If you're a fugitive from justice, best to keep a low profile:The fugitive, who has been at large since violating probation, made a post on his Facebook page inviting friends to join him for batting practice at a specific location. The police, who had been on the lookout for Patterson, immediately alerted the Caldwell police officers who showed up at the softball field where Patterson was and arrested him on the spot.
This reminds me of a story about, I think, Spencer Haywood, the former professional basketball player. During the contract wars between the NBA and ABA, Haywood was in Seattle to sign a contract with the SuperSonics. He was instructed to keep a low profile and avoid publicity, yet he was amazed that no matter where he went, people knew who he was. A friend told him, "Spencer, if you want to remain anonymous, it's probably not a good idea, as a 6'8" black man in Seattle, to walk around in a warmup outfit with your name written on the back." If it wasn't Haywood, it was someone similar - that's the way the ABA was.
It also reminds me of Slick Watts, the guard who played, coincidentally, with the SuperSonics many years later. Told that coach Bill Russell was "incommunicado.", Watts responded, "Then let's go there and find him."
Originally published March 13, 2015
