Jack Called the Pitch, and Facebook Caught It All

Having already missed a few, Jack Shrauger told the pitcher exactly when and where to throw one of the pitches.

Not long after that, the eighth grader at Zeeland (Mich.) Christian School swung and connected with the ball, hitting it in front of the plate.

As seen on a Facebook video that has already had nearly 100,000 views, the young man with Down syndrome then took off around the bases.

The catcher for the opposing Byron Center (Mich.) Christian School team grabbed the ball and threw it into the outfield. Cheers mounted as Jack rounded the bases and slid into home.

“I hit the ball and got a home base. It was really cool,” said Jack in an interview as he did errands last weekend with his mother, Liz Shrauger.

“It was really awesome,” said Liz. “What started out so innocent has become just so great. It’s been great to see all of the reaction to this on Facebook. It really is a feel-good story.”

The game took place earlier in May between Zeeland Christian and Byron Center Christian. Though it wasn’t originally on their schedules, the game turned out to be the most memorable one of the year.

Liz Shrauger said her son, who plays on a softball league for players who have special needs, has helped the Zeeland baseball team on and off as a manager — a position he loves because it has allowed him to be with his friends and classmates. Also, he was given a jersey, which is a prized possession, she said.

Both Zeeland and Byron Center Christian schools include students with special needs in the classroom. Recently that inclusion extended to the baseball diamond when Zeeland coach Chris Lowe emailed Byron Center coach Kevin Diekevers with a proposal.

Lowe said, “I contacted Kevin about a student of ours who has come to several of our games as a manager and is a crucial member of our eighth-grade body.

“‘His name is Jack, and he has Down syndrome,’ I wrote. Before promising Jack, I asked Kevin if he could be the first at-bat of our team, as it would make his eighth-grade year that much more special. Kevin more than obliged, even saying how much he and his players looked forward to playing a role in the event.

“But (and I'm still emotional reflecting on this), the response was more than I could have ever hoped.” Jack came up to bat, and the pitcher threw the ball Jack was looking for, and he hit it.

Jack learned that he would get to bat a day or so before the game, and he kept talking about it until they went to the field and he took some warm-up swings, said his mother.

She also said going to bat and trying to hit a hard ball, instead of a softball, and with the pitcher being further away on the mound, was tough for Jack. But he hung in there.

Lowe described the at-bat by saying, “Jack was his usual self, adding a nice ‘waggle,’ calling his ‘big hit’ in advance, even switching sides of the plate.”

Eventually Jack made contact.

“He took off around the bases, and [the Byron Center ] team made sure he got around the bases without making him feel patronized or like a charity case.”

West Michigan news outlets, radio stations, and a national talk show have run stories on Jack coming to the plate and hitting the ball. On Facebook, the views and comments keep rolling in.

As he reflects on the story, Richard “Bear” Berends, who worked for many years as director of the Christian Learning Center, which resources Christian schools across the area, said Jack’s story of inclusion is a reflection of the spirit and determination of Christian schools to make room for everyone in the classroom.

Many of these Christian schools were started by Christian Reformed churches and their members, who believe that “being Reformed” involves incorporating your faith into all aspects of life. Christian schools are intended to help teach and foster that worldview in generations of children. According to Berends, they are doing a great job at meeting this goal.

“I saw the video, and it was great,” said Berends.

In the video, Jack is swarmed by his teammates and classmates after sliding into home. Later, members of the Byron Center team signed a baseball and gave it to him.

“Jack took that ball to school and showed his friends,” said Liz Shrauger. “He keeps talking about this. He has had lots of ‘15 minutes of fame’ because of this. . . . I can’t say how much I appreciate the two schools for making this happen for him.”