Of Baseball and Down syndrome

Vera loves to play baseball. Really, truly, deeply loves to play the game. She's pretty good at it, too. She can hit and throw very well. Her big brother Luke, in fact, made a video of their game of catch last week. The camera was smudged so you'll just have to use your imagination in some parts. The part where she's hitting may make you seasick, as the photographer was on the outside of a hurricane fence and kept moving over the fence parts. Other than that, though, it's perfect!



As I might have mentioned once or twice or a thousand times, we are lucky to have a thriving Angel League baseball team here. Every spring we have a couple of months of games that are so fun to watch. These types of leagues are actually pretty common all over the country, I think. Baseball is a great sport as far as accommodating many different skill levels.

Professional baseball also has a couple of interesting ties to the world of Down syndrome. The unbelievably talented Albert Pujols has an adopted daughter who has Down syndrome. His wife had her daughter prior to meeting Albert and he took both of them as his own. Sports Illustrated had a beautiful story about him last year in their magazine. I think it's worth the time to read the entire article because the story really builds to a magnificent ending that brings me to tears every time I read it.

Another link, much less well-known, between professional baseball and Down syndrome exists with another professional team, last night's winner of the ALCS and soon-to-be first time World Series participants. Their chaplain has three children with Down syndrome: one biological, one adopted from Russia, one adopted from Colombia. I'm not naming any names, but...

Go Team!!