ARLINGTON -- Gina and Derrick Walker stood out on the diamond of PLAY BALL PARK in Choctaw Stadium under the beaming Texas sun. The increasing heat did not bother them as they watched their daughter, Zoe, play baseball.
Zoe has cerebral palsy, a condition which is described by loss or impaired motor function affecting body movement and motor skills. She was one of the participants of the All-Star Miracle League Game.
¡°It¡¯s been an unbelievable experience, because you can see she has a disability and doesn¡¯t get to be included in the typical baseball games,¡± Gina said. ¡°I¡¯m so thankful the Miracle League is a place that provides that avenue for these kids and allows them to be in a stadium where the Rangers play and to be around baseball players.¡±
The annual game kicked off the 2024 All-Star Week, with participants playing two innings of baseball in the morning. The Miracle League Game provides an opportunity for Miracle League youth with special needs to have an All-Star experience at the Capital One All-Star Village¡¯s PLAY BALL PARK in Choctaw Stadium. Participants represented three Miracle League organizations in the area: Miracle League DFW, Miracle League North Texas and Miracle League Southlake.
¡°Baseball is competitive, but it¡¯s much bigger than that,¡± said Olympic gold medalist and MLB Youth softball ambassador Jennie Finch. ¡°Ultimately when you come out here, this is what the game is all about. It¡¯s about having fun enjoying each other and playing ball. It¡¯s a great way to set the tone for the entire weekend, to open up All-Star [Week] with these courageous, true, real-life superheroes.¡±
Finch was also joined by Baseball Hall of Famer, 2024 MLB All-Star ambassador and 14-time All-Star Iv¨¢n ¡°Pudge¡± Rodr¨ªguez, and former Rangers catcher and Rangers broadcast analyst Dave Valle. All three legends caught the ceremonial first pitch of the event and even participated by throwing out pitches to the batters.
For Rodr¨ªguez and Valle, the event was a little more special, being held in the nearly the same location where they once played and hosted the 1995 All-Star Game.
¡°To walk out onto this field where I¡¯ve played and to see all of this amazing stuff that MLB has built for kids, it¡¯s spectacular,¡± Valle said. ¡°The one thing I¡¯ve loved about baseball is it¡¯s a connector. It brings people together, people of all cultures, people of all physical abilities and to see these young kids out here, just having fun, being on the field, it¡¯s just a special day here.¡±
Players who played in the HBCU Swingman Classic on Friday night also participated in the event, throwing pitches and helping players with their swings.
Once the game ended, participants received foam bats and balls to take home, but as soon as they got them, many participants opened their packages to continue playing catch.
¡°We believe we're starting to see this over some time,¡± said David James, the vice president of baseball and softball development at MLB. ¡°That small introductory piece, then these kids continue to play the game, and then at some point, they say, ¡®OK, I like this.¡¯¡±
Finch said the Miracle All-Star Game is one of her favorite moments of the week because she witnesses the ¡°true beauty of the game: inclusion.¡±
A sense of pride in their daughter playing in the game and gratitude for the opportunity engulfed the Walkers as they prepared for the 20-minute drive to Duncanville, Texas. It will remain an experience they won¡¯t forget.
¡°Out of all the kids, my daughter is getting to experience this, and I am super excited and blessed about it,¡± Gina said. ¡°I¡¯m proud of MLB because they are looking out for all the kids of all avenues regardless of their abilities or not and their financial situation.¡±