Doing More With Less

by Kara Moyer

SPORTS TEAMS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT have a baseline criterion to join, whether it’s age, height, skill level, etc., but the Louisville Slugger Warriors National Amputee Baseball Team have a precondition different than most: you can’t be an ‘able-bodied’ player. It sounds counterintuitive playing a sport that typically requires full body capability, but that’s not the case with this team. Every player has endured some sort of disease or trauma-related loss of limb, digit(s), or eye, or was born with a congenital deformity. Many, but not all, wear prosthetics, from legs or hips to arms, and even ocular.

Shan Donovan, the team’s newest catcher, was born without his left arm. Their pitcher, Parker Hanson, who’s also missing his left arm, throws an average 90mph fastball. Even the most novice baseball fan knows that’s an impressive statistic. The average fastball in Major League Baseball is 91mph.

Comprised of fifteen players ranging from 20-40 years old, the Louisville Sluggers Warriors don’t consider their disabilities a factor when competing. In fact, they prefer not to, as they play only able-bodied baseball teams in the Men’s Senior Baseball League (MSBL), the country’s largest amateur baseball league for players over the age of eighteen. They’re the only amputee team in a league of over 3,000.

Players are spread across more than ten states, from here in Florida to as far north as the Dakotas and play together as a whole team just for tournaments, adding an extra practice day ahead of each tour when schedules permit. They do, after all, have full-time jobs, families, and some are still attending college, or active-duty military, in addition to defying the odds of the typical baseball players’ requisites.

If all of that isn’t impressive enough, they win, a lot . At their most recent MSBL tournament in Troy, Michigan over Labor Day weekend, they went undefeated in a double-header. They walked away with the first-place trophy in the 2021 MSBL Tournament in Las Vegas, NV, and second place in the 2019 MSBL World Series in Phoenix, AZ.

No wonder Louisville Slugger, the official bat-makers of Major League Baseball, is one of their major sponsors. They’re the only nationally sponsored amputee baseball team in the country. And the entire organization is managed out of a home office in Estero by founder and General Manager, David Van Sleet.

Van Sleet had one of those once-in-a-lifetime brainstorm moments in 2011, nearing his retirement from an impressive, awarded 30-year career in both clinical and administrative prosthetics nationally for the Department of Veterans Affairs. “It combined so many of my passions into one, I knew it had to be worth pursuing,” Van Sleet says of the moment he decided to found the Warriors. “Baseball, my career and knowledge in prosthetics, and the military. And it was a great way to transition into retirement—something to work on and be a part of without it being another full-time career.”

Pardon the obvious pun, but it was a home run idea.

Not being able-bodied isn’t the only prerequisite for joining this team, either. Plain and simple, you must be good at playing baseball. All but two of the players played, or currently plays, at college-level. Most are actively involved in a baseball league in their hometowns when they aren’t touring with the LS Warriors. Shan Donovan, their one-armed catcher, catches the ball, drops his glove, and throws it in the span of seconds. It may be the only way he’s ever known how to play baseball, but seeing it is nothing short of extraordinary.

“This isn’t a just walk-on-and-play team,” Van Sleet explained. “It’s a nationally recognized, competitive team which requires a tryout process like any other competitive sports team.”

National tryouts began back in 2018 when the organization was first approached to join the MSBL. Van Sleet knew that to aggressively compete in the league he would need top talent, and partnered with the Washington Nationals (yes, of MLB) to host tryouts at their spring training facility in West Palm Beach. Since then, national tryouts have continued on an as-needed basis as the team’s recognition grows and players either retire or move on from the organization. The most recent tryouts took place this past summer and prospective players will continue to be evaluated by the coaching staff throughout the fall until decision time.

Every player has endured some sort of disease or trauma-related loss of limb, digit, or eye, or was born with a congenital deformity. Many wear prosthetics.

Speaking of evaluations, Van Sleet didn’t hold back finding top coaching talent, either. Head Coach Curtis Pride is a former MLB outfielder. He’s also one of only a few deaf players in the entire history of MLB. Assistant Coach Kirby Retzer is a former Division 1 player. He’s also the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Boston Red Sox when he’s not working with the LS Warriors. Coach Len Whitehouse pitched professionally for both the Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins and now serves as Pitching Coach.

Van Sleet, an Army veteran himself, also knew building the LS Warriors was an opportunity to provide an outlet especially for military personnel. Many of the players are active or former U.S. military who have suffered what’s referred to as a ‘traumatic limb incident’ while in the line of duty. Having another chance to play baseball after such a life-altering event offers a sense of normalcy, camaraderie, and support. Being able to come home and play ball again has been exactly what some players—now considered Wounded Warriors—needed to re-acclimate.

“It’s something to boost their spirits,” Van Sleet believes. “Something to be part of again, to feel whole.”

As is the case with most home run ideas, Van Sleet’s retirement transition project quickly turned into more work than he originally anticipated. The LS Warriors gained steam and recognition fast, and he needed extra hands running the behind-the-scenes business side of the organization. Having been designated by the IRS as a 501c3 public charity organization, he partnered the organization with Florida Gulf Coast University and now offers an 80-hour per semester community service program for business students needing volunteer or internship credit. Students help with social media and media press in general, prepare for tournaments, and assist Van Sleet with the daily upkeep of running a successful ball club.

What’s striking about this team, aside from their resiliency and determination, is their humility. During any interview, it’s obvious that they’re simply grateful for the opportunity to be able to play the game they love—for some it’s still and as they’ve always known it, and others it’s again, albeit from a unique perspective and with a different mindset. It’s not rare for their opponents to be oblivious to concealed missing limbs or prosthetics unless they point it out. They don’t draw attention to it because they stand on the quality of their skills and talent, not what they may be physically lacking. When you ask Van Sleet about his team, the pride and respect he has for his players dominates, as he should be proud of engineering such a team as the LS Warriors. These players continue to prove game by game that while talent is a big part of it, love for the game drives a winning team.

It’s not an understatement by any means when Van Sleet says they’re the “best amputee baseball team ever.” As Yogi Berra famously said, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over”. The Louisville Slugger Warriors Amputee Baseball Team are all the proof you need that sometimes you can do more with less.

Louisville Slugger currently sponsor the LS Warriors, along with MSBL. The team is currently scheduled to play later this year in Louisville, KY; Burlington, VT; and Frederick, MD.

For information, visit lswarriorsteam.org or call 802-777-7232. •

March April

March

Wednesday 1

•Adam Ferrara: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Art Alive: Naples Art District Studio & Gallery Tours. Receptions, exhibits, demos at dozens of galleries & studios. Pine Ridge Industrial Park, J & C Blvd, Shirley St & Trade Center Way, Naples. 3-7p. Free. 247-1977.

•Backyard Bash: Parents’ games, live music, food, drinks. Children’s Museum of Naples, 15080 Livingston Rd, Naples. 5:30-9:30p. 514-0084.

•Chicago Symphony Orchestra w Riccardo Muti: Concert. Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, 777 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 7:30p. 941-966-6161.

•Circus Sarasota: 25th Anniversary Show. Ulla Searing Big Top, Nathan Benderson Park’s Regatta Island, 5851 Nathan Benderson Cir, Sarasota. 2 & 7p. 941-355-9805.

•Delfeayo Marsalis: Concert w Naples Philharmonic. ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 6 & 8:30p. 597-1900.

•Ikebana Meeting: Demo & Workshop. Naples Botanical Garden, Buehler Auditorium, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. 9:30a. Free. 254-9999.

•Madama Butterfly: Sarasota Opera. Sarasota Opera House. 61 Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 7:30p. 941-328-1300.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

•SWFL & Lee County Fair: Rides, entertainment, music, kids activities, livestock shows, crafts, contests, etc. Lee Civic Center grounds, 11831 Bayshore Rd, N Ft Myers. 2-10p. 543-7469.