Although the West Salem summer baseball team lost its July 30 quarterfinal game in the WIAA state tournament, 6-5, both the team and its fans won a measure of respect that has even transcended the state’s borders.

Last week, when coach Chuck Ihle checked his school mailbox, he found a letter written on Los Angeles Dodger stationery. It was written by Jerry Raddatz, a scout for the Dodgers based out of Winona, Minn.

Raddatz was at the contest between West Salem and Oak Creek — the game that West Salem lost in heartbreaking fashion when Oak Creek rallied for three runs to tie the score in the final inning, then won in extra innings on a home run by Ross Fassbinder.

There were apparently a number of scouts and college coaches in the stands that night. According to Raddatz, most were there to see Eric Semmelhack, a junior pitcher from Oak Creek with a blazing fastball.

Raddatz began his letter by saying he’d be “remiss” by not complimenting West Salem and adding that his feelings were shared by the many coaches and scouts in attendance.

“We all were so impressed by the preparation of your team by your coaching staff to say the least — none of your players were intimidated by the almost 90-mile-per-hour pitches on this night. It was a very impressive performance by your team, and all of us extend our congratulations,” he wrote.

Continuing with his letter, the Dodger scout noted that, when the game turned in Oak Creek’s favor, the West Salem players and fans did not sulk or point fingers. “When all did not go well for the team down the stretch, not one member ever showed any frustration at any of the events as they took place. Our group also observed such positive attitudes of all your supporters that night, whether they were students or adults. They conducted themselves in a positive way throughout the entire game.”

That behavior was so striking that the coaches and scouts around Raddatz could not help but remark on it. “We wondered who was responsible for making every one of us so proud of this action by all the people from West Salem High School. We came to the conclusion that there are many people in the school who have played a major role, from the administration to the coaches to the parents and also the student leaders.

“Again, congratulations to all the followers of West Salem High School baseball. You proved to all the people at the 2008 state baseball tournament that West Salem can be a real role model for schools in the state of Wisconsin,” Raddatz concluded.

His letter helps explain why West Salem won the WIAA Sportsmanship Award this year and why the school has earned a reputation for sportsmanship. The baseball team won the same award in 2002 and the football team won it in 2005.

Ihle clearly appreciated the letter and remains proud of his team: “It’s a lot easier to be a good sport when you win. We lost a heartbreaker, yet we held our heads high. This kind of recognition is why we’re in this game — it exemplifies the true meaning of competition.”

For Ihle, who was recently named Coach of the Year, by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association, sportsmanship is a higher value than winning or losing. It’s about competing and doing your best — even if you can’t always win.

“An even keel is a necessary part of life. Not every day is going to be good in life either — you have to be able to move on,” Ihle said. “They (his team) kept it all in perspective. It was a tough loss but they did the best they could and they recovered from it. We didn’t lose. Oak Creek won and they (his players) looked at it maturely.”

According to Ihle, the comments of Dan Schneider after the loss (Schneider said that Oak Creek deserved to win the game) exemplified the kind of sportsmanship he hoped to instill.

Asked about his comments, Schneider admitted it was hard to stay positive after such a tough loss. “But it wasn’t hard to congratulate the other team — they deserved it.”

Still, Schneider remains proud of how the Panthers played against a much bigger school and nearly beat them. “They were a school of 2,000 versus our 500, but we probably should have won. Still, they hit the ball really well. They were the better team that night,” he said.

Baseball is a game where its impossible to be successful every single time you play. As such, Ihle believes it can teach us about much more than sports. “It’s important in life as well to learn how to deal with disappointments — you have to be able to move on,” he said.