Former Blue Wahoos Star Travis Mattair Shares Special Night With Gulf Breeze High Baseball Seniors 

Travis Mattair stood before a podium recently at Blue Wahoos Stadium searching for proper perspective.

Behind him, the field where he built so many memories more than a half-decade ago.

The place where he endeared himself to Blue Wahoos fans as player and goodwill ambassador. The team where his name is listed among the top five in so many franchise feats.

Seated in front of him on this night were seniors on the Gulf Breeze High baseball team. His first senior class. His first season as Dolphins’ coach. His first year in baseball where a global coronavirus pandemic halted play in mid-March and canceled the rest of the schedule.

“Uh… interesting year for us to say the least,” he said, trying to force a laugh, addressing the gathering at the stadium’s Hancock-Whitney Club level. “Interesting year. And this will always be my first year, so I can put that in my memory bank.”

Fortunately, a finality of sorts provided a warm memory.

With Mattair later throwing hundreds of pitches in a last-ever batting practice for seniors, his smiling face, his joyful Gulf Breeze players on a specially arranged experience at Blue Wahoos Stadium became a welcome thrill.

“This stadium is kind of holy ground in Pensacola, so to get to be on it is really cool,” said Mattair, 31, a native of Kennewick, Wash., who became a second-round draft pick as an infielder in 2007 and played eight professional seasons, including 2013 and 2014 in Pensacola with the Blue Wahoos.

Nearly one year ago this month, Mattair was hired as the new Dolphins baseball coach. It was his first high school coaching position.

He had circled March 16 on the 2020 calendar when Gulf Breeze was supposed to play Escambia High in Blue Wahoos Stadium – an event offering Mattair a celebrated return to his former home field.

Days earlier, however, the first onslaught of COVID-19 cancelled the game. The season never resumed. His team’s seniors never had a traditional, honorary final game.

“That was really frustrating,” Mattair said. “We played on the Friday before and our next game was to be here (Blue Wahoos Stadium). We really haven’t seen each other together since.

“We had a Zoom call, but other than that, we haven’t been to together. So to get to do something like this, get to come on the field was really special. Because our next game was at Wahoos Stadium

“So for them to come out here and experience this ballpark was really fun to see.”

The senior night was made possible when Gulf Breeze baseball boosters and parents arranged to utilize Blue Wahoos Stadium for the team’s belated senior night. They read a story in the Pensacola News Journal about Tate High have a similar event in early June.

“When we did the Tate event, it was really well received,” said Shannon Reeves, the Blue Wahoos events manager. “The (Tate) parents loved it, the moms loved doing it for their kids and the kids loved getting out here.

“They had not been together on a field, either, so it was a good chance for everybody to have fun again. People saw it. The story got published in the PNJ. I sent a link to Gulf Breeze and said, ‘Hey you should do this.’

“And they loved the idea and booked it the same day.”

In the future, Reeves is hoping Blue Wahoos Stadium can provide the same kind of experience for other area high school teams seeking a keepsake moment to complete a season.

“This is something that teams can do all the time, even without the disruption in their season that this year’s COVID situation has caused,” Reeves said. “You can come out here at the end of the year and throw an end-of-year party. We can do some food, the coach can bring an end to season on a fun note.

“You have the guys take batting practice. It’s easy, it’s fun.”

Mattair ended this team’s night by stepping into the batting cage, after all his seniors took their turns. Mattair blasted a few balls over the left field wall and bounding toward Pensacola Bay.

He made sure his last swing was a bay bomb as well.

“It’s different memories. But it’s always fun to step on this field. They know I played here and they know it’s special for me, which makes it special for them as well.”

His own baseball career provided Mattair life lessons he can pass on to his players. The Philadelphia Phillies drafted him out of high school in Washington with expectation of reaching the major leagues. Years later, he became part of the Cincinnati Reds organization.

In 2012 with the Reds, he was named an MILB.com organizational all-star. His two seasons in Pensacola placed him among the franchise’s best players. His 126 career RBI with the Blue Wahoos area remains the best in club history.

His 26 home runs are second-best behind current Reds’ outfielder Aristides Aquino. His 263 games played are the second most in Blue Wahoos history. He’s third all-time in hits, doubles and runs scored.

Mattair was picked up by the Atlanta Braves following the 2014 season. When they released him during spring training 2015, he returned to Pensacola and met with Blue Wahoos team owner Quint Studer for advice and support. He realized then he would not fulfill a dream to reach the major leagues.

The two remain in touch and Mattair is grateful for how Studer helped prepare his transition from playing days to working career. Mattair is set to be married in a couple weeks.

“I can’t say enough for what Quint and Rishy have done for this community and how much they’ve meant to me,” he said.

All of his own challenges are experiences Mattair has tried to relate when talking to his players. Across the nation, all high school baseball has been impacted by the coronavirus.

“It’s something that tells you don’t take life for granted in any way,” Mattair said. “There are some things you can control. You can’t help this. We didn’t think we were going to go into a global pandemic during the season.

“I think most are taking a positive attitude. It’s not how we wanted to end their senior year especially when they worked so hard for four seasons.

“I am just glad they could share something like this (senior night at Blue Wahoos Stadium). These seniors will always be special to me.”