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How Erik Bakich's military family, Savannah Bananas inspire Clemson baseball's in-game salutes
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- How Erik Bakich's military family, Savannah Bananas inspire Clemson baseball's in-game salutes
CLEMSON — Danny Cannon has seen enough Clemson baseball games at Doug Kingsmore Stadium for a lifetime, but even this surprised him.
Clemson led 3-2 against VCU on Feb. 21 in the middle of the fourth inning. As the Tigers prepared to bat for the bottom of the inning, Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" erupted from the venue's speakers, a video honoring the military played on the videoboard and the stadium's public address announcer asked active military members and veterans to stand.
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Clemson players who were not in the lineup exited their dugout, entered the stands and shook hands with as many service members as possible before play resumed. Cannon, a U.S. Army veteran who has sung "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch at Clemson home games since the late 1990s, said it was one of the coolest experiences he's had at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
"Makes you feel proud that they are starting to really recognize," Cannon said. "Clemson always recognizes them, but really, they started to show it more now."
The fourth-inning meet and greet has continued through the season with players giving out small American flags and Clemson coach Erik Bakich shaking hands with military personnel near the dugout.
It will take place again when No. 2 Clemson (35-7, 13-5 ACC) hosts No. 9 Georgia (33-9, 10-8 SEC) on April 22 (8 p.m. ET, ESPNU).
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The Savannah Bananas inspired this new tradition when they faced Clemson in an exhibition game on Nov. 7, 2023. The Bananas, known for their showmanship and entertainment rather than competitive baseball, exited the dugout in the game to greet active and veteran military members.
Bakich witnessed the moment and made sure to add it to Clemson's in-game entertainment this season.
"If we steal anything from the Bananas, we're stealing that," Bakich said. "That is just so aligned with our values , with the values of this university, with the values of our program."
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One of Clemson's six core values is patriotism, where it honors its military heritage. The school was founded as Clemson Agricultural College, a military school, in November 1889 and has had more than 10,000 students and alumni who have served in the armed forces.
Bakich has a deep admiration for the military, too. He grew up in San Jose, California, the hometown of Pat Tillman, who decided to forgo his NFL career to enlist in the military with his brother after the 9/11 attacks. Bakich's father, Jim Bakich, served in the Vietnam war, and one of his grandfathers, Carl Marianelli, fought in World War II.
Bakich sees this tradition as a way to honor veterans who didn't receive enough admiration when they returned to the United States. The lack of love stems from experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder from wars or the opposition to wars like the Vietnam War.
"There still is that deep appreciation for the soldiers who went and fought (in Vietnam)," Bakich said. "My dad was celebrating his 20th and 21st birthdays in the jungle of Vietnam. I just think that's a sophomore and a junior on our team, and I don't know if they could do that."
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Bakich briefly considered enlisting in the military after finishing independent league baseball play in 2001 just before the 9/11 attacks. However, former East Carolina coach Keith LeClair, under whom Bakich played for two seasons, helped him land a volunteer coaching position at Clemson in 2002 under coach Jack Leggett that began his coaching career.
Bakich sees the fourth-inning celebration as a staple for Clemson home games as a creative way to thank those who served.
"We'll continue to show that respect and appreciation every single game, and I love what we're doing in the middle of the fourth inning," Bakich said. "I just think it's such a good thing and just can't be understated how impactful it is for so many veterans who maybe always didn't feel the love over the years."
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Why Clemson baseball honors military in fourth inning of home games
