Pride in every patch: The woman behind the World Series uniform patches

Crews are hard at work getting the field and facilities ready at Devon Park for the college softball world series, but there is another crew hard at work in a hotel room downtown.

“It’s one of those things that happens behind the scenes that people really don’t know about,” said Carolan Bledsoe, the patch lady.

For 26 years, Carolan Bledsoe, known this time of year as the patch lady, has been putting the College World Series patches on the uniforms for every team.

“We have eight teams to do, they can have up to 24 girls, and they can have up to four uniforms, so that’s a lot of patches,” said Bledsoe.

That is close to eight hundred jerseys done in about 24 hours.

“It’s gone pretty fast. Usually we’re here all night long, we come at noon on Tuesday, and we leave about noon on Wednesday, and then we go to the ball games,” said Bledsoe.

Bledsoe is a huge softball fan and attends all the OU softball games. She, of course, will be in the stands for the World Series games. Seeing her patchwork on the arm of every team.

“It’s a sense of pride, and it’s like, you look at them and you go, is that one straight?” said Bledsoe.

It’s a family affair with her daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, and great-grandson, sorting through the jerseys and making sure the patches are on the correct sleeve for each player.

“The left-handed batters have to have them on the right sleeve, and the right-handed on the left sleeve, so that they face the camera in center field when they bat,” said Bledsoe.

What started as a simple favor 26 years ago is a renewed agreement every year with a phone call.

“So, every year now he calls me in the spring, and he says, 'Are you going to do it again this year?' He said I’m scared to death that one of these years you’re going to say no,” said Bledsoe.

It’s a phone call she looks forward to every year.

“I’m 81, and I know the day is going to come when I can’t do it, but I’m going to hang on as long as I can,” said Bledsoe.

The crew literally worked all night because come game time she will be here in her seat, seeing the fruits of her labor on the field.