Second Inning: A Bat Bags Journey

As told by one very grateful baseball bat bag

I thought my time was over.

I’d carried dreams once—zippers stretched tight around game-day gear, seams worn soft from seasons of dirt, dugouts, and double plays. My boy and I, we’d been through a lot. Tournament wins. Rain delays. Road trips. Broken bats. Pick-me-ups after strikeouts. I was more than just a bag; I was part of the story.

Then, one day, I was left on a doorstep. Not forgotten, just… done. Retired. My boy had outgrown me—on to bigger things. I sat quietly among other donated equipment in the Mobile Sports Locker of The EMpact One Foundation, unsure what came next.

And then, everything changed.

A volunteer lifted me up one morning, checking my zippers, patting my side. I was being chosen again. Not sold, not discarded—but chosen. I didn’t know where we were headed, only that we were going far—over 200 miles, in fact. This wasn’t just a delivery. This was a mission.

We were meeting a young man who had just entered emergency foster care. Life had thrown him a curveball he didn’t see coming. He had nothing but the clothes he wore and a dream he didn’t want to give up: to play baseball for his new school team.

When he saw me—worn but ready—his eyes lit up. For the first time in a while, he smiled. That’s when I realized: I still had work to do.

I was filled again—cleats, glove, bat—thanks to donors like you. Every zip of my compartments meant another chance. Another practice. Another game. Another piece of normal in a world that had felt anything but.

I was back on the field. Cheering from the fence. Slung over strong shoulders, a little scuffed, a lot proud.

So, to every person who’s given to The EMpact One Foundation—to those who saw value in used gear, to those who believe in second chances, to those who made that 200-mile trip possible—thank you.

You didn’t just give a bag a second life.

You gave a boy his first real shot.

And trust me, from where I hang now on the back of that dugout bench—it’s a beautiful view.