On Tuesday evening, September 23, members of the Sinclair Baseball team found their way to the Community Blood Center in Dayton to donate blood.
In what is now an annual event, the 2014 defending OCCAC regular season champions were doing more than stealing bases or hitting line drives; they were scoring in ways not found on the diamond.
30+ players toured the Dayton Community Blood Center (CBC) on South Main Street with 20 of those individuals actually donating blood and getting the complete game that saved an estimated 60 lives. Mariano Rivera or Dennis Eckersley, the top relievers in Major League Baseball history, would have been impressed with the amount of saves (saved lives) the team put on the board.
It is estimated that each person can save 3 lives with just one donation. This hits extremely close to home with Steve Dintaman, Head Baseball Coach.
Back in 2007, an all-conference pitcher went in for a routine tonsillectomy during the summer and wound up fighting for his life. His carotid artery was nicked during surgery and he nearly bled to death on two separate occasions when the repairs to the artery failed. Coach Dintaman then understood the immediate need for blood donors as he watched his young pitcher recover.
Ever since that episode, Coach Dintaman has made at least one journey each year with his team to give and donate.
For more information on giving blood or becoming a donor, visit the Community Blood Center's website: http://givingblood.org/