Former KHS coach was self-taught baseball player

February 26, 2012 12:00 AM

Ronnie Battle always wanted to play professional baseball. His father was a semiprofessional baseball manager and team owner, and although Savannah High School didn?t have a baseball team, he said there was always equipment around the house for him and his brothers to play the game.

?I never played any high school sports,? he said. ?But I went to college and played baseball as a walk-on at Fayetteville State.?

The longtime American Legion coach, and retired Kinston High School varsity coach, went on to win a pair of NAIA national batting titles at Fayetteville State University.

?I was, more or less, a self-taught baseball player,? he said.

In 1974, Battle had a three-day tryout for the New York Yankees. After what he called two of the best days of baseball he had ever played, he injured himself tracking a fly ball.

?My dreams melted away when I ran into the wall at Grainger Stadium,? he said of the 18-month recovery after being knocked unconscious. ?My mom told me, ?Maybe the Lord didn?t intend for you to be a baseball player,? and I didn?t want to hear it.?

The following year he started his career at J.H. Sampson as the elementary school?s first, and only, physical education instructor ? the school closed in 2003.

In 1975, he joined the baseball staff at Kinston, and by 1980, Battle was the head coach.

?I decided (if I couldn?t play baseball) I wanted to help make good citizens and good people in Lenoir County,? he said. ?I know that those kids (I?ve coached), I?ve helped influence them.?

During his nearly three decades of coaching high school baseball, Battle was a member of an extremely small group of coaches. At one point, of the 446 high schools in the state, he was one of only four African-Americans heading up a varsity squad.

?It was very different,? he said of the experience. ?The majority of the times I always felt comfortable but I would go places and there were times when I would get treated like a stepchild.?

Battled recalled a playoff game in Brunswick County in his final season when the opposing coach wouldn?t even speak to him.

?He looked at me and gave (Chris) Hatcher the game ball and then turned and walked away,? Battle said. ?But it?s something that made me a stronger individual ? knowing that I?ve been able to persevere.?

Battle has seen five of his players drafted to play professional baseball and more than 60 have played college baseball ? including five Division 1 players on his final 2003 roster.

?I remember them being a bunch of fun-loving kids,? he said.

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Justin Hill can be reached at 252-559-1078 or jhill@freedomen.com. Follow him on Twitter @mjhill.

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Black History Month Profile (run with mugshot)

n Name: Ronnie Battle

n Occupation: Baseball coach, retired

n Education: Savannah High School, 1969; Fayetteville State University 1973

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Source: http://www.kinston.com/news/baseball-80307-didn-team.html

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