Shay, right fielder.

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning disabled
children,the father of one of the students delivered a speech that
would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the
school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

"When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature
does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things
as other children

do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
natural order of things in my son?"

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. "I believe,that when a child like Shay,
physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an
opportunity to realize true human na ture presents itself, and it
comes, in the way other people treat that child."Then he told the
following story:

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew
were playing baseball. Shay asked,"Do you think they'll let me play?"
Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like
Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son
were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of
belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of
his handicaps.

Shay's father approached one of the boys

on the field and asked if Shay could play, not expecting much. The
boy looked around for guidance and said, "We're losing by six runs
and th e game is in the eighth inning I guess he can be on our team
and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning."

Shay struggled over to the team's bench put on a team shirt with a
broad smile and his Father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in
his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but
was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put
on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came
his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be

in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father
waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning,
Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, t
he potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to
win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew
that a hit was all but impossible 'cause Shay didn't even know how to
hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing
the other team putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life,
moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least
be able to make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily
and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the
ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the
ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over, but the pitcher picked up the soft
grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the

first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the
end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the first
baseman, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and
both teams started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never
in his life had Shay ever ran that far but made it to first base. He
scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, "Run

t o second, run to second!"

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and
struggling to make it to second base. By the time Shay rounded
towards second base, the right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy
on their team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the
first time. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for
the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions and he too
intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's
head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of
him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay"

Shay reached third base, the opposing shortstop ran to help him and
turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to
third! Shay, run to third" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both
teams and those watching were on their feet were screaming, "Shay,
run home! Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as
the hero who hit the "grand slam" and won the game for his team.

That day, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his
face, the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and
humanity into this world.

Shay didn't make it to another summer and died that winter, having
never forgotten being the hero and making his Father so happy and
coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero
of the day!