Science Hill High School

Billy Patton

Billy Patton 1982

Billy Patton can empathize with those 1990s Buffalo Bills teams – getting there is more than half the fun.

Patton was on the Johnson City Nationals All-Star baseball team that won the state tournament and nine straight games to get within a win of the Little League World Series in 1976. He was on Science Hill's state runner-up baseball team in 1981, and the '82 Hilltoppers, which set a school record with 27 wins before being upset 1-0 by David Crockett in a postseason that's yet to digest.

Patton also started for Dennis Greenwell's 1982 state tournament basketball team.

Patton always seemed to be at his best with games on the line. Two Florida newspapers praised his late-inning catch which helped the Nationals defeat Kentucky to reach the Little League Southern Regional championship in St. Petersburg.

"I drive my wife crazy talking about that '76 team," he says.

Newspapers were still praising him his senior year at Science Hill. Patton was the Upper East Tennessee Player of the Year in 1982 for Charlie Bailey's talented 'Toppers. He hit .457 and was considered the area's top defensive outfielder.

"Billy Patton could flat-out run a baseball down in the outfield like nobody else I'd ever seen," said Science Hill teammate Jeff Forney, who eventually played center field in the Cincinnati Reds organization. "If you were going to hit one over Billy's head in center field at Cardinal Park, you better hit it 440 feet. Billy was tall and lean and he could really go get it."

The self-deprecating Patton, who was clocked at ETSU with 4.45 speed, seems to prefer remembering his slow days. The '81 state baseball championship was decided with a three-game series against Germantown, and Patton quickly recalls being responsible for three of Germantown pitcher Tim Nichols' 12 strikeouts in the 'Toppers' lone victory.

"I was 0 for 3 on nine pitches," Patton says laughing.

Patton didn't mention having three hits and scoring three runs in Science Hill's previous win against Baylor to reach the state championship.

"I think we all had three hits that game," he says of the 19-10 victory.

Patton also talked up teammates when asked about playing in the basketball state tournament.

"Playing with (talented) guys like Herbie Bullock, Albert Sams and Jimmy Street," Patton said, "I figured I could play defense or sit and watch."

D-B coach Charlie Morgan, then an assistant at Science Hill, said Patton was low maintenance.

"Billy was a very good defensive player," Morgan said. "He was solid, practiced hard every day."

Patton signed with East Tennessee State when Charley Lodes had Bucs baseball rolling.

Patton was All-SoCon despite missing two games after injuring a shoulder falling over the fence chasing a foul ball. He regained his groove during the home stretch of his career, hitting .357 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in the final 20 games to help fuel the Bucs' SoCon tourney run. He hit .310 for the season and was 11 for 11 in stolen bases.

"Billy had all the tools: the speed, the arm and he could hit," Bailey said. "I remember a catch he made against Germantown that was Major League. Billy Patton was fun to watch."