Not a dry eye in the stands...

[SC Ump]

I'm doing Little League this year for the first time in about 10 years. I've just been doing high school, rec and adults leagues during that time.

I was behind the plate tonight. On one team, there is a 12 year old player that has prosthetics from at least the shins down, I am not sure how much of his legs are missing. He also is missing his left hand. He plays first base, catches the ball with is glove on his right hand, transfers the glove to crook of his other arm and removes the ball to throw it.

He bats left handed, with the bat held firmly in his right hand and the stump of his wrist pressed against the handle for support and guidance. The swing starts two handed and then the left stump has a natural disconnection point during the swing.

Tonight, BOO-YA, left center field, a 250 foot home run. There was not a dry eye in the stands.

[greymule]

That's amazing.

There's a local guy who plays slow pitch softball, and though he has two arms that look normal, his right arm is apparently virtually useless, so he bats righty holding the bat with just his left hand. Somehow, this guy manages to hit hard line drives consistently. I can't remember how he fields; maybe they use him as an EP or something.

[chris s]

Originally posted by SC Ump
I'm doing Little League this year for the first time in about 10 years. I've just been doing high school, rec and adults leagues during that time.

I was behind the plate tonight. On one team, there is a 12 year old player that has prosthetics from at least the shins down, I am not sure how much of his legs are missing. He also is missing his left hand. He plays first base, catches the ball with is glove on his right hand, transfers the glove to crook of his other arm and removes the ball to throw it.

He bats left handed, with the bat held firmly in his right hand and the stump of his wrist pressed against the handle for support and guidance. The swing starts two handed and then the left stump has a natural disconnection point during the swing.

Tonight, BOO-YA, left center field, a 250 foot home run. There was not a dry eye in the stands.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!1
Way cool! We had a kid a few years back with cerebral palsy that did the same thing with the glove at first, and similar batting action. One side of body was like 1/2 the speed/function of the other, kid was good enough to make all-star team...

[JEL]

Had a college tourney here earlier in the year, I was only a spectator. Saw some excellent playing. St. Xaviers rt fielder used only one arm, (left was not fully formed). I watched her team play two full games before I realized it! She would remove glove and throw as fas as any, had speed, and a bat! Handicap? no way. Its inspiring to see these kids isn't it?

[mick]

Good post!

[WestMichBlue]

Anybody remember Jim Abbott from Flint. Born without a right hand, he became an All-American pitcher at Michigan, went directly to the majors and had a 10 year MLB career, highlighted by a 4-0 no hitter against the Indians while a Yankee.

He pushed his glove on his stump, pitched with the left hand. While the ball was on the way to the plate the glove magically moved to the left hand. When he fielded a ball, the glove came off, he captured the ball and made the throw - so smooth you couldn't comprehend how it happened.

In youth ball 25 years ago he was one of those kids you are now talking about. Let's hope they have the same drive to succeed that Abbott had. Afterall, who needs both hands.

WMB

[Bluefoot]

As a Yankee fan, I remember one interleague spring training game in Florida, when Abbott batted and once hit an extra-base hit to the warning-track/wall area. He would hold the bat in his one hand and place the stump of the other arm on the bat to hit. Pretty amazing athlete. He won the Sullivan Award as the nation's top amateur athlete among all sports during his senior season at U. of Michigan.