Bair finds way to help locate missing kids
But could team photos also be utilized as an effective tool in our nation's efforts to locate missing children? Dennis Bair thinks so.
The former Minor League pitcher has found a unique way to stay connected to the game he loves. His organization, BairFind, is devoted to placing pictures of missing children on Minor League team photos. The reasoning behind such an endeavor is simple -- while direct mail and milk cartons are ephemeral items that are barely looked at and disposed of quickly, team photos are often kept for long periods of time and displayed in prominent locations. Therefore, the presence of a missing child in such a photo has a far greater chance of making an impression on people.
Thus far, BairFind has been a one-man operation with a limited budget and, therefore, limited impact. But Bair is wholly dedicated to his mission, and he thinks BairFind has the potential for nearly unlimited growth across Minor League Baseball.
A unique perspective
In many cases, those who are deeply involved in charitable organizations were moved to do so as a result of being directly affected by an issue. The most prominent example when it comes to missing children is America's Most Wanted host John Walsh, who dedicated his life to the cause after the abduction and murder of his son, Adam, in 1981.
But Bair, now a 34-year-old high school teacher and pitching coach, doesn't have a tragic backstory.
"I didn't go into this from the standpoint of a parent with a missing child," he explained. "I'm operating from the standpoint of a baseball player who signed a lot of autographs."
An eighth-round Draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in 1995, Bair enjoyed two solid seasons in affiliated ball before a seemingly endless litany of shoulder injuries derailed (and eventually ended) his career.
"[In 1996,] I led the Florida State League in innings pitched and starts, and I took pride in being the workhorse," he said. "I never wanted to miss a start, and I had that mentality because I grew up in Pittsburgh. My Dad's a steelworker, and my uncles and grandfather were steelworkers. It's a toughness thing, but of course that's what led to the injuries."
Whether between starts or on the disabled list, Bair had plenty of downtime while he was at the ballpark. Therefore, he spent a lot of time interacting with fans.
"I signed a ton of autographs, even though only a few of the fans had any idea who I was," he recalled. "They just liked the idea of a Minor Leaguer in uniform, and that they had such easy access."
These experiences led to an epiphany one offseason as Bair was cleaning out his childhood bedroom.
"I found an autographed picture of [former Pittsburgh Steeler running back] Rocky Bleier, and an idea came into my head," he said. "I thought of all the pictures of missing kids that I had thrown away, but I would have never thrown out my picture of Rocky Bleier. This was something of value. It occurred to me that if there had been a picture of a missing child in the corner, I would still have it, it would still be in view.
"It was like two halves of my brain came together, and in the middle there was the idea. I thought to myself, 'This is it, this solves the problem. This is how you get pictures of missing kids into the hands of people who want them.'"
The idea becomes reality
Bair staged his first BairFind promotion in 2001 as a member of the Frontier League's Canton Crocodiles. The team distributed a flier featuring photos of two missing girls, one of whom was located via an anonymous tip the following October. While unable to confirm whether the team flier directly led to her recovery, the fact that she was found helped convince Bair that he was on the right path.
After his playing career ended (he last suited up for Shreveport of the independent Central League in 2003), Bair launched himself into his new project.
"I took some examples of what I did [with Canton] and sent them to Mike Veeck, because I knew he was a big guy when it came to promotions," said Bair. "I had a meeting with Veeck, and he believed in the idea and allowed me test-market it with his team in Charleston [the RiverDogs]."
Bair also contacted the Erie SeaWolves, who were located near his Pittsburgh home, and got them on board as well. Both teams staged BairFind team photo giveaways in 2005 in which the players were made available for a pregame autograph session. The child featured in these photos, Tanya Kach of McKeesport, Pa., was found the following March.
"We thought it was a great idea, we were like 'Why haven't we tried this before?'" said RiverDogs assistant general manager Jim Pfander. "From the team standpoint, it was a no-brainer, just a win-win situation for all involved."
Pfander admitted to having some reservations regarding how fans would react to seeing a missing child on the team photo, but these fears were quickly allayed.
"There were no complaints at all; people just seemed thrilled that we were giving them something that could immediately be autographed," he said.
Bair continued to work with the RiverDogs and SeaWolves in subsequent seasons and most recently teamed up with the Daytona Cubs. This was a natural pairing for two reasons -- Bair pitched for the team in 1996, and he recently moved to the area as well. On Aug. 2, the club distributed 1,000 team photos featuring missing child Gina DeJesus of Cleveland, Ohio.
"A few people may have been surprised at first, but the local media picked up the story and it turned out to be a really good way to get the word out about BairFind," said Daytona Cubs assistant general manager Tom Denlinger. "We're looking to do it next year, booking the date far in advance so that we can get it on the pocket schedule."
A long way to go
Bair has applied for non-profit status, and he expects to be approved within the next several months. This will allow him to apply for grant money, but the biggest financial hurdle remains the issue of sponsorship.
Up to this point, Bair has raised money for the photos on a case-by-case basis. A Pittsburgh-area Office Depot franchise sponsored the initial Charleston and Erie team photos, and the cost of the recent promotion in Daytona was covered by a recently retired family friend. But for the program to truly have an impact on a national scale, a new way of doing business is needed.
"[BairFind] would be a great opportunity for a corporate sponsor," said Bair. "What better way to say you're out for missing kids than by putting your logo on the team poster?"
Bair also thinks Minor League Baseball provides the perfect backdrop for his initiative.
"It's the ideal vehicle," he said. "[Minor League Baseball] keeps on setting attendance records, drawing over 40 million fans a season. Players are always accessible to fans, and there are teams in over 150 cities all over the country. BairFind is more than just a fun, quirky promotion. It really could revolutionize the way we find missing kids."
Benjamin Hill is a reporter for MLB.com.