WEST WINDSOR-PLAINSBORO: Baseball field could be named after David Bachner

By Geena Molinaro, Special Writer
WEST WINDSOR-PLAINSBORO — The committee charged with gathering information about naming the High School North baseball field held a public forum on Tuesday to hear suggestions.
The meeting was held five years and one day after David Bachner, who was named 2009 baseball player of the year by the Trenton Times and Trentonian, died of cardiac arrest in his home, according to dates on his memorial page.
David, a record-breaking pitcher at North, was headed to Seton Hall University in South Orange on a full scholarship, according to the page.
At the forum, Michele Epstein, the mother of one of David’s friends and a former Board of Education member, said she did not have the expected "emotional reaction" to the initial proposal of naming the field after David.
"I certainly reacted as someone who knew David well, who watched my heartbroken, then 18-year-old son carry David’s casket," she said. "But I also thought instinctively about the potential implications of naming the field."
According to a board policy adopted in October 2012, a facility cannot be named after someone until five years after the person’s death or the end of the person’s formal association with the district.
The policy allows for the "time needed following a passing," said Gerard Dalton, assistant superintendent of pupil services/planning. It is also allows enough time to pass to see if the person has become a legacy within the community, he said.
Ms. Epstein said naming a facility requires "reflection and data gathering" and appreciated the policy’s waiting period because it allowed for "thoughtful decision making."
She also thought about how naming the field for David might affect other people in the district who have suffered losses. She said she needed to make sure the proposal focused on recognizing David’s contribution to baseball and to the district community, rather than as a way to provide "comfort."
After considering these aspects, Ms. Epstein said, "I feel strongly in both my heart and my head that naming the baseball field for David Bachner is a healthy, constructive step for our district and the community."
Two of David’s former teammates and North alumni, Charlie Carluccio Jr. and Ryan Phelan, spoke in support of naming the field after David.
Mr. Carluccio, a 2007 graduate, said David was more than just a good baseball player. David was "always smiling, he could always lift you up, he could always make you laugh," he said.
Mr. Carluccio said he thought naming the field after David would encourage students to take after and aspire to be like David.
Mr. Phelan, a 2010 graduate, talked about how David affected not just the West Windsor-Plainsboro community but other communities as well.
The Steinert High School baseball team, a rival, played at North the spring after David’s death, said Mr. Phelan.
"Without any of us knowing, every single one of (the Steinert players), including their coach, walked in with the Unhittable shirts and warmed up," he said.
The Unhittable Across the Globe brand finances the David J. Bachner Memorial Fund. The fund supports talented athletes who cannot afford to showcase their skills to secure a college scholarship.
Seeing Steinert walk across the field in those shirts "took my breath away," said Mr. Phelan. "It shows the type of player he was, how good he was and how much people and other teams respected him," he said.
Mr. Phelan also said Seton Hall, a team David never got to play for, put out a shirt, "Bachner 16," at each of its home games.
"It shows how infectious he was," said Mr. Phelan.
Tim Hitchings, the parent of a North baseball player, sent the board an official request to look into naming the field. Mr. Hitchings never met David, but said he is in favor of naming the field after him.
Sitting in an Unhittable T-shirt, Mr. Hitchings talked about David’s character as representative of both North’s baseball program and the district values.
As of Wednesday morning, Mr. Dalton said no other names had been suggested to the committee.
Some people have relayed their concerns to the committee about the general fairness of naming a facility after a person who has died, said Mr. Dalton. These people do not have a specific issue with David, he said, rather they want to make sure the district fairly honors all deceased community members.
David’s mother, Rhonda Bachner, said she had a good feeling about how everything was proceeding with the ad hoc committee and the Board of Education.
"It’s well organized, I’m happy for the rules and regulations they have in place, and I’m happy they’re listening," Ms. Bachner said.
She said she thinks the board policy has allowed everyone to "give a lot of thought" to naming the field and it is something the community does want.
The committee will submit recommendations to the board’s administration and facilities committee, Mr. Dalton said. The board’s committee will then review the recommendations and afterwards can decide to present the information to the board of education if they so choose, he said. If a recommendation is made to the board, the members will vote on the name for the facility, he said.