Bradenton, Manatee law enforcement face off in charity game after 2-year break. See photos

Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies went head to head with Bradenton Police Department officers at LECOM Park on Tuesday in the second annual “Battle of the Badges,” a baseball game for charity.

It’s a rematch that has been in the making since 2019, when the first inaugural ball game went down. A sequel was delayed by the pandemic for the next two years.

It hit another snag when Hurricane Ian landed in September, but local law enforcement were determined to hit the mound in 2022 and rescheduled the match for a post-Thanksgiving showdown.

Both teams made bold efforts on Tuesday, where they looked like naturals on the home turf of the Bradenton Marauders and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Unfortunately for the Bradenton Police Department, the sheriff’s deputies kept the hits coming and LECOM’s bases loaded, breezing to an easy 25-2 victory.

But it was all in good fun, and the real winners were the local outreach programs of both law enforcement agencies.

At the end of the night, both teams had raised hundreds of dollars for their charity organizations: the Bradenton Blue Foundation and the Manatee Sheriff’s Charity.

On Wednesday, the agencies shared appreciation for each other on social media — and there was also some post-game teasing.

“Only thing bigger than the 25-2 score, was the money raised for these awesome charities. Thank you Bradenton Marauders for hosting another great event,” Manatee County Sheriff’s Office commented.

“Ouch!” Bradenton Police Department replied. “Fine — next time we try Battle of the Badge: Pickleball edition!”

Here are some scenes from the second annual “Battle of the Badges.”

This story was originally published November 30, 2022 at 1:50 PM.