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Sports

Batter Up!

Program helps people with disabilities play ball.

Buffalo Grove resident Gerilyn Miller-Brown's daughter, Erin Brown, relies on a wheelchair. But, thanks to the Buddy Baseball program, Erin can still play baseball right in her hometown.

The program is run through Keshet, an organization that provides recreational, educational and vocational programs for children and young adults with developmental disabilities.

"We don't keep score, and no one strikes out," Miller-Brown said. "The smiles and expressions on the players' faces are such beautiful things to see. It's a wonderful way for kids with special needs to be able to play baseball."

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With speakers and a microphone, Dean Klassman's voice can be heard throughout the field during the game.

"I announce the players' names when they get a hit, and when they get to home base," explained Klassman, a Buffalo Grove resident who helped establish the program. "All the players' names get called, and the players just love to hear their names."

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"Dean has done a wonderful job with this program," Miller-Brown said.

The season ended in October. Players will return for the new season in the spring.

Buddy Baseball pairs players with special needs with people without special needs, Klassman said. The buddies help participants catch, bat, and field; they also provide encouragement. While some of the Buddy Baseball games have age limits, the last game of the season did not.

"We wanted everyone to have a chance to play," Klassman said.

The program has been expanded to include the North Shore. In recent years, Buddy Baseball had its all-star game at Wrigley Field.

Games are played on Kendrigan Field in Buffalo Grove's Twin Creeks Park. The field is accessible to people in wheelchairs and walkers; for instance, the dugouts are designed so that wheelchairs can be maneuvered around the benches.

The field also has rubber that is poured-in-place, cushioning falls. The rigid surface ensures that wheelchairs and walkers do not get stuck.

"On a typical baseball field, you have drainage issues if it rains," Mike Terson, park district spokesman, said. "After it's stopped raining, it takes [Kendrigan] Field about five minutes to drain, and then you can play.

"Buffalo Grove is forward-thinking," Terson continued. "People come together to design the parks so that everyone can participate."

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