Savannah man on fire must-see viewing

Savannah Sand Gnats president John Katz is the first to admit that, when it comes to Minor League promotions, "Often times, the buildup is better than the hype."

This was most certainly not the case at Savannah's Grayson Stadium on Saturday night, however. In a Minor League Baseball first, stuntman Ted Batchelor circled the bases while engulfed in flames. The incendiary spectacle took place upon the conclusion of that evening's Sand Gnats game, just prior to the scheduled fireworks show.

Batchelor had never performed in a Minor League ballpark before, but he is no stranger to getting lit on fire. He currently holds the Guinness World Record for "Longest Full Body Burn Without Supplied Oxygen," staying ignited for an amazing two minutes and 57 seconds.

"I think the coolest thing was that both teams stayed in the dugout to watch me, and a lot of the players had their cameras," said Batchelor. "There they were taking pictures of me, when usually I would be the one taking pictures of them. It was a very strange feeling."

The players' curiosity was certainly warranted, as never before had something like this been attempted on the bases. After applying a fire-resistant gel to his body and dressing in several layers of wool and cotton clothing, Batchelor was ignited by torch-wielding Sand Gnats fan Chris Corey, who had been randomly selected for the honor.

"[Corey] was pretty nervous, and we gave him a little bit of a hard time and tried to scare him, but he said 'No, I really want to do this,'" said Batchelor. "He ended up doing a great job with it."

Once enflamed, Batchelor engaged in a 45-second jaunt around the basepaths (igniting the gasoline-soaked bases along the way). His stunt culminated with a dive toward home plate, headfirst in order to keep the flames away from his mouth.

Katz, who has worked with Minor League Baseball for two decades, called Batchelor's base run "one of the most phenomenal things I have ever seen." Still, it carried risks from both a safety and public relations standpoint. The Savannah fire marshal and paramedics were on hand, and frequent public-address announcements were made regarding the hazards of the stunt.

"We wanted to make sure that this is something that kids wouldn't emulate," said Katz. "We also gave families time to go from the seating area to the concourse following the game and provided more time so that they could then return to their seats for the fireworks. But, quite frankly, I didn't see anybody leave."

The promotion came about due to a fluke connection, as Batchelor is friends with the father of Sand Gnats group sales manager Chase Polhemus.

"About five or six weeks ago, we had a staff meeting, trying to come up with fresh things to do at the ballpark," said Katz. "And Chase says 'Well, my dad's got a buddy who lights himself on fire.' We all looked at him kind of funny, but he was serious."

Batchelor says that his fire run around the bases fulfilled a dream that dated back to 1977, when he was still playing high school baseball. Still, there is much left to be done.

"I have a goal of doing a fire stunt in every state and would like Minor League teams to help me get closer to that goal," he said.

To that end, Batchelor hopes to visit the 2010 Baseball Winter Meetings in order to market himself to the industry as a whole.

"You won't be able to miss me," he said. "I'm the only one on fire."