Miracle League baseball season kicks off in southeastern Michigan

SOUTHFIELD — Easterseals MORC’s Miracle League celebrated opening day for its 2025 baseball season June 7 at the Southfield Civic Center’s Miracle Field.

Over 550 individuals with cognitive and physical disabilities are signed up to play baseball this summer as part of the Miracle League, and opening week showed what makes the organization so impactful.

“We’re off to an awesome start,” said Nick Lionas, the Miracle League’s director of adaptive recreation. “The amount of love that is exuded just from being in this environment … it’s all positive all the time.”

Games are played on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer and every group plays at least once a week. The players are joined by volunteer “buddies” on the Miracle League adaptive field, which is custom-designed with synthetic surfaces to accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility aids.

“Michigan started in 2004 with this field in Southfield. … Now I think there’s eight or nine fields in Michigan,” Lionas said. “There’s rare spaces in this world that are truly all inclusive.”

Opening day got everyone involved and excited for the rest of the summer. At Southfield’s opening day, former Detroit Lions quarterback and current mental health advocacy partner with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Eric Hipple threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the season — with a football. Hipple also spoke about the importance of mental health and signed copies of his book, “Real Men Do Cry.”

The day also highlighted the growth of inclusive sports and activities in Michigan. On opening day, the Miracle League celebrated its new adaptive field in Flint, giving those in Genesee County an opportunity to play baseball. The Miracle League of Greater Flint built the field and has partnered with the Miracle League Michigan, which now has fields in Flint, Orion Township and Southfield.

“This is their inaugural season. They’re super excited,” Lionas said. “We had a goal of getting 40 participants for the very first year and we got 63. … It’s really great to see the growth throughout the state of Michigan.”

The impact that the Miracle League has had on adults and children with disabilities all over the world can’t be overstated, but the impact that these events have on volunteers and ‘buddies’ is just as moving.

“About 14 years ago my daughter had been out and volunteered with her friend and she came home and said mom you got to go (volunteer) you’re going to love it,” Susie Glasgow, who now runs the Orion Township field, said. “So I went with her and we buddied for one game. We were back the next game and the next game. And I have not left.”

Glasgow then began coaching teams and got involved any way she could. Her story is not a unique one in the Miracle League. A lot of people that work for the organization started as volunteers, and a lot of the volunteers tried it once and now are staples on game days.

“The nice thing about the Miracle League is once you’re a part of the Miracle League family, you are always a part,” Glasgow said. “My dear friend … always used to tell me, ‘You know, Susie, when I walk on this field I feel like somebody dropped a happy bomb on me,’ and that’s something that sticks with me.”

The Miracle League gives the community a safe space for anyone who wants to play organized baseball, and once a participant starts, they won’t ever be told to stop.

“A lot of the players in Southfield have been there for almost 22 years. So that is part of the reason we have now started to break up our groups into divisions by age,” Glasgow said. “We didn’t want any of our players to age out of our program. We wanted a place for them to stay. … They will always have a place to play. We have an age for you from when you’re 4 until you’re 102.”

The importance of events like this for the families is significant as well.

“I’ve talked to some parents who are like, ‘We go to a restaurant and my child is having a hard time’... but when they’re at the field they can be themselves,” Lionas said. “Everyone is there to cheer on each other.”

The Miracle League is making a difference every day and the work that is done will not only leave a lasting mark on the players, but on anyone involved.

“Come out and change a life,” Lionas said. “It’s probably going to be yours.”

This organization was Michigan’s first adaptive baseball program over 21 years ago and has been vital in offering children and adults, regardless of their ability, a chance to play organized baseball.

To learn more about the Miracle League of Michigan, visit michiganmiracle.org.