CFD ballcaps touch hearts and wallets

Rusty Thomas apologized Tuesday for not returning the call sooner.

"Sir," I said to the Charleston fire chief nationally known for nine of the worst reasons and his post-tragedy leadership. "Please don't apologize to me for anything. But there's this idea I want to run by you ..."

Strange how sports and reality get all mixed up, sometimes for the best and sometimes in a twisted misguided sort of way. Top-level athletes are considered heroes in a society that worships competitive entertainment so well-produced it takes our minds off life, where heroes willing to lay down their lives ride right past us every day without the fanfare awarded a 19-year-old second baseman who lays down a nice sacrifice bunt.

The Charleston RiverDogs wore "CFD" ballcaps Saturday night at Riley Park during their Class A South Atlantic League baseball game with the Rome Braves. It was the RiverDogs' annual Kindness Beats Blindness Auction Night, a classy event in which a stunning array of sports memorabilia, vacation packages, jewelry and dining certificates are up for bid.

But those ballcaps honoring the nine Charleston Fire Department heroes who died during the Sofa Super Store tragedy on June 18 got more attention than all of the auction items combined, including the autographed mega-sized Maria Sharapova poster.

Pride and honor

The buzz in the crowd went something like this:

"Can I bid for one of those hats?"

"Are they for sale?"

No, and not yet.

RiverDogs general manager Dave Echols, with Thomas' blessing, had the hats made after discovering that the fire department didn't have enough official issue available. The RiverDogs wore the caps again Sunday, Monday night and

Tuesday night.

"We just wanted to do whatever we could to honor the firefighters," Echols said.

RiverDogs management is on to something. In the spirit and popularity of the NYFD ballcaps sold after 9/11, the sale of official Charleston Fire Department caps — in stores all over town, at the ballpark, on the City of Charleston Web site — probably will do more to generate contributions to the Charleston Firemen's Fund than any other donation stream.

Lowcountry residents will wear them with pride.

Tourists will make the headgear hard to keep in stock.

Soon, you will see "CFD" honored from a bike path on Kiawah Island to a hiking trail at Table Rock State Park.

If the fire department people determine the Charleston Firemen's Fund is funded enough, maybe the extra money generated by ballcap sales can go toward helping the families of firefighters who are killed in future action that doesn't generate quite as much public sympathy. Or sprinkler systems.

Asked if the RiverDogs would be willing to help facilitate ballcap sales via the gift shop at The Joe, Echols couldn't say "Of course" fast enough.

In Florence, too

Thomas is just as willing to make this happen.

"We hadn't thought about that," he said Tuesday, "but I really think it's a great idea."

Thomas already had seen the power of ballcap revenue potential. His son Trey, a Citadel outfielder and infielder, is playing baseball this summer for the Florence Red Wolves in the Coastal Plain League. The Florence team wore its version of red CFD caps during home games last week against the Columbia Blowfish and New Bern River Rats.

"The hats got so much attention, someone came up with the idea of an auction after the games," Rusty Thomas said.

Each of the 25 ballcaps were put up for bid with all profits designated for the Charleston Firemen's Fund. The two-game profit exceeded $2,000.

Amateur ballplayers in Florence and professional ballplayers in Charleston, heroes to so many kids, have helped honor and real heroes and their grieving families.

Strange how life and sports get mixed up, this time for such a wonderful cause.

Reach Gene Sapakoff at gsapakoff@postandcourier.com