ATLANTA -- Air Force Staff Sergeant John Dobler passed away 11 years ago, but his wife, Amanda, feels his presence still so much of the time. Saturday morning was no different as she watched her 13-year-old son, Noah, run around and play baseball at the Play Ball Park in the All-Star Village constructed this weekend for All-Star festivities.
Amanda and Noah were one family participating in the TAPS clinic, a Play Ball event MLB held on Saturday for military families who have lost loved ones in service.
“My husband loved baseball, and Noah has missed out on the opportunity to get to play with him,” Dobler said. “Getting to come to the organizations that take time to make events like these that are so special, it does feel like my husband is still here. Noah gets to have that connection: Dad loved this sport, and now you get to experience this.”
TAPS -- Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors -- is a non-profit that provides care and resources to those grieving a death in the military or veteran community, and Teams4TAPS is a program within the organization that works with teams and leagues across the country to bring joy to surviving military families and to honor the lives of their fallen heroes.
In Atlanta this week, MLB partnered with TAPS to hold a Play Ball clinic, and all the kids from the military families who were there teamed up for a baseball game on the Deer Creek Diamond.
“It’s an annual invite, regardless of the market for All-Star,” said David James, MLB vice president, baseball and softball development. “This is a nationwide organization, and we’re happy to support it. And not only here at All-Star, but a lot of Major League clubs and Minor League clubs are supporting them as well.
“We want to be a bit of a respite. For these kids, I’m sure they’re going through a lot. But today, they’re just kids having fun. And everybody here is supporting them.”
Former manager Dusty Baker made a surprise appearance near the end of the game, walking through the outfield and talking with the kids. After the game, he held a Q&A session with the group and spent time talking about his military service -- Baker served in the United States Marine Corps from 1968-74 -- as well as what it means to be a good teammate and person on and off the field.
“You usually don’t get kids to sit still like this,” TAPS sports and entertainment manager Natalie Mizell said, laughing, as she motioned toward the group locked in on what Baker was saying. “We greatly appreciate all MLB does for these families, because it allows these families to honor their loved ones at an event. It’s not about how their loved one died, it’s about how they lived. And this is a special, meaningful moment for them.”
Another benefit of the clinic is connecting families with each other from all around the country. Nikki Tauchus brought her three children from Moody Air Force Base near Valdosta, Ga., as they honored their dad and Nikki’s husband, Air Force Tech Sergeant Nevin Tauchus. Three years after his death, his family is still learning how to navigate life without him.
“My kids are still new to this, and when they get to see and meet kids who have been through this for years and knowing, ‘Hey, it does get better,’” Nikki said. “Just other people they can relate to.
“[Nevin] would have brought them here. So it’s something I can bring them to, to say, ‘Hey, your dad’s still here.’ We’re wearing his pin, we get to do this stuff -- Dad is still present. Even though he’s not here, he’s here. It’s just really cool.”