Spring is here. So is baseball season. Many families of typical kids look forward to sitting in the stands and watching their kids participate in Little League. But the spring pass time many kids take for granted is way out of the league for those with special needs. In today’s post, a trip to a construction site gets guest blogger Scott Newport dreaming about baseball.
Miracle Field
I’ve always heard that miracles happen when you least expect them. And yesterday I experienced that for myself. It all started with a phone call from a guy named Steve. “Hey Scott,” he said. “Do you remember me?”
I recalled meeting him earlier in the year at his brother-in-law’s place of business. Steve had heard about my son, Evan, and about his terminal heart disease and Noonan’s Syndrome. Even though Steve doesn’t have a child with a disability, he is a warrior for the cause. His brother-in-law had told him about the stories I write and Steve wanted to be added to the list of readers. I only met him face-to-face that one time, but since then, we’ve stayed in contact through email.
But back to the phone call…
After I acknowledged that I remembered him, Steve asked me—knowing I was a builder/carpenter—if I would meet him at a construction site to help finish a project that was at a standstill. “Yea, I’ll take a look,” I said. We agreed to meet the next day.
At a Standstill
The next day, I arrived at the job site a few minutes early. It was a sunny March morning, very welcome after another harsh and gray Michigan winter. I was early, so I climbed out of my truck and wandered around the complex a bit. I must admit, I was a bit in awe. The view that surrounded me was of a beautiful outdoor baseball stadium—one of the nicest I’d ever seen. The grass on the field was green—even in March!—and the surrounding areas were neatly kept. There were magnificent light poles standing around the field like soldiers guarding an encampment. I could only imagine how magical a night game played on this field would be.
Just then, Steve walked up and we shook hands. As we stood in the middle of the impressive field, he began to explain how he’d started the project a year ago and that now he needed help to wrap it up. He told me how he’d become a part of the “Miracle League.” I started to think he was talking about the movie with Kevin Costner, Field of Dreams. You know the famous quote: “If you build it, they will come.” Yep. And here I am, a builder. So I said, “But the field looks great! It looks finished. I’m curious why you think you need me.”
All Safe, All Winners
“No, no, no. That’s not what this is about,” he said. He continued telling me about the Miracle League—that every player bats once each inning, that all base runners are safe, and that each team and each player wins every game. I pictured in my mind what a game played by those rules would look like, and as I continued to listen in the early spring sunshine, I started to daydream about the field.
In my mind’s eye, the empty bleachers began to fill with spectators, cheering like they were in a pennant race. The sounds of the players chanting and calling to one another filled the air. I swear, I think I even picked up the scent of hot dogs wafting from the concession stand. The excitement in the air was exhilarating. And then, from behind home plate: “You’re safe!” The umpire rumbled his call and the crowd stood and cheered.
I found a spot right behind the backstop—the best seat in the house. I leaned into chain-link fencing and yelled at the umpire, “What? He can’t be safe; everybody who’s gotten up to bat this inning has been safe. How can that be?”
Anything’s Possible in the Miracle League
The heavyset umpire, dressed all in black, turned around and gave me a quizzical look. He snapped back at me: “Can’t you see these kids have medical issues? Buddy, this is the Miracle League, where everybody is safe. Everyone gets at least a base hit and there’s no such thing as a recorded error.”
Hmm, I guess I really didn’t notice that the last kid to cross home plate was in a wheelchair. I started to look around and, to my surprise, I noticed a lot of wheelchairs and walkers in the dugouts.
The Spirit of the Game
Has Scott gotten you into the spirit of the game? Do you want to know how the Miracle League makes every child can be safe and a winner? Then come back tomorrow for Part 2 of Scott’s beautiful daydream. Until then, if you want to read more of Scott’s posts, type “Scott Newport” in the search box to find them.
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