Buddies Make Baseball for Everyone

It was a hot summer day when I was asked to drive out to Buffalo Grove, IL to photograph Keshet’s longest running recreational activity, Buddy Baseball, with both a spring/summer, and summer/fall season totaling approximately 10 games. Sponsored by the Jerome and Freda Joseph family, this particular form of baseball is designed for any age and any skill level, within the special needs community. Each game lasts three innings, with a “7th inning stretch” after the 2nd inning.  Every player gets up to bat at each inning and swings until they hit.  There are no outs, no fouls, and no one is keeping score.

There are two teams all season long, the Cubs and the White Sox, and which team you are on depends on which shirt you wear when you show up to the game. Thank goodness there are plenty of south side fans on this far northwest side. Volunteers show up from all over the community to be the “buddies” for each player.  Local school teams have come to volunteer for a game, Jewish boys and girls getting ready for their Bar/Bat Mitzvahs will donate their time as part of their community service project. These buddies stick with their players and help them at bat, move them along as they run the bases, and give their players plenty of encouragement along the way.

One of the most unique aspects of Buddy Baseball is that it’s one of the only programs in Keshet that incorporates the parents.  They get to stay through the game and watch, cheering wildly on the sidelines. Then they are invited to stay after the game to socialize with other families.  Often there is food once the innings are done, an ice cream truck, pizza, and other kosher treats.  During the “All-Star” game medals are handed out to every single player and a big cake is served in their honor.

Before the game begins there is a very generous warm-up session happening all over the field.  Players are practicing throwing and catching with their mitts, getting a feel of which bat will work best for them, and getting to know their buddies. When it’s time to start, all the players gather around and someone volunteers to sing the national anthem, with a microphone and all.  Sometimes it’s a solo, sometimes a duet, and it’s always a lot of fun.

I found photographing this event a total blast and a very intense workout in only a few short hours.  There is so much going on, people are moving in all directions, the cheering is so loud from the sidelines it’s hard to keep track of what’s happening on the field, and as a photographer it’s really hard to know which way to turn because at every moment there is someone having a blast with the smile to prove it.  What a great problem to have, am I right?