The Amazin’ Mets Foundation presented the Louisville Slugger Warriors Amputee Baseball Team with a $5,000 check on Saturday, Sept. 21 as part of the foundation’s second annual Legacy Award.
Prior to Saturday’s Mets game, Amazin’ Mets Foundation President and New York Mets Co-owner Alex Cohen presented the check to members of the amputee baseball team during an on-field ceremony. This included General Manager David Van Sleet, who served in the Army and worked for the Department of Veterans, specializing in prosthetics, catcher Carlo James Adame, who is a retired Army Sergeant First Class, having served three tours of duty in Iraq and is a right leg amputee, and pitcher Parker Hanson, a motivational speaker who was born without a left hand.
The Legacy Award celebrates people and organizations within the baseball community who work to make a difference and drive impactful change, both on and off the field.
The Louisville Slugger Warriors are made up of United States military veterans, active duty personnel, wounded warriors and current and former amputee college baseball players. This competitive and nationally sponsored team is coached by multiple former Major League Baseball players, including head coach Curtis Pride, who, despite being deaf, managed to play parts of 11 seasons in the league after being drafted by the Mets in 1986. Pride also brings a lot of coaching experience, having done so for the Gallaudet University baseball team.
“The Amazin’ Mets Foundation is proud to honor the Warriors Amputee Baseball Team with the Legacy Award and highlight their resilience, determination and passion for baseball,” Alex Cohen said. “Their story inspires people of all abilities to participate in the game we love so much. We were especially honored to welcome Curtis Pride, a former draft pick by the Mets, to Citi Field.”
While the team plays at the Ball Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida, they also take part in national tournaments throughout the country, as well as special baseball game events against able-bodied teams. A documentary is currently being filmed about them, called “Curveballs,” which is meant to inspire others with disabilities.
In 2023, the inaugural Legacy Award from the Amazin’ Mets Foundation was given to Maybelle Blair, a champion for women’s baseball. Since its establishment in 2021, the Amazin’ Mets Foundation has provided more than $11.9 million in grants to over 170 organizations, both within the Queens community and the communities surrounding Mets minor league affiliate teams.
