Capt. Brian Roseen (Sun Country), far left, along with pilots from Sun Country and Air Wisconsin and members of Sun Country management, who served as buddies for the June 8 game.

Ten years ago, Capt. Brian Roseen (Sun Country), his pilot group’s Master Executive Council (MEC) chairman, was playing catch with his son, Blake, at a park in Lakeville, Minn. A young boy in a wheelchair had come by and asked if he could throw the baseball with them. However, the boy was unable to maneuver the chair through the dugout door onto the field, and his wheels kept getting stuck in the surrounding sod. Discouraged, he gave up and left.

Leaving the park, Blake commented, “That’s not fair.” When the two got home, they Googled “wheelchair baseball Minnesota” and up popped the Miracle League of Minnesota, a not-for-profit organization that provides opportunities for children with special needs, ages 3 to 19, to play baseball.

“I wondered what it would be like to have a league and field like that in Lakeville,” thought Roseen, who was coaching a local youth baseball team at the time. He contacted Miracle League and learned that fields were already under construction in several nearby Minneapolis communities. 

On Feb. 7, 2007, Roseen approached the Lakeville City Council with a proposal to build a Miracle League field at King Park. The Council endorsed the idea, donating four acres for the project. However, Roseen would need to raise $400,000 for the construction, scoreboard, and landscaping to make his idea a reality.

“Money (That’s What I Want)”

Roseen knew he would need to be imaginative to raise that amount of money. A former ski jumper, he—at age 47—agreed to come out of retirement and jump twice, if friends would sponsor him. He cornered nearly every pilot at Sun Country and anyone else he could think of, collecting $5,000 for what he later deemed the “Miracle Leap.” 

Roseen sponsored all kinds of fundraisers, from hawking raffle tickets at Minnesota Twins baseball games to selling donated items at Rotary auctions. After four years of appealing for contributions, he had finally raised enough money. 
It took about two weeks to pour and cure the rubberized field, which is green and brown in color to simulate the look of a traditional ballpark. White lines outline the path between the bases, and there are no bags, bumps, or barriers. All of these features were thoughtfully included to make it easier for children with mental and physical impairments to play baseball in an organized league. On June 26, 2011, Harmon Killebrew Field officially opened, named after the former Minnesota Twins Hall of Famer who was an avid supporter of the Miracle League and a generous contributor to the Lakeville facility.

Approximately 135 Miracle League players take part in the Lakeville League, and everyone gets a chance to bat and round the bases. The league has roughly 550 registered “buddies,” who are paired with the children to assist them.

Buddy system

Last fall, the Sun Country pilots signed a new collective bargaining agreement after years of often-contentious negotiations. In an effort to improve their working relationship while helping children at the same time, Roseen invited members of the airline’s senior management and pilots to set politics aside and participate as buddies for a Miracle League game on June 8. Management would assist one team while the pilots would help the other.

“I don’t play baseball so I was a little nervous; but once we got out there, it was a really fun experience,” said F/O Ross Schumacher (Sun Country), his pilot group’s MEC vice chairman. Schumacher noted that the park would play a theme song as each child prepared to bat, similar to what takes place at Major League Baseball games.

The pilot team was a few buddies short, so Roseen enlisted four Air Wisconsin crewmembers. The weather was perfect and everyone had a great time.

Later after the game had taken place, Roseen was attending a Sun Country meeting. During a break, a member of management said about the June 8 game, “Hey that was really cool. Thanks for the opportunity.” Roseen smiled, understanding that while the two might have their occasional differences, they accomplished something great that day by working together.

 

A Miracle League baseball player at bat as “buddies” and fans watch.