Bat Boy With Down Syndrome Hits Home Run On Senior Night (Video)

by Darren Hartwell from NESN:
“Fast” Eddie Gordon will never forget his Senior Night.
Eddie, who was born with Down syndrome, has served as the bat boy for the Timberline High School baseball team in Boise, Idaho, for the past two seasons. On Monday, he finally had the chance to step in the batter’s box.
Penciled into Timberline’s lineup as the leadoff hitter, Eddie drew a large ovation from the crowd and both dugouts, who all started chanting his name as he stepped to the plate. After a few swing attempts, Eddie made contact and took off around the bases.
Eddie could hardly conceal his grin as he crossed home plate and was mobbed by his teammates. Check out the cool moment in the video below, which also features interviews from Eddie and his coach.

Timberline baseball senior with Down syndrome stepping up to the plate

by Trevor Phibbs from Varisy Extra and OhioStatesman.com:
The final school bell chimes in mid-afternoon at Timberline High, signaling time to begin preparation for another baseball practice. Players act as groundskeepers andscatter across the diamond with rakes and garden hoses.
Senior Eddie Gordon can hardly wait to get started. Baseball has been on his brain from the moment he woke. Sprinting up the walkway, his excitement is pulsating; time is of the essence when it comes to practice.
Seconds from the gate, his eagerness combusts. "WASSUP?" he spouts from beyond the bordering chain-linked fence, waving his arms frantically. The team responds harmoniously, mimicking the famous Budweiser commercial.
Gordon's smile permeates across the field. This is the life. He's been an integral member of the Timberline program for the past two seasons, contributing as the batboy and serving as the team's unofficial moral deputy.
Born with Down syndrome, the opportunity to be one of the guys has meant the world.
But Monday night, his usual duties will take a back seat when he becomes a varsity player. After making an agreement with Centennial, Timberline coach Larry Price will pencil Gordon's name in the leadoff position to ceremoniously open Senior Night with an intentional walk.
Because for everyone involved in the program, Eddie has meant the world.

Cincinnati Reds Find Winning Spirit in Honorary Batboy with Down Syndrome

Chris Connelly of ESPN’s “E:60″ reports from ABC News:When Teddy Kremer was born 30 years ago, doctors diagnosed him with Down syndrome and a geneticist came to speak with his family.
“She said, ‘You might want to think about institutionalizing,’” said Kremer’s mother, Cheryl Kremer. “It was so dismal when children were born with a handicap 30 years ago that, you know, they gave you no hope.”
Cheryl and Dave Kremer did not have their son placed in a facility and, with their constant support, he grew up with a love of sports as big as his upbeat personality.
In March 2012, at a local charity event, one item in the silent auction caught the Kremers’ eye.
“We were walking around, looking, and we saw this [prize of becoming] batboy, honorary batboy [for Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds],” Cheryl Kremer said.
The Kremers made a bid — and won. Teddy Kremer was elated.
“He came in, just a big friend, just a great guy,” said Todd Frazier, an infielder-outfielder for the Reds. “He came up to me – never met the guy in my life – and just [said], ‘Todd, how ya been?’ He was just a joyous person to be around.”

Dodgers make dream come true for Whittier fan with Down's syndrome

from KABC 7 by Amy Powell:
A Los Angeles Dodgers fan from Whittier with Down's syndrome will soon have his dream come true.
He knows Vin Scully's famous line by heart, and Nick Ybarra is one of the legendary announcer's most devoted fans.
"He loves Vin Scully. He just listens to the radio, and sometimes when we want to go to the game, he'll say, 'No, I'll just stay home. I want to listen to the radio,'" said his sister, Bridget Ybarra.
In fact, Nick's love affair with the Dodgers goes back to childhood. The 27-year-old's bedroom is a tribute to his beloved team.

Post Convention Baseball Outing Sunday, July 21, 2013

After the Convention closes Sunday, consider heading to the ballpark to see the Colorado Rockies take on the Chicago Cubs!

NDSC families can purchase discounted tickets (25% off face value) during Convention registration to sit in our reserved section. What a great way to end the weekend!

For more information click here!

NDSC Convention Agenda Summary

NDSC Convention Home Page

Graduation a fork in the road for fraternal twins in Va.

by Robert Anderson from the Roanoke Times:
SALEM, Va.  — Almost every varsity baseball game at Hidden Valley High School over the past three years ended the same way.
With Nic Ratliff striking out.
Each home victory by the Titans from 2011 to '13 was punctuated by an unusual postgame ceremony near home plate.
Ratliff, the Titans' star senior shortstop, would hold a bat menacingly over his right shoulder as his twin brother, Ben, delivered three pitches.
Strike one.
Strike two.
Strike three.
Hidden Valley players would cheer and applaud. Then Nic would put his arm around his brother's shoulders and the two boys would walk off together.
Just like they did Friday.
Nicholas London Ratliff received his Hidden Valley diploma during the school's graduation exercises at Salem Civic Center.
Benjamin Paul Ratliff also wore a cap and gown as he took part in the ceremony with his classmates.
However, Ben was not handed the same diploma as his brother. He received a "certificate of completion" as a special education student in Roanoke County, although he will go through some additional programs at the high school. Ben likely will remain at Hidden Valley until he turns 22.
You see, Ben was born with two strikes against him.
Ben has Down syndrome.

Community rallies around baseball player with Down syndrome

By Keith McCord, Deseret News:

Next week, it's post season tournament time for the Farmington Area Baseball League. And for the Angels, who are in the Pony Division, they're hoping to turn their season around and win the trophy.
One of the players is extremely excited. He's number 12, Blake Curtis. But everybody calls him "Blakee."
For the 17-year-old right fielder and sometimes pitcher, Wednesday's game was just another game. Blake's been playing ball since he was about 5, and he can't wait to get to the ball park.
"I have to be really careful about game day," laughs Jeff Curtis, Blake's father and coach. "As soon as I tell Blake there's a game, he'll put his uniform on. Most times, I come home from work and the game isn't for three hours, he's already home with his uniform on saying, 'Come on, let's go play.'"
Blake has Down syndrome, a chromosomal condition in which extra genetic material causes delays in a child's mental and physical development. Curtis has two children with Down syndrome. He said through experience he has learned that with children with disabilities, parents have to start early doing activities or there's no opportunity for the children to develop skills.
"We thought we'd try to go through the hard times, so we could get to this point," he said, "and it's been worth it."
He said the most important thing with anyone with a disability is to let them set their own limits. Not everyone can play baseball, he said, but some of them can, so people should let them play.
The league rules have been modified somewhat for him. For example, when he's batting, if the pitch is outside the strike zone and he swings and misses, it's still called a "ball."
"If it's over his head and he swings, it's a ball," explained Curtis. "But if it's in the strike zone, it's a strike no matter what he does. But that does two things: it forces the pitcher to throw strikes and it gives Blake a chance to go up and wail away and see what happens. And he's hit pretty good, he's done pretty well."
The team is also allowed to have 10 players on the field. "The reason we asked for that, and I've never had a parent say it, it's never been an issue, but I never wanted a parent to come and say, 'Well, why is my son sitting down because the boy with Down syndrome is playing," Curtis said.
Blake didn't hit the home runs he was hoping for that night, but he got on base a couple of times and scored. The Angels have wrapped up their 12-game regular schedule, and it was a tough year with three wins, eight losses and a tie. But the post-season starts Monday and the team has new optimism.
Blake's dad said there have been some difficult learning moments on the field through the years. Blake used to throw the bat, instead of dropping it after he hit a ball. And the first time he got hit by a pitch, he got mad and didn't want to go to first base. He wanted to stay at the plate and keep swinging.
Blake plays each game with great enthusiasm. Curtis credits that to all the players, parents and the league for giving Blake the chance to play.
"It's just been a lot of fun because everybody's been so good to him," he said, getting a little emotional. "These kids especially, they've supported him, rallied around him when he bats or when he pitches. (It's) been a lot of fun."
Curtis is grateful for the opportunity his son has been given. "That's all he ever wanted. That's all we wanted to see."
Blake and the Angels now have an opportunity to win the league championship next week.
"When we started, I never thought we'd get past the pitching machine," Curtis said. "He's faced a real pitcher and done really well. It's amazing what kids are capable of if you just give them the opportunity and get out of their way."

The newest greeter at the Angels Team Store

from The Orange County Register by Marcia A. Smith:

The first face many fans see as they stream into the Team Store during games at Angel Stadium this season is smiling, often giggling, infectiously warm and inviting.

It belongs to Trevor Hendershot, the 21-year-old Irvine man with a sandy brown mop top, a red polo shirt tucked into his khaki pants, and black slip-on sneakers.He is a greeter whose first day on the job was the Angels' season opener on April 6. The victory doubled as a life opener for Hendershot.

This is his first paying job, a huge triumph toward independence for the man born with Down Syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes lifelong mental retardation and developmental delays.

The Angels and Team Store operator AEG could have hired anyone. They gave the opportunity to Hendershot.

To arriving shoppers during the first homestand, he proudly said, "Welcome to the Angels Team Store," sometimes rushing through the greeting to say it again and again and again so as not to miss anyone.

Many fans lit up. Some stopped and shook his hand to say, "Hello." Some high-fived and bumped fists with him, sparking laughter from the young man who loves to be around people, particularly sports fans.
"I'm excited," Hendershot said about his new job. "The people are nice."

Having Down Syndrome, Hendershot quietly realizes, can make some people uncomfortable. His facial features are doughy and subtle, his speech slurred but his smile and spirit unmistakably outgoing, kind and genuine.

"You can't train people to be that way," said Team Store senior retail manager Martin Marin. "That's why we picked Trevor."

Hendershot loves the Angels. He can tell you every players' jersey number and position. He can list everyone on the 2002 World Series champion team. He can point shoppers to the wall of No. 5 jerseys of his favorite Angels player of the moment.

"Albert Pujols. Pu-jols! Pu-jols! He's the best," he said enthusiastically, knowing the Angels slugger has a 14-year-old daughter, Bella, with Down Syndrome.

Hendershot makes the connection proudly. He wants to show that his condition doesn't keep him hidden at home or unable to do a public job well.

For every Angels home game, from two hours before every first to a half hour after the final out, Hendershot will man his post by the glass double doors. Proudly. Confidently. And with a smile.

Seeing his son work brings his father, Bob Hendershot, nearly to tears. The two had been inquiring about this job since August when a fellow member of Voyager's Bible Church in Irvine told them there might be an opportunity at the Team Store.

The father and son attended the Challenger Little League tournament at Angel Stadium in November. They met Angels chairman Dennis Kuhl and former Angels pitchers Scott Lewis and Clyde Wright, who signed the shoulder of Trevor's favorite Angels T-shirt.

Trevor won them over with his engaging personality, making them feel at ease. He has been doing that all his life, which has been filled with challenges since the May 4, 1990 day he was born in a Laguna Hills hospital.

"You have a son, my first child, and it's the happiest day of my life, and then five minutes later, the doctor says, 'Do you know what Down Syndrome is?'" recalled Bob Hendershot.

"Then that was the saddest moment of my life, going from the utter joy to utter devastation."

Friends and fellow churchgoers came to the hospital to visit Bob and Melissa Hendershot. Feeling the support of their community "was the first sign things would be okay," the father remembered.

Bob Hendershot, 57, a manufacturer's representative for a wholesale custom computer hardware dealer, took time away from his job to spend Trevor's early years working with his son's speech, visual recognition and motor skills.

"It was important to stimulate him early and teach him how to walk correctly rather than let him wrestle with incorrect steps," the father said. "He really has grown up well."

Bob and Melissa Hendershot have two other children, Taylor, 19, and Tanner, 18. They traveled everywhere as a family, going to the beach, the movies, Angels games and Bible study.

That's where the Hendershots met Les and Beverly Barkley, whose son, Matt, is the same age at Trevor. The two infants used to share a play pen during the study.

Matt Barkley went on to become the USC quarterback, and Trevor found himself his own place on the gridiron as quarterback of Pop Warner's Challenger division Saddleback Valley Wolverines.

Growing up, Trevor played sports in leagues with other children who had physical and mental challenges.

In camaraderie, rather than scores, statistics or records, came the sweetest victories.

He swung a bat and threw a baseball in T-ball. His father coached his VIP/Challenger division AYSO team in soccer.

He wore No. 75 for his Special Olympics basketball team. He pulled on No. 88 as quarterback for the flag-football Wolverines, helping score three touchdowns for one memorable come-from-behind victory.

"Big guys sometimes fall on you," said Trevor Hendershot, who made his league's All-Star team and played in a bowl game this past season. "It's not supposed to be tackle!"

School, particularly math, was tough to tackle since he has been mainstreamed, attending classes with students who didn't have his learning disabilities.

But at Northwood High in Irvine, Hendershot made so many friends with students and teachers he was voted Homecoming King in 2010.

Hendershot has learned to read well and write. He worked with Project Independence Orange County to get unpaid job experience in stocking and organizing store shelves at Trader Joe's and a Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts store.

He has grown so comfortable with computers that he spends hours surfing the Internet to learn the lyrics of his favorite Beach Boys songs and download bagpipe music.

"I don't know where he got that taste," his father said laughing. "It's strange."

Trevor searches the Web, finds and memorizes the capitals of all 50 states and the nicknames of hundreds of colleges big and small.

"Test him!" his father said.

Quickly and without fail, Trevor answered "Bruins" for UCLA, "Bulls" for the University of South Florida, "Tigers" for Princeton and, slapping his long arms together, "Gators" for the University of Florida.
"If they ever have Down Syndrome week on 'Jeopardy' and the category is 'College Nicknames,' we're set," his father joked.

"Yes, we're going to win," Trevor gushed. "Like the Angels. They're going to win the World Series again.

Getting the Team Store job brings him closer to the Angels he has followed since he was 7 years old. He pays attention to whether they win or lose, gets sad but remains hopeful when they struggle and mourned when promising young pitcher Nick Adenhart died in a 2009 car accident.

"He's gone," he said. "It's very sad."

Among Angels fans, Hendershot belongs. He sailed through the interview for his new job because talking about the Angels comes so naturally to him.

But he got scared when asked to do a drug test because he thought he had to drink his sample, shaking his head, "No!" Then he wanted to high-five the clinician when he was finished.

"Trevor's still learning the ropes of getting a job," said his father, taking a teasing slug in his shoulder from his son. "Every day is a new step."

Trevor Hendershot, the newest greeter at the Angels Team Store, has landed a dream job in Angels' heaven.

Working for the Atlanta Braves

Suddenly under fire from an entire middle school band squeezing its way through the gates of Coolray Field, Patrick Barlow dishes out programs with the deft calmness of a seasoned veteran, sharing hearty grins and big laughs along with them.

The 28-year-old Stone Mountain resident — who has Down syndrome — has been with the Gwinnett Braves all along, starting his job as a greeter with the Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A affiliate when it moved down from Virginia in 2009.

He welcomes G-Braves fans to every home game with a pure and unparalleled joy.
“There are a lot of people here who know him by name and come to say hello to him at every game,” fellow staff member Julie Packer said. “He’s made quite a reputation for himself.”
“I knew him as a season-ticket holder before I started working here. Everybody knows Patrick.”
The reputation is earned from sheer enthusiasm for the job. Barlow stands vigilantly at the end of a table at the main entrance to Coolray Field, emphatically barking out cheers and welcomes to each and every game-goer. Season ticket holders give him high fives and tell him how happy they are to see him.
The only thing that puts a wrinkle in Barlow’s bespectacled brow is when the occasional fan turns down his offer of a program.

“Greeting is the best part,” he said recently. “You meet people, and see how they’re doing.”
Just don’t disturb him during “The Star Spangled Banner” — the patriotic American dashes from his post as the national anthem starts prior to each game, standing faithfully at salute for the duration (“It’s what the Marines and Army and those guys do,” he says).

“Everyone on our staff looks forward to seeing Patrick at the ballpark — he is always excited to be here and our fans love his contagious enthusiasm,” G-Braves General Manager North Johnson said.
“Patrick takes special pride in making sure our fans are having as much fun as he is.”
Barlow will tell you he truly loves all of the Braves, both in Gwinnett and Atlanta. His favorites, though, represent somewhat of a dichotomy — Jason Heyward, the highly hyped new face of a big league franchise, and Diory Hernandez, a 27-year-old journeyman seemingly on a perennial carousel ride from Gwinnett to Atlanta and back.

Then again, the G-Braves’ greatest greeter has also been his own person.
“He’s a dynamic soul,” Packer said with a laugh. “He’s fun, he’s energetic, enthusiastic. He’s a lot of fun to work with.”

The Gwinnett Braves staff in general is one close-knit with its fans, particularly its regular visitors. One of the first jolly faces fans see at Coolray Field, Barlow succinctly explains what those relationships mean.
“I make a whole bunch of friends,” he said, with the biggest grin of all.

From gwinnettdailypost.com

Rocky Mountain High's secrect weapon

From denverpost.com

Rocky Mountain High School baseball coach Scott Bullock never has had to search for his team's character. It was there when the Lobos won the past four big-school titles with skill, class and academic acclaim. They're in the mix for a fifth this spring.

Perhaps that's because Bullock, from age 6, learned to grow up fast. It was then his older brother, Dean, had a diving accident that led to his becoming a quadriplegic. Six months after his brother's accident, his mother died. His brother passed away in January at age 48.

As for his identity, the person Bullock ultimately became as an adult has also been greatly shaped by his son, Tagg, who will celebrate his seventh birthday next month. A short, stocky bundle of energy bound for first grade next year, Tagg was born with Down syndrome, a condition caused by the presence of an extra copy of the 21st chromosome. He has impairment of cognitive ability and physical growth as well as the distinctive facial features associated with Down syndrome, but Tagg's ever-busy, well-rounded father couldn't be prouder.

"We didn't know about it until he was born. We were thrilled to have a child," Bullock said of himself and his wife, Michelle. "Not knowing a lot about Down, not knowing enough that he had special needs, was extremely painful. Our emotions were mixed."

Bullock, 40, had been shocked and shaken before by unexpected news, so why should greeting his unexpected special guy have been any different?

"It was tough," he said. "The toughest thing for me was that he wasn't the kid you were expecting. That was hard. But not for one second did we ever lack the love that we feel for this child."

Bullock, a native of Torrington, Wyo., who teaches health and physical education at Rocky Mountain, had encountered Lobos students with Down syndrome and calls them "great kids."

Tagg's presence seems to bring out the best in others, creating a balance of caring and feeling fortunate for themselves.


He is a regular visitor to Lobos' games and practices, where he has free rein to go through virtually every players' bat bag. Throwing the ball or hitting? Forget it. All he wants is a ride when the cart is used to drag the infield and the chance to roam from player to player.

"The guys are very patient with him," Bullock said.

Said Rocky Mountain senior pitcher-outfielder Eric Ferguson: "It makes us realize that everything you've got is important, and we're lucky."

Rocky Mountain athletic director Wayne Moddelmog sees the gift Tagg provides the school.
"That whole relationship that Scott has with Tagg and Tagg has with our baseball community and our Rocky Mountain High community has really been a neat thing," he said. "I think it really puts life into perspective."
Said Lobos pitching coach Glen Schwab: "(Tagg) and Coach have such a love affair."

Don't underestimate Tagg. He's strong, Bullock said. Likes to go back and forth in the swing in the family backyard. And keep him away from the pizza, ice cream and hot dogs.

"He brightens up your day," Lobos senior pitcher Chris Bonk said.
Added Lobos senior pitcher-infielder Jess Amedee, "He's unbelievable, a great little kid who makes everyone happy. He has a ball, and it's awesome."


"Scott teaches the kids more than just baseball," Moddelmog said.
The team is always looking for ways to give back throughout the Fort Collins community. After last week's victory over Chaparral, Bullock and his father presented a $5,000 check to Craig Rehabilitation Center, which gave his brother so much over 34 years. The money came from his brother's foundation.
Schwab got misty-eyed when recalling it while watching Bullock parade Tagg through the infield after a game Tuesday.

"And that's why that guy right there is the best at what he does," he said, pointing at Bullock.
Bullock will settle for second, but only if it involves standing right behind his son.

"Tagg has such a tremendous outlook on life," Bullock said. "We can all learn something from him."

Albert Pujols on 60 Minutes Sunday 4/10

His big bat has made the St. Louis Cardinals' slugger one of the top 10 players in baseball history. But to people with Down syndrome and the poor of his native Dominican Republic that he helps, he means a lot more than home runs and RBI. 60 Minutes' Bob Simon reports, Sunday, April 10, 7 p.m. ET/PT.

He is as dedicated to helping others as he is about playing ball, maybe more so. "It's my passion and I believe this is what God is calling me to do...I was one of those little boys with no hope."

His foundation also supports people with Down syndrome, another passion for Pujols, whose daughter was born with it.

For teenagers with Down syndrome, Pujols is already a hall of famer. Cameras capture him dancing with dozens of them at an annual prom he throws for the teens - the highlight of the year for them. "And for me too," says Pujols.