MLB, Phillies Charities make kids feel like 'rock stars' at All-Star Miracle League game

PHILADELPHIA -- Angelo Garofalo stepped to the plate first in the 2026 All-Star Miracle League game at Citizens Bank Park's The Yard and hit a home run to left field. The 8-year-old rounded the bases, high-fiving supporters along the way before sliding home.

“That’s how you start this game,” Garofalo said. “How you start this league.”

Garofalo is a member of the Miracle League of Delaware County, a nonprofit organization that provides children and adults with disabilities the opportunity to play baseball on accommodating fields. On Wednesday, Major League Baseball and Phillies Charities, Inc. -- the charitable arm of the Phillies -- hosted youth players from the Delaware County and Horsham Miracle Leagues, marking the first All-Star Legacy Initiative of the year.

“We are investing … over $5.5 million throughout the Philadelphia community,” said April Brown, senior vice president of social responsibility for MLB. “We're so happy that part of that investment is going to both leagues to help in terms of new fields being adaptable, so that everyone can have access to play our game.”

Addressing the participants, Brown said: “You are incredibly special. You are all-stars. So, enjoy this moment. You are the VIP of this week. So, we applaud you.”

Former Phillies Milt Thompson, Dickie Noles and Ruben Amaro Jr. were also present, along with the Phillie Phanatic.

Thompson, who participates in Opening Day festivities for a local Miracle League in New Jersey, enjoyed playing catch with Garofalo.

“They deserve to get out on the field and have fun, just like everybody else,” Thompson said. “[My favorite thing] is the smiles on the kids’ faces when they put the ball in play, and they run the bases. It’s a joy.”

For Nancy Kirby, co-founder and vice president of the Horsham Miracle League's board of directors, hearing from parents has been one of the most meaningful parts of the event.

“I met one of our moms, and she said, ‘Being a mom of a special needs child is kind of isolating. This makes it so much less,’” Kirby said. “It's a breath of fresh air to see this, and when you look at it, [it might look simple], but it has so much impact, and it continues to multiply.”

That impact was especially clear with 12-year-old Drew Hunger. When it was his turn to bat, he approached the plate and mirrored the signature pre-pitch routine of a certain Phillies superstar, taking a practice swing and tapping his bat on home plate. Once settled, he locked his eyes on the pitcher – Noles.

Then came the swing, a high drive into right field.

When asked about his favorite part of participating in the event, Hunger had a quick answer.

"Batting like Bryce Harper," he said with a smile.

The first baseman was a popular inspiration throughout the evening. Asked who her favorite Phillies player is, Sophia McGuire, 8, said, "I think Bryce Harper."

For both the Hunger and the McGuire families, the event offered a stage where daily barriers evaporated, replaced by a sense of belonging.

"The kids playing ball – that's absolutely the best part, and that's why we're here, right?" Drew's father, Andrew Hunger, said. "Everything that [these kids go through] every day in their lives is difficult, and the fact that the Phillies, MLB, the Miracle League can make them feel like rock stars just for a little bit, it's great."

Andrew watched alongside his wife, Angela, as Drew played with unbridled joy.

"It warms my heart, and I know it does for his mom as well," Andrew said. "Just to see him out there, everybody cheering for him. And even though he has Down syndrome, he doesn't care about it. It doesn't faze him. He just loves to go out and play."

Sophia’s parents, Sean and Jennifer McGuire, shared that pride. As dedicated Phillies fans, they know how much Sophia looks forward to the replica field.

"Every time we come here, and she wants to do something – [she] goes to the little ballpark," Sean McGuire said. "So she loved it when she found out it was in the small field."

This summer marks the McGuire family’s first season participating in the Miracle League. Their daughter’s growth from the start of spring to the midsummer showcase has been a major milestone.

"When we first started for spring ball, she was doing a lot of it with help," Sean noted. "Now she's doing a lot more by herself, so it's good to see her grow."

In the end, the evening was about something much simpler: inclusion.

"Just as she's part of the team. The encouragement is amazing, and just her being included," Jennifer McGuire said. "That's what matters to us."

David James, vice president of baseball & softball development for Major League Baseball, echoed that feeling.

“At MLB, our goal in youth development is simple: We want every child, regardless of background or ability, to experience the joy, teamwork and thrill of hitting a baseball and running the bases,” James said. “The Miracle League embodies everything that is right with sports.”