There is an unwritten rule in baseball that a player must run out every batted ball, no matter how meager.
Veteran players have chastised rookies and high-priced prima donnas who deviate from the game's standard of hustle and effort. But what if the man at the plate is missing a leg after having it blown off during combat in Iraq or Afghanistan? Or, if he is missing an arm because of an improvised explosive devise that was hidden in the desert sand?
Welcome to the world of the Wounded Warriors Amputee Softball Team, where inspiring play is the norm and excuses or sympathy are not allowed.
"I would be doing a great injustice to these guys if I coached them any other way," said Wounded Warriors coach Buck Weaver, who barked encouragement and instructions to his players from a dugout in Springdale. "They want to be normal again, and this is normal."
My initial thoughts were on the words from an old Jewish proverb as I watched the Wounded Warriors play the Tyson All-Stars Friday at the Tyson Sports Complex. It was written from the perspective of a man who said "I felt sorry for myself because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet."
Any problems or complaints I had were left at the gate while seeing these brave men compete and laugh it up with teammates and opponents before a crowd of about 1,000.
"Our motto is 'Life without limbs is limitless,'" said David Van Sleet, a U.S. Army veteran and general manager of the Wounded Warriors. "A lot of these guys were college and high school players before they were injured, so they know how to play the game at a high level."
Van Sleet said crowds are inspired wherever the Wounded Warriors play, and that was certainly the case Friday in Springdale.
Brandon Nichols of Fort Smith watched the game after driving to Springdale with a group of co-workers from the Tyson Foods plant in Waldron. Nichols was born with most of his right arm missing. Rachel Strickland of Farmington watched the game with her mother behind a fence in left field. She's been in a wheelchair for 32 years because of spina bifida.
"It's amazing they can get out there and do what they do," Strickland said. "It's great they are willing to put themselves out there despite their limitations."
Van Fleet started an amputee softball team in 2011 with veterans and active members of the U.S. military. This year's team is comprised of players ages 24-54, and about a dozen travel for road games, which include more than 150 venues in 37 states since 2011. Donations are tax exempt and help pay for rehabilitation services for wounded veterans. The group also sponsors a kids' camp for amputees.
"Our goal is to educate and inspire people through sports and show that life can go on again," said Van Sleet, who is from Burlington, Vt. "You can still lead a full life, even when something really bad happens to you."
Kyle Earl of Kalamazoo, Mich., is a leadoff hitter and a top star for the Wounded Warriors. He was also a 100-meter dash champion in high school before joining the military and getting part of his right arm blown away by an IED while fighting in Iraq in 2006. He said the players get just as much enjoyment being out on the field as fans do who are touched by their play.
"Playing softball is great," Earl said. "But, more importantly, I want to show everybody, just because I took an IED, life doesn't end. I can still get out there and pretty much do whatever I want."
The Tyson All-Stars used a late rally to win Friday's game 12-11. But there were no losers, and the summer air on this night was jolted on occasion by bursts of applause, especially when Tyson Foods presented a check for $25,000 to the Wounded Warriors.
"These guys are fantastic," said Tyler Williams, a Tyson All-Star who played baseball for four years at College of the Ozarks. "I have trouble playing with all my arms and legs, and these guys make it look easy. They make any difficulties you might have seem like nothing, and that's why I cherish playing these guys."
Friday was a great night for some perspective and a reminder that the real heroes are not the ones frolicking on manicured fields in big-league stadiums. They are men and women like the Wounded Warriors who left arms and legs in faraway lands while fighting for this country.
Warriors, indeed, and an inspiration to us all.
Sports on 08/16/2015