Nutting, Pirates Charities steadfast in support for Miracle League programs

Sunday was a nearly perfect summer day at PNC Park along Pittsburgh’s Allegheny River. There was abundant sunshine, it wasn’t scorching hot, and the home team blasted three home runs on its way to defeating the Chicago Cubs, 8-7, in the finale of a three-game series.

It was also a special day because the crowd of 32,921 included more than 2,000 Miracle League athletes, who were hosted by the Pirates along with their coaches, families and volunteers. For nearly 20 years now, Pirates chairman Bob Nutting and Pirates Charities have partnered with Miracle League programs to build accessible ballfields, expand adaptive programming and create opportunities for special needs athletes to play the game of baseball in a safe environment.

Before the game, on-field festivities related to what was officially dubbed “Miracle League Day,” Nutting welcomed representatives and athletes from 10 area programs during a meet-and-greet held in the press conference room at PNC Park. There, an athlete from each program received a customized Pirates jersey, and their families and the organizers who make the programs possible were saluted.

“It’s an honor for us to have an opportunity to welcome you, to support you and to celebrate you,” Nutting told the gathering. “We want to do that with the jerseys you see here, and we want to do that out on the field in just a bit. But I know the real work gets done day after day after day to bring these fields to life. It’s the families, it’s the board members, it’s all the volunteers and all the supporters.

“We want you to know how much we appreciate all of you. We want to support what you do, because we know it’s incredibly important for the athletes and for everyone that you touch. If we can be a part of supporting that, we want to do it.”

The Miracle League of Southwestern Pennsylvania, whose facility is located at Graham Park in Cranberry Township, was the first such league established in the Pittsburgh region. Mike Sherry, its president and founder, approached Nutting for support a couple of years before the facility opened back in 2009. The league has not only gone on to enjoy great success, it has also inspired other communities to build Miracle League fields.

“In a couple of years, we’ll celebrate our 20th anniversary,” Sherry said. “We now have more than 275 players that participate. We have four leagues, and we continue to grow year in and year out. We could not be in any better position from a league standpoint.

“It’s just so thrilling to see how far we’ve come. And to be able to see that other communities understand the value of baseball to all their residents, including those with special needs, is really great.”

During the pregame meet-and-greet, Nutting was introduced to Vince Lovenduski and Jeff Cramer, who are working toward establishing a Miracle League field at Roxbury Park in Johnstown, Pa. Nutting pledged a financial contribution from Pirates Charities and additional support for that budding program to help construct a new accessible ballfield.

“Johnstown will be the 12th field that Pirates Charities has supported,” Nutting said. “Over almost 20 years, we’re at nearly $2 million of support for the Miracle League overall. I want to let you know that we’re enthusiastic about the field in Johnstown and we’d like to do a $150,000 leadership grant for your field, because you’ve done an amazing job of getting the community behind you and getting ready to build. We want to be a part of it, and we want you to be a part of this family.”

Lovenduski was standing beside Nutting when he said that but didn’t know such an announcement was coming.

“It was a total surprise,” said Lovenduski, the chairman and co-founder of the Miracle League at Roxbury Park. “We thought we were going there just to be with the other leagues and families. It makes you stop and think, and it gives you a little tear in your eye. You think about how hard we’ve worked to get to this point, and for the Pirates to step in with their support, it’s very uplifting.”

According to Lovenduski, ground is expected to be broken at the Miracle League at Roxbury Park field next spring, and the forecast is for play to get underway there late next summer.

“The Miracle League program is near and dear to my heart, and this support of Roxbury Park is another example of our collective commitment to ensure the Miracle League programs throughout our area have the resources they need to foster an environment where all children and adults have a chance to develop relationships around the game of baseball,” Nutting said.

Sherry has found it gratifying to see so many other Miracle League facilities come to life in the Pittsburgh region over the years and has consulted with the people building them in most cases.

“The cool thing is that all these fields are unique,” he said. “They’re all built a little differently. Their surroundings are a little bit different. But the concept and the principle is the same -- to give children and adults with special needs an opportunity to play the game of baseball.

“Because of the passion that Bob Nutting and Pirates Charities have and the work they do in these communities, we’re able to stand here today, almost 20 years later, and say that we now have 12 Miracle League fields. That’s pretty impressive, and we hope to have even more.”

In conducting his due diligence for the Johnstown project, Lovenduski has visited a few of the other Miracle League fields, and was blown away by what he saw.

“What’s great is that every week the Miracle League gives these special needs kids something to look forward to,” he said. “It’s a great spot in their week. It makes them feel like they’re part of something. They’re made to feel special, and that’s great -- because they are.

“I’ve gone to the Miracle League fields in Cranberry, Indiana, and Altoona, and I’ve watched and taken notes. I’ve just been floored because I never expected the emotion of it. Sometimes I would just turn and watch the stands to see the parents of the athletes and how they feel about what they’re seeing out on the field.

“Miracle League gives another part of the population an opportunity to play ball. And everyone deserves an opportunity to play ball.”