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“It’s important for us to come out as a community,” said Steve Baird, president and founder of ECHO group, a nonprofit focusing on veterans that funds the league so players don’t have to. “There’s things you can’t talk about or explain unless you’ve been through them. Not every veteran is suffering, some are, but coming together helps us all.”

Before the games began, the four teams gathered for the opening ceremony. When not trading jokes about which military branch is the best, they sang the national anthem and did a roll call just like they would if it were boot camp.

The ceremony ended with a flag-folding ceremony dedicated to a friend who died in October 2021. Santa Maria native Ronnie Baker was an avid softball enthusiast who played in several local leagues and traveled around the state to compete in tournaments. He was also known in the area as a youth umpire who would bribe catchers with a burrito if they managed to go a whole game without letting a ball hit him. 

Baker himself wasn’t a veteran but helped the league get up and running. Some of his children play on the league’s only civilian team and were there for the ceremony. 

“For those of you who don’t know, Ronnie Baker picked me up from detox,” said Baird, who wore a special jersey in Baker’s honor. “That week, he drove me down to Santa Barbara to play in a softball tournament. I didn’t play great — I do now— but it was a great time. He practically saved my life, and the idea for Band of Brothers was born.”

After the somber moment, the jokes and smack talk continued. According to Baird, it’s what Baker would’ve wanted.

Two serious events colored the conversations of the ball players on Friday.

First was the anniversary of ground operations in Desert Storm in 1991. Although the war already began Jan. 17, Feb. 24 marks the date that U.S. infantry began the push into Kuwait and Iraq. Thirty-one years later, some are still suffering from the effects of war.

“They call it the quick war; it’s almost forgotten about,” Baird said. “But we have guys out here tonight that were there. The burning oil fields, the stuff our guys breathed in and their health issues are something everyone should be aware of.”

The softball players also discussed the more recent Russian invasion of Ukraine. As Baird suggested that any one of the players would sign up to go there if they let them, a few players joked, “As long as they paid us.”

“It’s a reminder of what America is all about,” Baird said. “When we see those videos of families hiding in train stations, we want to help. So many of us here tonight joined to make a positive change in the world, and when we see stuff like that it really hits home.”

According to the most recent CNN poll, 58% of Americans do not want the U.S. to have direct military intervention. However some players Friday discussed how they wanted the military to help. 

“Some out there say this is the start of World War III. I don’t know if it is, but it doesn’t feel good waiting on the sidelines,” Baird said. 

Baird and his nonprofit ECHO Group fund all Band of Brothers sporting events. Outside of softball, they run a billiards team at Santa Maria Billiards Lounge and a bowling team at Rancho Bowl. 

“The isolation has been real these past couple of years, so it’s great to get back to normal,” Baird said. “We are looking at expanding the number of teams, and possibly into a few more cities on the Central Coast.”

Besides sporting events, ECHO Group runs Camp Flores, a group home in Santa Maria aimed at helping veterans transition away from homelessness. They also provide a 24-hour crisis response line. When they receive text or calls from veterans in distress, their loved ones or the police, Baird or another member provides rapid support in whatever way they can.

“We only had one call this week, and it ended well which is what matters,” Baird said.

ECHO Group also recently purchased a mini-bus capable of transporting disabled and other veterans to area events. Most recently, they used it to take a trip to Los Angeles for the NFL Honors ceremony, a red-carpet event where players receive annual awards like the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.