The Blessing of Buddy Baseball

Our younger son has a very special friend.  Her name is Erin, and she is amazing.  Erin always has a smile on her face... and though she doesn't have conversations in the way we are used to speaking, what she says through her eyes, through her hugs, and through her love for those around her speaks volumes.

Last Saturday morning at 9:25am, our son asked if we could go watch Erin play Buddy Baseball.   Buddy Baseball begins at 9:30am every Saturday morning (as well as on Wednesday evenings) in the spring.  The games are at Kendrigan Field at the corner of Buffalo Grove Road and Aptakisic Road.  We hurried out of the house to get there on time.

We were a few minutes late, and being that it was our first time attending a Buddy Baseball game, we had no idea what to expect.  As we got out of our car in the over-packed parking lot, we heard a strange noise... almost like rushing water.  I thought maybe the fields were flooded from the recent rains.  

It wasn't until we got closer to the field that I realized the noise was the consistent sounds of "clappers"- you know, the plastic hands that you shake back and forth to make a clapping sound.  Cute, I thought...  But we were late and didn't get clappers.  It didn't take us long to discover that this was a big mistake. 

About 3 minutes after arriving, the crowd erupted in cheers.  A young man with Down Syndrome came out from the dugout and threw his hands in the air to the unbelievably enormous group of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who, on this Saturday morning, cheered as if they were watching the Cubs win The Pennant.  The young man, wearing a White Sox uniform with "Thorpe" emblazened across his back, ran up and down the front of the crowd... cheering, hands waving wildly, and getting everyone excited.  And that's when I burst into tears.

I'm a "happy crier."  When I'm happy, I cry.  I cry at fireworks.  I cry when I see the dolphin show at Brookfield Zoo.  And, I cry at Disneyworld.

But at this Buddy Baseball game, I cried the happiest cry I've cried in a long time.  What a beautiful day... the sun was shining, it was warm outside, and here were children and their families having a "regular game of baseball."

Yes, the field is all rubberized so it is wheel-chair accessible.  And yes, each player had a "buddy" with them, helping them hit the ball, field the ball, and run the bases.  And yes, the fans all had clappers.  But besides those little things, it was just a regular game for kids whose parents probably thought their children might never be able to play baseball.

Hits were made (some pretty far!) and the ball was thrown from the outfield in.  Players ran (or walked) the bases- some with the assistance of wheelchairs.  And coaches cheered and high-fived their players.  It was just a "regular game of baseball"... but so much better.

What a wonderful opportunity for these players and their families.  What a sense of pride they each had in their accomplishments-- not to mention the FUN!  And what a wonderful village we live in, that we have this special field for these extra-special players and their families.  It is by far the nicest field we have in Buffalo Grove... and it is designated just for Buddy Baseball.

By the end of the hour, I realized why the "clappers" were so necessary, and why the next time we go we need to get there early enough to get one.  At Buddy Baseball, you don't stop clapping from the minute you arrive until the minute you leave.  These players are all amazing.  You cheer for each and every one of them, not just for your own.  You cheer every play, every hit, every run, and every throw.  My hands were all clapped out by the time we left, and were sore for the rest of the day.

But it was worth it.

If you haven't yet been to a Buddy Baseball game, please go.  And invite your children to go with you... they will enjoy it as much as you will.  But if I may offer one piece of advice... Just make sure you get there early enough to get a clapper.