Eric Byrnes Orchestrates Final Game for Disqualified Torrance High Baseball Team

"Let Them Play," advocated former MLB outfielder Eric Byrnes on behalf of the Torrance High School baseball team after a practice-batting violation disqualified the Tartars from the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

When the CIF-SS refused, Byrnes made it a personal mission to orchestrate a positively memorable experience for the California squad.

Assembling a motley crew of men that included a cast of former UCLA players into a unified opposition he dubbed the Barnstormers, the 40-year-old transformed Torrance's Kendall Field into the site of a consolation showdown on Thursday:

In fact, Byrnes' investment in buoying the spirit of the Tartars ran so deep, it resulted in the MLB Network analyst perching himself atop the backstop victoriously—despite having just been tagged out to end the game in a 13-9 loss:

Which isn't to say that the Barnstormers didn't bring their postseason mindset...

...it's simply that Byrnes' definition of achievement and success went beyond the diamond—something he hoped to pass along to the students.

“Just pay it forward,” Byrnes instructed the Torrance players, according to the Daily Breeze. “There is going to be a time, when you guys have an opportunity to do something for somebody, do something for people that they can’t do for themselves. There’s going to be a time when you guys have a voice, use that voice to make a difference.”

Barnstormers teammate and musician Kelley James may have used his voice to summarized the sentiments of the day best:

"We appreciate everything. Make some noise for Byrnes and Torrance High."

[Twitter, h/t USA Today]