digg

Join DiggAbout

One legged little league player: Awesome. watch!

break.com — This kid only has one leg, but plays on his little league team and seems to do pretty well. He clearly has the determination that I lack. : /

Bury
show profanity settings
expand all
  • spicoli77, on 06/03/2008, -5/+36what an amazing kid.
    • atcrawford, on 06/04/2008, -2/+4Break sucks: http://youtube.com/watch?v=y4LMBEBM1qc
    • robdiggity, on 06/04/2008, -0/+4Absolutely awesome. My eyes went wide on the slide into second, but that was nothing... the plate blocking on those two plays at the plate... sacrificing the body! And at the end he's got the dirtiest uniform on the field. That is one bad ass kid.
  • charlieville, on 06/03/2008, -6/+54Coolest kid ever. More athletic than most people on digg
    • semvhu, on 06/04/2008, -0/+4"Athletic" and "digg" are two words I never thought I'd see used together in the same sentence.
    • shawnanigans, on 06/04/2008, -0/+7I have an "athletic" body. The athlete just happens to be a semi-pro offensive lineman.
  • tipinmy40, on 06/03/2008, -6/+26You know sometimes we all could all put a little more heart into what we do...his parents must be PROUD!
    • durgahutt, on 06/04/2008, -1/+9I'm proud of him and he's not my kid.
  • dib2, on 06/03/2008, -5/+16I totally respect him. He's a true inspiration. Notice how he's really humble as well. Awesome kid.
  • DinosWillDie13, on 06/03/2008, -2/+171:56 ftw. Literally.
  • a23y1, on 06/04/2008, -2/+17I have a whole new understanding of the word accomplishment.
  • slothchunk, on 06/04/2008, -2/+61i really need to quit whining about my problems.
  • nitesoulja, on 06/04/2008, -25/+6why is this kid getting special attention? thats DISCRIMINATION
  • hookman, on 06/04/2008, -2/+12Very inspiring.
  • gururickri, on 06/04/2008, -2/+14This kid is incredible. As Jim Abbott proved, anything is possible if you don't give up. Keep it up little guy!

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Abbott
    • hawksfan03, on 06/04/2008, -5/+2Yeah, they'll come up with a way to explain how him using crutches to get from 1st to home is an unfair advantage. Or how he could poke a kids eye out with the end of his crutch
    • Narcism, on 06/04/2008, -4/+1Clearly you haven't seen me try to get it up after 12 beers.
    • gahal, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1There was a kid that I played in the same league with when I was a kid. I can not remember how much of his arm he was missing, but I do recall he used a similar method for exchanging the glove and ball when throwing a ball on the field. I also can not recall if he had a DH or not (I'm thinking he must have). He was not a pitcher, but normally played 1st base.
      I'm guessing his parents used Jim Abbott as an example for him, both motivationally and for technique when fielding a ball.
    • gahal, on 06/05/2008, -1/+1When I was a kid there was a player on one of the other teams missing a hand and part of his arm. He used a similar technique when fielding a ball. He was not a pitcher, but he played 1st base so he was not having to catch a ball and then throw it while in play as ofter as the other players.
      I had not heard of Jim Abbott until now, but I'm sure his parents used Abbott as inspiration. For both motivation and technique.
    • gahal, on 06/05/2008, -1/+1Oh what the hell. Bumped some bad key combos that killed the page on my first reply. Retyped the damn comment thinking it was not submitted. Now I look like a ***** idiot. Can someone start the bury on one of my above comments, and this one as well.
  • habhi, on 06/04/2008, -9/+12IOC will probably disqualify him for unfair advantage at some point in his life.
    • NCecil, on 06/04/2008, -0/+5I don't know why people are digging you down, unless they've never heard the story you're referring to:

      http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/17/prosthetic-limb ...
    • habhi, on 06/04/2008, -0/+3I actually expected what I got, what else is there to expect with sports on Digg?

      Unless it's a hot volleyball player or a computer device that can detect whether a football crossed the goal line, Diggers don't seem to care. :(
  • hawksfan03, on 06/04/2008, -3/+18Is it weird if I'm crying in my office at how inspiring this is?
  • knoxchris, on 06/04/2008, -1/+7Way to go kid, he's got a good arm! When he rushed second i almost teared up. Reminds me of Jim Abbott.
  • adamcrigger, on 06/04/2008, -18/+13Let's see him play soccer.
  • Conwaysb0718, on 06/04/2008, -13/+7Geez, a one legged kid playing baseball and everyone gets all mushy...
  • puttly, on 06/04/2008, -4/+1aweeeeeee!
  • mprice177, on 06/04/2008, -13/+8Hypothetically, If he is running to first base and he throws his prosthetic leg...would he be safe or out? ..just asking.
    • insertAliasHere, on 06/04/2008, -1/+5He doesn't even have a prosthetic leg, jackass.
  • frankingeneral, on 06/04/2008, -12/+3If you don't digg this you have no soul.
    • leejarratt, on 06/04/2008, -4/+0You made me digg it.
    • insertAliasHere, on 06/04/2008, -1/+6I always hated chain emails that said "if you don't pass this on you have no soul" and I hate you just as much.
  • Mr.Gone, on 06/04/2008, -19/+10Wow, good for him! I bet all the attention he gets for playing little league almost fills up that empty spot in the bed, where his leg should be. I'm sure it drys up all the tears before sleepy time. Like I always said, the only thing better than being a little league baseball star is having both of my legs.
  • cannabrain, on 06/04/2008, -2/+10And he's a pretty good ball player, Im feeling the need to go out and surf or ride my bike today.
  • Dakkon544, on 06/04/2008, -11/+6Heh, kid's missin a leg
  • umterpsfan, on 06/04/2008, -10/+6i guess he has a leg up on the competition.
    • Unskillful, on 06/04/2008, -1/+2How the hell does that makes sense....he has one less leg
    • Vraja, on 06/04/2008, -0/+3that was totally stolen from the comments on the videos page!
  • JohnnyHotballs, on 06/04/2008, -7/+9sure he can play baseball, but let's see him win an ass-kicking contest
  • shto, on 06/04/2008, -1/+5Impossible is nothing...
    • WhiteBoyDunkin, on 06/08/2008, -0/+0he should be on a adiddas commercial
  • sirloxelroy, on 06/04/2008, -1/+6That kid has a lot of spirit, perseverance, and strength. His parents must be so proud of him.
  • trixterIreland, on 06/04/2008, -1/+40this bothers me because people make such a big deal about someone doing what other kids his age do. At his age feeling normal is important, feeling that he doesnt have to prove by going above and beyond to be normal is important. Instead people treat him like he is special.

    How can I say this? How can I possibly know what its like? I was born with one hand, all my life I have had people say that I am so amazing because I am able to do what everyone else does, everyone who isnt amazing for doing the same things. It continues past childhood although generally people stop making a big deal out of it, however a week or so ago I was told that its amazing that I could ride a bike, in a city where 75% of the people own bikes, where its the most common mode of transport, I was somehow special for doing this.

    I think I have a little insight as a result what it is like to grow up in this light. And really I honestly think it would be better if people didnt think it was amazing that someone did the same things as everyone else, rather treat them like normal people, dont jump in and demand to help (that has happened to the point I have been *told* that I am not able to do things and people jump in and forcibly do them for me), treat each person um well as a person. Even people with 2 hands or 2 legs or whatever can sometimes do less, and often I find that there is at least 1 in any group, they arent somehow abnormal for not being able to do things, they are still treated as a normal person, they are still treated more capable in fact than those that can actually do more than them, but the impression people get is that they are useless.

    Of course its these same types of people that caused me to stop wearing a hearing aid, people would yell because obviously you are deaf right? But when people see someone with glasses they dont shove stuff in their face assuming they are blind.

    So please just think about what you are doing by singling someone out because of what others perceive to be a disability, its more discriminatory than you think.
    • form3hide, on 06/04/2008, -2/+17We like the underdogs. We like the story of someone accomplishing something. I certainly understand your point of view, but the kid should be praised. He's playing his heart out.

      We don't know his story, either. What if he just lost his leg last year and he was a ball player before that? And now, with one leg, he's climbed back up and accomplished what he loved doing. Why shouldn't we praise him for this?

      Who cares about normal, anyways. Normal is overrated. We should celebrate how different we all are.
    • here2degradeU, on 06/04/2008, -2/+3sorry dude. missing limbs/hands/whathaveyou will garner a bit of attention. just depends on the motives of the people paying attention. you're really describing attaining a happy medium between ignoring a person and over-zealously pumping sunshine up the no-sunshine zone. where does this state of balance lie? dunno: it sure doesn't come easy, disability or not.
    • j0ew00ds, on 06/04/2008, -2/+14Someone helped you type all that, right?

      Kidding, kidding, kidding. You make very good points but this story CAN be inspiring for people.
      • trixterIreland, on 06/04/2008, -0/+2I request that others dont digg this person down for the joke, because that removes the potential for discussion on the other point (I also dont mind the joke which was directed towards me).

        I agree, it can be inspiring but ya know it can also be used for evil without knowing it, even with the best of intentions (often the case). There was a baseball player with one hand, pitcher, I forget his name, but I got so sick of EVERYONE cutting out news paper articles about him because he was playing college ball. I already played baseball, I hated it (the most boring god aweful game I have ever played, with basketball a close second, lacrosse however was fun cause you get to hit people with a stick :)

        So even using it to inspire you have to be careful, because it can end up sending the same message "you are different, you are inferior, but if you try really hard you can be like anyone else that doesnt have to try - see proof someone else did it!"

        I guess its more about context and such, and as someone else pointed out it is a fine line, how do you praise someone for their real accomplishments without basically singling them out for special treatment? Well how do you do that for anyone else that isnt "different".
    • forgetfulca, on 06/04/2008, -0/+4I think that any time 'people' break out of their me-preoccupation to feel any level of empathy or admiration for someone else it's a good thing, and a sign that humans aren't completely worthless. That the cumulative effect is irritating to you is unfortunate. The mostly likely alternative from the grab bag of responses is apathy. Would you seriously prefer that?
      • trixterIreland, on 06/04/2008, -0/+2I think I personally, as well as many others, would prefer to be treated the same, no better, no worse. Yeah that means some abuse sometimes, yeah that means some praise sometimes, but it doesnt involve a daily constant reminder that everyone else thinks of you as inferior and the best that you can achieve is to be like everyone else.
        • forgetfulca, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1my point is: You can never achieve no reaction for being different. Identifying and classifying differences is part of the way human brains work. Never mind telling me people should somehow overcome how their brains work, as if you could turn a car into a plane by simply wanting to.
          People complimenting you for overcoming a physical difference IS them attempting to rise above their instinctive reactions, and it's a positive one.
    • scubaman5000, on 06/04/2008, -0/+3I completely agree with what you're saying here. One of my closest friends was born deaf. When I first met her years ago I had a tendency to treat her like she had a disability but that was only because I didn't fully understand her capabilities. As I got to know her more and more over the years she's just like anyone else I know now. Nothing particularly special and that's how she'd prefer people to treat her. I notice she gets annoyed when people start giving the whole "you're an inspiration" speech. More than anything she just wants to be treated like everyone else, not because we try to remember to treat her like everyone else but just naturally treat her like there's nothing special about her at all. Recognizing that she can't hear is fine, just don't dwell on it and turn it into a big deal.
      • trixterIreland, on 06/04/2008, -0/+3At least I know I am not alone :)
    • dafragsta, on 06/04/2008, -0/+1As someone who is legally blind, but with very functional vision, I've had large-print books, v-tech (big ***** TV with a camera built onto it), counselers, special classes, and countless other aids shoved onto me. The only debilitating thing about my condition is that I can't drive. Living in America, that is a big deal, but I never bring up my vision problem first and I do my best to hide it. Every time someone treats you special, it suspends the belief that you work so hard to accept that you are normal.
  • beerbarron, on 06/04/2008, -0/+3It was good to see him being treated as an equal rather than someone with one leg. Really good article this!
  • zionKing, on 06/04/2008, -0/+8As a person who played Little League while growing up in Kentucky, it is nice to see this video which demonstrates that my state isn't this terrible place of redneck savages but of decent people getting by with help from one another. Also if I come across as sensitive about this subject, it is true I am sensitive about the general mistrust/dislike of Southern peoples I sometimes feel through so many of the comments I see here on Digg. The South isn't perfect, but it's not bad folks.
    • lajaw, on 06/04/2008, -1/+3what is wrong with redneck savages?
    • zionKing, on 06/04/2008, -0/+4Oh wow this is in Lexington, I live there. *Waits for award*...

      Here is the backstory to the video: http://www.kentucky.com/211/story/420950.html
    • knoxchris, on 06/04/2008, -1/+1Sorry, it's pretty bad. You should get out why you can. :/

      Thanks for the article link. "At one point this season he led the rookie league in put-outs at home." Awesome.
      • zionKing, on 06/04/2008, -0/+3I like it here. Also I'd type more but my horse is getting thirsty outside, I need to go water him so he won't stall (again!) on my way to the local market. Prices are so bad too these days... apples were 3 pelts last month and they are already 4 pelts! ***** what do they think I am, made of pelts? But really, I'm glad you like Oregon, it's a nice place too...
  • inigomntoya, on 06/04/2008, -1/+3Wow - he even bats. He connected really well with it too. Most people who tried to play baseball like that would probably have someone else hit and run to first for them.
    • JoeDiggsIt, on 06/04/2008, -0/+2At a certain point though, if you are a serious player, they won't allow people to have pinch runners off the cuff like that. When I would get on base _after_ the hit my coach would put in a pinch runner to finish the job.
  • Spamiclese, on 06/04/2008, -0/+5Hopping around like that has to be murder on his knee. I wonder if they've considered getting him an athletic prosthetic for playing? Then again, those things are really expensive and he'd probably grow out of it.
    • JoeDiggsIt, on 06/04/2008, -0/+1(I'm not sure where he gets his prosthetic made) But, he could easily get sponsored by a company to have a good leg made for sports. Those carbon fiber flexy ones don't work for baseball, but a decent one and he could be a true contender for his team.
    • trixterIreland, on 06/04/2008, -0/+1well I have heard the boston leg is almost as good as a real one, but the hand I know from experience sucks ass. It also depends on the type of injury he had, you have to get a prescription to get a prosthetic and it may be that a doctor decided that its just not suitable, at least not now. Generally though if it is viable they try to start them as young as possible so they never learn any other way and are more comfortable with it. Why I had hooks and "alligator pincers" as a child. Which sucked worse than the hand.

      Childrens hospital & shriners often give them free, they bill insurance for as much as possible and write off the rest. As for hands the ilimb from touchbionics.com looks to be the best but its 15,000€!
  • drummy41, on 06/04/2008, -1/+4"Probably more athletic than a lot of kids with two legs and most of the people reading this right now."
    So true. Dugg.
  • Kivenkantaja, on 06/04/2008, -0/+2Dugg for his name Bender on the back of his shirt.
  • HotSaucePanCake, on 06/04/2008, -0/+4This is awesome, but just you wait kid when you start getting older... Diving into second like that is gonna hurt for a week!!!
  • phyx726, on 06/04/2008, -3/+17"It was out."
    "No, it was safe"
    "It was out!"
    "No, it was safe!!"
    "I have one leg"
    "Okay it was out."
  • seanieb, on 06/04/2008, -9/+3I'm going to hell for marking this as lame..
  • JoeDiggsIt, on 06/04/2008, -0/+4Token Amputee Time! I played baseball through varsity as an amputee, and I'm really proud to see some other players out there. But he is going to horribly tear up his knee if he doesn't wear a prosthetic, I'm not sure where his amputation is, but I know how much I hop around and what it has done to me. I wish him luck though.
    • cawpin, on 06/04/2008, -2/+1What do you mean you're not sure where his amputation is? His whole ***** leg is gone. His amputation was apparently at the taint.
  • leen76, on 06/04/2008, -0/+2Fantastic!!! What an inspriation!
  • AdamZC, on 06/04/2008, -1/+3I suck.
  • card2570, on 06/04/2008, -0/+3I think that's probably the most awesome thing I have seen in 2008.

    EDIT: Now that I think about it, I'm sure it is.



    Nice job, 1-2. Way to be a ballplayer. : )
  • JedicodeWarrior, on 06/04/2008, -0/+1Damn! Amazing! Give that kid a medle. He plays better than most of kids on my little league team
  • MarkHunneyman, on 06/04/2008, -1/+2Technically he has two legs if you catch my drift.
  • soopertoll, on 06/04/2008, -0/+1Cripplewatch-Cat is inspired.
  • jattsona, on 06/04/2008, -0/+1Damn, this kid is inspiring. He's good because he's a hard worker, which some of us need to start doing.
  • kataztrophy, on 06/04/2008, -0/+2 Much respect for going out and living life to the fullest.
  • goodform, on 06/04/2008, -1/+1I had tears rolling down my face watching this little guy. What a heart!!
  • lovenotfear, on 06/04/2008, -0/+1Nice. Reminds me of this video featuring adaptive snowboarders who may be blind or missing one or more limbs among other disabilities:

    http://digg.com/extreme_sports/Adaptive_Riders_Fea ...
  • Nemoso, on 06/04/2008, -0/+2First thing I wondered was how the hell this kid was going to swing the bat without falling. Holy *****.

    Dugg.
  • IdevInull, on 06/04/2008, -1/+4He will never make it past little league - he is rather slow. And did you see him wobble and miss that catch? Pathetic.
  • techky, on 06/04/2008, -0/+1Lifted from a Kentucky.com video post.

    see: http://videos.kentucky.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/medi ...
  • digglet08, on 06/04/2008, -0/+0Its great that his parents are keeping him up with the other kids.

    Also, not to be petty, but if I find another sports story about "heart" I may throw myself out a window.

  • Fetching more discussions...
    Show 51 - 59 of 59 discussions
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.