CLEVELAND -- The first on-field activity of All-Star Week every year is reserved for a special group of special kids, all of whom bring their "A" game to the ballpark for one of the best events of the season.
The Miracle League Game, designed for children with special needs, is a treat for everyone involved, from the parents watching from the stands, to the players roaming a real-life Major League outfield, to the "buddies" who are by the kids' sides while they're out there swinging for the fences.
On Friday at Progressive Field, dozens of kids from the Miracle League of Northeast Ohio and the Miracle League of Findlay (Ohio) gathered in left field to take their turns batting and running the bases. The Indians host these kids regularly during homestands throughout the season, but the All-Star Miracle League Game provides a unique opportunity to bring the kids onto the field, to play on the exact area of grass where Indians outfielders roam during the season.
"We've been able to do other things off-site, but it's so special to have the kids be able to come here and play on Progressive Field," Rebecca Kodysh, the Indians' executive director of community impact, said. "We want to give kids an opportunity to play the sport that we really love. We want to expose the sport to all youth."
According to the Miracle League website, the first Miracle League field opened in Conyers, Ga., in April 2000. By '02, fields opened in South Carolina, Alabama, West Virginia, Illinois, and California. There are presently 240-plus Miracle League organizations across the country, including Puerto Rico and Canada, while serving 200,000-plus children and adults.
There were some heavy hitters in the group that played at Progressive Field on Friday. Several balls were hit to the makeshift outfield, and many players made solid contact and took a speedy route to first base, Francisco Lindor-style.
"As you can tell from some of the shots in the game, some of our players are very high-functioning and really swing for the fences, no matter what their difficulty may be," said Stephanie Partee, a Miracle League buddy and board member. "All kids are special, but these kids try really hard and work really hard every day. We take for granted some of the things we like to groan about. They come to the games with a smile and ready to play and have fun."
The game also included a celebrity sighting -- former All-Star and National League Cy Young Award winner Dwight Gooden, who pitched for the Indians in 1998 and '99.
Gooden mingled with the kids and the buddies and even gave an impromptu tutorial to a couple of youngsters on how to throw a curveball.
"Doc" was approached by a Miracle League player and a volunteer from Potter Baseball -- a group from Pittsburgh that travels the region doing various forms of community service -- and soon, a deep conversation about pitching ensued.
"I was explaining to him why you grip the ball in certain ways, then the Miracle League player said, "I want to throw the fastball," Gooden said. "To have that conversation, and teach the kids how I gripped my fastball and curveball, it was great.
"These kids are all having a good time. They're enjoying the day."