CHESAPEAKE, VA (WTKR)- The American Legion Post 280 baseball team from Chesapeake just completed a memorable run to the American Legion World Series. Pitcher Steven Ritchie used the platform for more than just playing the game.
About three years ago, Ritchie purchased a customized pink glove that he's used ever since. It's to honor his mother, who is a breast cancer survivor. The Grassfield product got the glove around Mother's Day with "Mom" embroidered on the back.
"I chose 'Mom' instead of her name because I feel like that means something to a lot of people," Ritchie said. "There are a lot of people who have a mother, a grandmother, an aunt, a sister, anyone who had breast cancer, so I like that it can mean something to a lot of different people."
Recently, Steven added another mitt to his collection, paying tribute to another family member. Each year, the apparel company Wilson releases an Autism Speaks glove to raise autism awareness. Ritchie's 33-year old brother, Chet, is autistic, so it was a piece of equipment that Steven felt he had to have.
"I've wanted it for years," Steven said. "I had to save up, of course they're expensive. It really, really makes me happy to be able to wear that and have a piece of my family with me every time I step on the field."
The impact of just wearing his gloves goes far beyond his family and team. The former Grizzly admits that he's had opposing teams rib him a bit for wearing a pink glove, but they quickly change their tune when they learn the reason for it. He's had several people approach him with their own stories of loved ones battling cancer.
"This summer I had a coach show me his tattoo," Ritchie recalled. "He said 'my wife battled breast cancer. This means a lot to me.' I didn't know what to say. I don't know how to respond to that, but it just meant a lot to me that I'm doing something that means something to more than just myself. I'm doing something that means something to other people."
"There is something special when you're growing up and you go through adversity with a family member that you care about so much," American Legion Post 280 head coach Larry Bowles added, who noted his brother has cerebral palsy. "It just builds you different and we bonded over that this summer for sure."
Ritchie and his teammates just completed quite the summer run. After winning the state championship, Post 280 won the Mid-Atlantic Region title the next week, clinching a spot in the American Legion World Series. The squad would win a game at the event, but did not qualify for the semifinals. Despite coming up short of a national championship, the team from Chesapeake still asserted itself as one of the top eight teams in the country.
Steven Ritchie will begin his freshman season at Ferrum College later this month.
