Taylor Duncan always thought baseball should be enjoyed by all.
A native of Georgia, Duncan’s love for the sport blossomed from watching the Atlanta Braves play on TV with his mother and granny. This inspired Duncan to play the sport himself. However, growing up on the autism spectrum, Duncan was denied opportunities to play traditional sports.
Negative stigmas regarding those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) resulted in Duncan being cut or benched from teams. He thought his career in competitive baseball was over by the time he moved into high school.
At least, that’s what he thought at the time.
Taylor didn’t want anyone on the autism spectrum, or any teen/adult with a disability for that matter, to be excluded from something they loved. These feeling led to Duncan creating a league of his own: The Alternative Baseball Organization (ABO).
“I started this organization to give others on the spectrum the opportunity to be accepted for who they are and to be encouraged to be the best they can be,” Duncan said, referencing the league’s mantra of #PowerThruPerceptions. “I wanted to do this to raise awareness and acceptance for those with autism.”
The league was founded in 2016 and, at its inception, only consisted of two teams and approximately 40 players and 10 volunteers. The minimum age for competitors was set at 15. Since opportunities for competitive athletics are limited after high school graduation, or as Duncan says, “after the Macho Man Randy Savages’ music stops,” the league does not have a maximum age restriction.
“Baseball is not a sport that should have an age cap; you should be able to enjoy and love it forever,” Duncan said. “Disabilities don’t stop at age 18 either.”
The ABO is different than Special Olympics in that it doesn’t use a buddy system. Duncan emphasized that ABO emphasizes a players’ independence. This is done to teach important skills that help participants outside the baseball diamond.
“I wanted to do baseball because it gives equal opportunities to contribute in a team setting,” Duncan said. “Everyone bats, everyone has the opportunity to play defensively and make that play. It’s all about learning, in our own ways, how to effectively communicate with our teammates.”
With the exception of a slightly larger and softer ball, the ABO is contested exactly like a professional game. Batters only use wood bats to preserve the professional quality of the games. Base stealing, leading off, and infield fly are all in effect. Each of Alternative Baseball’s games are 7-9 innings, longer in instances of a tie.
The players also pitch in Alternative Baseball. Each batter is pitched a ball either overhand or underhand based on his or her individual skill level. Each player plays independently on the field. No experience is necessary.
ESPN caught word of the league and did a feature on it in 2018. By giving Duncan a bigger platform to spread his message of positivity and inclusion, everyone wanted to bring the ABO to their town. Duncan fielded calls from throughout the country, and now the ABO has 60 teams in 26 states.
He said he’s done 195 Zoom calls in the past month and a half.
“I had a vision that it would end up as an expansion, but I didn’t know it would happen like this,” Duncan said. “I guess it shows you shouldn’t ever place limits on what you can accomplish.”
ABO in Surry County
When Duncan founded ABO in 2016, he had an idea of locations in which he would like to expand the league.
One of those locations was none other than the Granite City.
“I actually went up to Mount Airy for my birthday after our first season,” Duncan said. “I knew once I got there, I thought, ‘I have to get something going up here.’ Here we are four years later.”
“Plus, I’m long overdue for a pork chop sandwich at The Snappy Lunch.”
Word of the league spread in the triad earlier this summer when Duncan spoke with members of Winston-Salem NBC affiliate WXII. Due to COVID, the league would be unlikely to start in the state until 2021. But Duncan wants to begin drumming up interest now so they can hit the ground running.
“It’s always import to provide something to those that need enrichment and work to be more independent,” Duncan said. “By going ahead and recruiting players, coaches, officials and donors now, people around [Mount Airy] could be on their way to that.”
Duncan said a team in Surry County would have the advantage of a playing a wide variety of opponents, as he is also trying to formed teams in Winston-Salem and High Point. He also mentioned the Virginia towns of Galax and Christiansburg as potential locations as well.
ABO has been a dream come true for Duncan and hundreds of baseball fanatics across the nation. It’s even allowed Duncan to meet some of the players he’s seen on TV over the years.
Last fall, ABO hosted an ‘Ole Time Classic’ in 2019 that allowed for ABO athletes to play with and against former professional baseball players such as Jeff Keppinger, Craig Brazell, Barry Evans, John Trautwein, Glenn Sutko, David Williams, Josh Stinson, Danny Young and Johnny Estrada. This is something he hopes to bring to new locations once COVID settles down.
In order for ABO to come to the county, Duncan said there has to be enough interest. Players are just the tip of the iceberg. The league needs coaches, volunteers and donors to help pay for general liability insurance for the athletes.
“We all can break the glass ceiling together and make a more a more inclusive society for everyone,” he said.
For more information on Duncan and the ABO be sure to check out the Organization’s website: www.alternativebaseball.org
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com