By Michael Letendre

It certainly was a special day when Bristol Central baseball coach Bunty Ray earned his 200th win last Thursday in the squad’s 4-3 victory over Farmington from Tunxis Mead Park.

The amazing part of the coaching journey Ray has embarked on is the realization that wins and losses – in a teaching sense – don’t matter as much.

The longtime coach and mentor sees a bigger picture and understands, especially in scholastic sports, it’s not always about the wins and big triumphs.

Ray has learned invaluable lessons over a quarter-of-a-century in coaching young men and sometimes, it takes a few lumps to help a young athlete succeed on the field or to be a better teammate.

“When I got older, I sacrificed wins for the greater good,” said Ray. “When I first started, it was all about winning and doing what we needed to do. And now, you learn along the way that they’re kids. They have to be able to make their mistakes, but you also have to drive them.”

Ray also admitted that times have changed as well.

And times have certainly changed for Ray from when he first picked up the reigns at Bristol Central as the head baseball coach back in 2007.

Just on the technology front, it’s a completely different world.

You now have streaming platforms where the kids can highlight their abilities to local colleges and universities.

And all those coaches and players text each other in terms of practice times, meetings, gatherings, and the like.

But through all of that, just like Ray did as a youngster, the kids must swing the bat, throw the ball, and make mistakes along the way.

Kids will always be kids.

“We’re living in a different world now too, but I don’t subscribe that kids are different,” said Ray. “Kids aren’t different. Adults become different and I always draw back on my old coaches and the lessons they taught me because they’re sound. It’s about accountability, responsibility, respecting the game, and being a good teammate. You can still teach those lessons to kids.”

“I’ve been afforded the opportunity to instill those same things.”

Those methods work for Ray as the Bristol Central baseball squad is a model program of the Central Connecticut Conference.

Ray is old school, and does he yell a little bit from time to time on the sidelines?

Absolutely.

Is that what happened to him when he played at Bristol Eastern under then head coach Mike Giovinazzo?

You better believe it.

Did he get similar treatment from Mike Green, Jim Ziogas, Spec Monico, and Bill Holowaty?

Sure did.

However, the records and the kid’s success are both a proven commodity for the baseball program over at Bristol Central.

And that’s the experience Ray brings to each practice and every game.

“The communication is a little bit different,” said Ray. “You just have to get your message across a little bit differently but you can still have the same results.”

Lessons to be learned

The previous game before Ray’s milestone victory, Central fell to Avon by a 7-4 score from Buckingham Field.

Ray said that the team didn’t play very well but that’s certainly bound to happen over the course of every successful season.

And what was the response the following day?

A resounding victory at Farmington for the players first win of the campaign and Ray’s 200th triumph.

“200 is 200 but I’ve also had some losses along the way,” said Ray. “I’ve had more wins than losses but watching Ryan Ring throw a guy out at third base, watching J.T. Clark who’s injured but was able to come in and do what he needs to do to try to help his team and Frank [Spirito] who didn’t perform in a save opportunity in Plainville but comes in and closes the door against Farmington, it’s a teaching tool. It was more of a learning point. It was more of everything we’re supposed to do as coaches.”

Ray has been there for several of the big milestone wins for his mentors along the way.

He was on the sidelines when Bristol Eastern boys soccer coach Bill Sweet won his 400th match in Hartford and when Giovinazzo picked his 600th win at Plainville.

Those coaches have always been there for Ray, and he gladly returned the favor for his coaches.

“Numbers are numbers,” said Ray. “Obviously, I’ve been fortunate to be there. I got to be there when Coach Sweet won his 400th and I got to sit there for Coach Giovinazzo’s 600th. I’ve got to sit there and watch numbers, but moments are better than numbers.”

The final installment on Ray’s 200th win will be available in the pages of TBE on Thursday.