The Miracle League baseball field now being built in Graham Park has a new angel. On July 9, the Pittsburgh Pirates Charities and Pirates second baseman Freddy Sanchez teamed up to announce a gift of $200,000 toward the construction of the field – $50,000 of which was donated by Sanchez and his wife.
Miracle League – a national organization focused on building ballfields that are designed to accommodate children with disabilities – was formed ten years ago in Rockdale County, Georgia. Cranberry resident Mike Sherry, who learned about the organization while working in Georgia, has become a leading proponent for the Graham Park Miracle Field and was instrumental in interesting other local benefactors in its support.
Today, there are 200 Miracle League organizations across the country, with 100 completed fields, and 100 more under construction. The League’s motto, “Every child deserves a chance to play baseball,” has become a reality for more than 80,000 children and young adults with disabilities who have used the fields, which feature a synthetic surface that makes it possible for children in wheelchairs and walkers to play the game safely.