fires as gas lines ruptured, and homes toppled. 57 deaths were directly related to the earthquake, 3,747 were reported injured, and countless citizens were displaced as power was knocked out for hours on end.
For Bill Bathe, an inescapable urge to be of service began to burn inside hm. Although his presence in the game didn’t carry the acclaim of the Athletics 20-game winner Dave Stewart, who made national news for handing out food and drinks to Oakland first responders while still in uniform, he realized that there were actions that he could take.
“I knew I wanted to help almost immediately,” recalled Bathe. “Just going out there and interacting with the first responders and the San Francisco community, really lit a fire under me – no pun intended. I had spent a year in Oakland, and I was in the first of my two-season stint with the Giants, so I felt connected to this area. It wasn’t just a choice to be of service, it was part of who I am.”
THE AFTERMATH
While the San Francisco Giants stayed San Francisco-based in the week to follow, the Oakland Athletics retreated to their spring training facilities in Phoenix, Arizona. For the A’s, they were attempting to refocus on baseball and prepare for the resumption of the World Series. For Giants players and their families, they were very much faced with the reality of an unthinkable tragedy, while a reeling city tried to return to a sense of normalcy.
This was not lost on Bathe.
“People were still suffering,” said Bathe. “People died. The city was still in chaos, for a while we thought they might relocate the remaining games to LA or somewhere else. Our minds were not prepared, plain and simple. We all had a feeling of where do we go from here? We still had the competitive spirit – we're ballplayers, but the city was always on our minds.”
A CAREER IN TRANSITION
There’s a nomadic element to being a professional baseball player. Rarely do ballplayers start and finish their career with the same organization. That’s just the way game is built. For players like Bill Bathe, who had a 12-year career that took him literally from Tacoma to Tokyo, the journey eventually reaches its end, and when it does, it can be a difficult adjustment. For Bathe, however, he saw a new opportunity.
“After the World Series, I played one more year in SF, and then I made the difficult decision to play in Japan for two seasons. When I came back, I signed a minor league deal with the Padres,” recalled Bathe. “At the end of Spring Training, I was faced with the choice of continuing my career in Triple-A and serving as insurance for the catchers in San Diego or accepting my outright release. I chose the later. When I got back home to Tucson, I knew I didn’t want to travel anymore. I had a young son, and I wanted to be around for him.”
A NEW CALLING
Now settled at home, Bathe spent a long time considering his next career move. He knew he didn't want to coach. He didn't want to be a baseball lifer. First he thought long and hard about entering the public safety field, after all, his father was a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff. After a little bit of soul searching and a lot of background work, he applied to the Tucson Fire Department.
“The more I looked at the fire department, the more it made sense,” said Bathe. “I was going through a divorce, and I was trying to find a new purpose. After my application was accepted, in two years I was a Medic; in five and a half I was a Captain. I was a Battalion Chief for a year and a half too. I put the work in as a leader. I sat in all the committees, I was heavily involved with the labor agreements and union duties, and I taught classes.”
A DIFFERENT KIND OF TEAM
It’s not entirely uncommon to see former ballplayers transition to a career in law enforcement, emergency medical services, or firefighting. Heck, even Hall-of-Famer Steve Garvey recently ran for public office. There’s something about the ability to work seamlessly in a team setting that makes them pre-qualified to be a major asset in the field of their choice.
“I loved what I did,” said Bathe. “I loved serving my community. Here’s how I can best explain it --- baseball is a team dynamic, but it’s entertainment. A fire department is also a team dynamic, but it’s life and death. I had satisfaction doing both. But I had the greatest satisfaction when I was out there in Tucson, doing my job. I’ve delivered babies, I’ve carried nine kids out of a burning house. I can go on down the line, and there’s been things that’ll haunt me forever – but there’s no greater pride I’ve felt than serving. I’ve been fortunate in my life; I’ve played in the World Series, and I’ve run a fire department. What else do I need?”
WHAT IT MEANS TO GIVE BACK
Supporting your own is a common thread that links the GOVX community. Every branch and every member has a level of familiarity with the mission to assist those who have made sacrifices to make this country a better place. At GOVX we champion those efforts into supporting military and first responder foundations through the GOVX Gives Back Initiative. A program we started in 2015, and thus far has generated nearly $2 million dollars in donations.
Bathe, himself is no stranger to stepping up on behalf of various firefighter and first responder foundations such as The Greater Tucson Fire Foundation, Axes in Arms, and Embers of Hope.
“I’ve truly felt that I’ve always had it in me to help,” said Bathe. “I hold a high level of respect not only for those in the fire community, but also those who’ve served in the military, like my son. It’s an honor to give back in any way I can.”
RECOLLECTIONS
Today, Bill Bathe is a licensed Medicare Professional and Advisor. He assists Americans 65 and older, many of whom have service backgrounds, in finding the right plan for their financial and medical needs. His life’s journey has an almost cinematic quality to it. I mean, how many people can cross off homering in old Yankee Stadium as an accomplishment? He’s never been one to stop working, he pursues what he does with purpose, and when he looks back, he does it with gratitude.
“It’s an extremely rewarding career,” said Bathe. “There’s no way to describe the feeling of riding on the truck with an American flag hanging from the back, on your way to a fire and rescue. I loved doing it. I lived for it and cried the day I turned my uniform in and retired in 2020. I’ve reinvented myself in my new career, but I still carry that drive – and I think I always will.”