‘Great baseball moment’: Watch as this student manager with cerebral palsy lines a base hit in first at-bat – Washington Post

Staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror at Lord Calvert Bowling Center, Zach Renner made a vow to himself. He would not let this latest disappointment define him.

Renner suffers from a minor form of cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that primarily affects body movement and muscle coordination. He never let his condition hinder his athletic dreams, though it took its toll on his legs, giving him the appearance of being pigeon toed and forcing him to often randomly trip and fall while walking.

He tried out for the Northern baseball team each of his first three years of high school and was cut every time, but he always held out hope for the coming season.

Senior year would be different, he thought. Perhaps this time Coach Bobby Gibbons would give him a chance. Perhaps this time Gibbons would take note of his opposite-field power and his daredevil defense and offer him a spot on the team.

My one dream was to be part of the Northern baseball team, or any school sport, Renner said. I never made one.

It was during a Saturday night bowling excursion in Huntingtown with family and friends that Renners heart sunk one more time. He scrolled through the list of the team roster Gibbons had tweeted, searching up and down for his name. It wasnt there.

That his younger brother, Ryan, had made the Patriots junior varsity team didnt prevent the tears from flowing. He rushed to the bathroom to compose himself.

I was trying not to show so much emotion in public, Renner said.

It was a dark moment, Renner said, but it makes what happened Friday night at Dunkirk Park all the more special.

It was senior night for the Patriots. Renner, who agreed to become the team manager at the behest of his friends on the team after he got cut, came to school in uniform. The Patriots gathered together for a pregame meal after school, feasting on Potbelly subs, chicken tenders and macaroni and cheese.

Northern jumped out to a 10-0 lead on Patuxent, and so in the fourth inning Gibbons approached Renner. The coach told the senior he had cut four times to set down the scorers book, put a helmet on his head and grab a bat.

Zach Renner was going to pinch-hit for the Northern Patriots.

There were a lot of emotions going through my head, Renner said. I was saying, Dont strike out.

Ive never seen a kids face light up like his did when I told him to grab the bat and go hit, Gibbons said. It was a great, great baseball moment.

Carlton Leslie, the Northern PA announcer, and whose son, Bryce Leslie, Renner was pinch-hitting for, let loose.

Now batting for the Northern Patriots, Leslie bellowed. Zaaaaaaaach Renner!

He let the first two pitches go. Two balls. He took a big hack at the third offering and swung through air. With his mother, father and grandmother in attendance, Renner took a practice cut and stepped back into the batters box.

Before the game, Gibbons met with Patuxents coaches and told them of his plan. He implored them not to take it easy on Renner. He knew his manager wouldnt want that.

The fourth pitch came in and Renner swung. The ping of bat hitting ball gave way to a collective Woo! from the bleachers. Renner muscled the 2-1 offering into an opposite-field liner that screamed through a hole between the first baseman and the second baseman.

Mom, dad, grandma, all of them were crying, seeing me running there to first base, Renner said. It was a good night for me.

Renner later learned that all of his teammates were in on Gibbons decision to put him in the game. A lifelong baseball fan, Renner said he has played Little League, recreation ball and travel ball.

He can hit, pitch and field well, but it was always the running aspect of baseball that he felt held him back. Even before he put on some weight in high school, he said, he was nervous about falling due to the cerebral palsy, and so hes always run with fear. His legs are decorated with bruises earned during daily life.

The disease affects Renners left leg more than his right. The left leg has been operated on four times, and at one point doctors cut his femur in half and inserted screws, a rod and a plate to straighten the leg.

The screws, rod and plate were all eventually removed, with his left leg straightening out a bit. The tripping and falling happened less frequently, but didnt stop. It might never stop.

The high school part of my life, nothing much exciting happened for me sporting wise, Renner said. I went to most sporting events. I went to football, basketball, baseball. I went out and supported my friends. I went out every week.

Renner was subbed out after his base hit Friday night. He retreated to the bench and went to pick up the scorers book, but Northern senior Justin Hitt had other ideas.

Youre a player now, Hitt said to him. You just watch. Ill do it.

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'Great baseball moment': Watch as this student manager with cerebral palsy lines a base hit in first at-bat - Washington Post