As part of the Miracle League of Indiana County’s 10th anniversary celebration, Pirates Charities hosted a fantasy camp for approximately 50 Miracle League athletes on Saturday. The first thrill for the participants came upon arrival when they each saw a Pirates jersey with their name on the back adorning the fencing near the batting cage.
And the excitement built from there.
The Pirates’ contingent for the morning’s festivities included chairman Bob Nutting, president Travis Williams, outfielder Jack Suwinski, two of the organization’s top Minor League prospects in shortstop Konnor Griffin and second baseman Termarr Johnson and broadcaster Greg Brown -- who served as emcee and handled play-by-play duties.
The Pirates Charities Miracle League Field of Indiana County is one of nine such facilities Pirates Charities has played a vital role in constructing. The Pirates also came out in force 10 years ago when the Miracle League field in Indiana, Pa. -- located about an hour east of Pittsburgh -- was dedicated.
“It’s great to be back in Indiana to see how this field has grown and how the program has grown around it,” Nutting said. “To be able to come back 10 years later and see the beautiful condition the facility is in and see so many people coming together in the community to support these kids and this program, it’s a reminder of why the Miracle League has been so important to Pirates Charities.”
The fantasy camp offered special-needs youngsters and adults an opportunity to learn and play the game of baseball and provided a similar experience to MLB camps and clinics. With help from members of the reigning state champion Indiana High School baseball team, the Pirates’ players manned activity stations that focused on hitting, throwing, fielding and baserunning.
Griffin, currently rated by MLB Pipeline as the top prospect in baseball, and Johnson now play for the Altoona Curve, Pittsburgh’s Double-A affiliate in the Eastern League. Altoona, Pa., is also located about an hour away from Indiana, Pa.
During a break from running one of the hitting stations, Griffin said, “Anytime I can get out in the community and make a difference, that’s what I’m about. I want to make a positive impact, and this is a wonderful day with these kids being able to get out here, enjoy being athletes and play some baseball.”
“This is something I was able to do a couple times before in Bradenton [Fla.] during Spring Training with the Pirates, so being here at the Miracle League in Indiana was something I wanted to do,” said Johnson, who ran the fielding station. “Being able to be out there with these kids, offer them a few pointers and help put smiles on their faces was great. It’s something that brings joy to my heart.”
Marlene Welch is a fitness instructor at the YMCA of Indiana County, where the area’s Miracle League Field is located. She’s also a singer, and her connection to the Miracle League program began when she was asked to perform the national anthem before some of the games. Welch later filled in when the Miracle League was in between directors or coordinators, and two years ago she became the program’s coordinator.
“I know this field would not exist without the support of Bob Nutting, the Pirates and Pirates Charities,” Welch said. “The quality of this program has grown over the past 10 years, and the Pirates are always there for us for support and as a resource for providing things that we might need throughout the season. They’ve also been great at providing wonderful gifts for our athletes at the end of the season that make them feel seen and recognized and honored.”
The Pirates Community Commitment Program is an organization-wide initiative for Minor League players that promotes community service and awareness, and the Miracle League has become a point of emphasis within that program.
“Every place we’ve done this, the Miracle League has been incredibly well received and incredibly successful,” Nutting said. “What I’m excited about this year is we’re expanding our connection to the Miracle League beyond the Pittsburgh fields and the Major League team. We’ve partnered with the Miracle League program in Altoona, we’ve partnered with the Marauders in our Minor League system in Bradenton, and next year we’ll partner with a Miracle League program in Indianapolis. This exposes young players throughout our system to a great community program and an organizational priority.”
On Saturday, the 21-year-old Johnson and the 19-year-old Griffin showed that they understood the spirit of the organization’s community relations efforts.
“Today was a lot of fun,” Johnson said. “I’m a pretty energetic guy in general, and these kids had smiles on their faces that made it easy for me to be energetic.”
“We’re baseball players, but at the end of day we’re people, and we want to help other people,” Griffin added. “It’s pretty cool to see the Pirates, throughout their Minor League system, trying to make a difference in the world.”