It was almost like a sleight of hand trick.
This particular center fielder would catch the softball in his mitt, throw the ball up and throw his mitt down at the same time, catch the ball again as it’s falling, and then throw it to first base.
He did this one-handed, and it was incredible.
He did it this way because he had no other choice, and it was humbling.
And he did it faster than most people with two hands, and it was inspiring.
The softball players on the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team are all missing a limb due to combat. But the veterans and active duty soldiers play ball with such a competitive spirit, it’s easy to forget their amputations.
Basin Electric sponsored the national team by bringing them to Bismarck, ND, for the 2014 Sam McQuade Sr./Budweiser Charity Softball Tournament.
The team travels across the country, “playing able-bodied teams in competitive, celebrity and exhibition softball games, bringing their special brand of softball, courage and inspiration,” according to the group’s website. Their mission is to raise awareness, educate and inspire the public about the strength and resiliency of our nation’s wounded warriors.
Andrew Buntrock, Basin Electric manager of financial planning and forecasting, threw out the first pitch at the game. Watch the video. Buntrock is a master sergeant in the North Dakota Air National Guard, assigned to Joint Force Headquarters in Bismarck. He says watching the game was a great honor. “They are a fantastic softball team. The center fielder with one arm was amazing, and there was another player with one arm who was able to screw a bat to his prosthetic arm. Any of those guys could round the bases faster than most of us could,” he says.
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