- Slug: Sports-Boedigheimer Miracle League. 1130 words.
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By Tyler Bednar
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – When he was 9, Scottsdale native Drew Boedigheimer received an Oregon State College Baseball World Series championship ring. Ever since he was a young kid, Boedigheimer has always loved baseball. His two Oregon State University graduate parents, Tara and Todd, frequented OSU baseball games and brought him to love the sport, too.
Boedigheimer was just 2 years old when he was diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy – a heart condition that results in stiffening of the muscle. As the only cure, he received a heart transplant a month later, on May 26, 2011, which the family refers to as his “heart birthday.”
The Boedigheimers, who have lived in Arizona throughout Drew’s life, have tried to make as many trips to watch the Beavers play, whether that was in Arizona, California or in Omaha, Nebraska, where the College Baseball World Series takes place. As he went to more games, Boedigheimer became familiar with players, coaches and became an honorary team member.
“He became acquainted with some of the players,” Tara Boedigheimer said. “Pat Casey, who was the (Oregon State) coach at the time, really developed a relationship with him and told him, ‘You’re an honorary team member, whatever you need, if you want to come into the locker room, whatever you want to do, you’re a part of this team.’”
Casey led the Beavers to three College World Series championships, including in 2018, when Boedigheimer was on the field celebrating OSU’s victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks.
As the Boedigheimer family made many trips to watch the Beavers play baseball, the team also made trips to the Miracle League of Arizona — a baseball league where people of all ages with disabilities can play baseball. The team visits the Boedigheimer and Miracle League family once each spring when the Beavers play against Arizona State in Tempe.
“I just think it’s super special,” Drew, now 16, said. “In the big leagues, we call them kind of like my older brothers. Just to be able to have so many guys that genuinely care and support our family is super special, and being able to have that connection is very special.”
Former Beaver Adley Rutschman was selected first overall by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2019 MLB draft. Drew was seated right next to him as MLB commissioner Rob Manfred called Rutschman’s name.
The Miracle League was founded in March 2011 in North Scottsdale. Boedigheimer began playing in the league in the spring of 2015 and has continued to play since.
The Miracle League offers three sessions, or “seasons,” each year. The winter season begins in early January and lasts seven weeks, until the middle of February. The spring season lasts from middle March until late April, and the fall session plays from the middle of October until late November.
The Miracle League provides opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to play the sport. There are recreational games, which allow every player to bat once per inning. In the competitive division, score is kept, one team wins and the other loses, and the teams play with the traditional three-out rule.
Saturday is the busiest day at the Miracle League each season. A bulk of the 400+ players who competed this fall — the most in a single season in league history — played from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“It’s just the sense of connection and camaraderie and the fact that every week (we) can play organized sports, when that’s not an option for any of us,” Drew said.
People from around the Valley help the Miracle League thrive. Volunteers, or “buddies,” are active in almost every session during the season. Buddies can participate for one game or all during the season and help players with hitting the ball, running the bases and playing the field.
Oftentimes, the connection thrives beyond the field.
“The buddy system (was) another really lovely surprise that we weren’t expecting when we signed Drew up to play for the first time,” Tara Boedigheimer said. “He was paired with a buddy initially, Danny Ozer, who I think they were buddies for five or six years.
“We just became family friends beyond just the relationship that we’ve seen Danny every Tuesday night, but it was this really nice friendship and connection for Drew. Beyond just coming to play, he looked forward to seeing Danny, his buddy.”
In addition to having games four days a week during the season, the Miracle League provides fun activities for the athletes and parents off the field. Players dressed up in costumes for Halloween night, there are holiday parties and casino nights for the adults.
“Some families have a huge social network and lots of brothers and sisters and lots of friends, but for some of these kids, they don’t have that infrastructure,” Tara Boedigheimer said. “Maybe our Halloween party that the Miracle League throws is the only event they have.
“It helps you see that there are other families that you can connect with and other kids for your athlete to connect with.”
Drew says he appreciates all of the coaches and volunteers he’s met during his time playing at the Miracle League, but his favorite day was when the Drew Boedigheimer scoreboard was unveiled. The board was unveiled Oct. 1, 2019, through Make-A-Wish Arizona, the Scottsdale Charros, Fiesta Bowl Charities and Scottsdale 20/30 organizations.
The scoreboard showcases a photo of the player batting, the score and other graphics, while the player’s walk-up song plays. The scoreboard allows players to feel like they’re big leaguers walking up the plate.
Miracle League of Arizona program director Kyle O’Malley has a long history working with the organization. He was a buddy, coach and on the board of directors at the Miracle League of San Diego, before moving to Arizona.
“Moving out here and then having this opportunity as program director now with another Miracle League, with the Miracle League of Arizona, is a pretty incredible and really just like a full-circle, eye-opening experience that I moved to a different state and was able to get reconnected with a passion of mine, something I’ve always loved,” he said.
Shell gas station is a Miracle League partner. Through the Giving Pump, Shell has been able to help many communities, including the Miracle League. From Sept. 1 to Oct. 31 last year, people supported the Miracle League through the Giving Pump at participating gas stations in Arizona.
“Super appreciative that Shell consistently reaches out to us to be one of the nonprofit organizations that gets to be involved with that and the donations that come along,” O’Malley said. “It goes a long way. We don’t charge any cost to any of our families to play in our league, so all of that always helps make a big impact.”
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