Taylor Duncan loves baseball. But having the opportunity to participate in America’s pastime hasn’t always been easy.
“The history goes all the way back to when I was diagnosed on the autism spectrum and I had a lot of speech issues, sensory issues, and anxiety issues,” 24-year-old Duncan said.
His mother helped him through those obstacles, but Duncan says he still faced social stigmas. He says the negative perceptions kept him out of traditional baseball.
So Duncan decided to start his own league.
“We don’t focus at all on what we can’t,” Duncan said. “We focused on what we can do.”
In 2016, he launched the Alternative Baseball Organization in his hometown, 45 minutes west of Atlanta. It offers baseball for those 15 years and older with autism and other disabilities.
They play on traditional fields with MLB rules. The only difference is they use a larger and softer ball to accommodate all skill levels.
“Because we can have pitchers throwing 30 mph. We have a couple throwing low 80s,” said Duncan, who’s the organization’s commissioner.
Today, Duncan says there are 74 teams in the organization from Hawaii to Maine. But now, he’s trying to bring the game to Upstate New York.
Duncan is currently seeking coaches, players, umps, and volunteers to create a team here in the Capital Region.
“We’re in it for the long haul, to serve as many as we possibly can, across as many towns as we possibly can,” Duncan said.
He’s hoping the first pitch will be in the spring. Duncan says he’s doing this because everyone deserves to have the same opportunity to participate, and gain physical and social skills on and off the diamond.
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August 21, 2020 at 06:17AM
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Alternative Baseball Looking to Expand to Capital Region - Spectrum News
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