Buddy Baseball Hits — Jon Knocks It Out of the Park!
Buddy Baseball hits just keep on coming, and Jon is absolutely on fire this season. Yesterday was such a special morning watching this kid step up to the plate with all the confidence in the world — tapping the plate with his bat, swinging it back and forth a few times to get ready, and then connecting on that first pitch like he’s been doing it his whole life. Because honestly? He kind of has. Jon has been playing Buddy Baseball with the Cyclones for 16 seasons now, since he was eight years old, and every single game still feels like a gift.
In yesterday’s game, Jon had three at-bats and he made every single one of them count. The first two times up, he connected on the very first pitch. The third at-bat he took one extra swing to get his timing right — and then knocked it on the second pitch. Three at-bats. Three hits. That’s our Jon.
One of my favorite things about watching him play is the little routine he has at the plate. He taps home plate with his bat a few times, swings it back and forth to warm up, gets that look of total focus on his face — and then he swings. Every time I watch him do that I think about how hard he has worked to get here, and my heart just about bursts.
After the game, we got to do something that made the whole morning even sweeter — we joined Jon’s Buddy Jacob and his mom for lunch at Jason’s Deli. It was so good to sit down with them, share a meal, and just get to know each other better. Jacob is a genuinely wonderful kid and he takes such good care of Jon out on that field. We are so grateful for him.
That is one of the things we love most about Buddy Baseball — it brings people together in the best possible way. Kids with special needs and kids who just want to show up and help out, all on the same field, all rooting for each other. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever been a part of, and we would not trade a single Saturday morning of it for anything. If you want to read about another one of Jon’s big moments on the field, check out Jonathan’s Buddy Baseball Opening Day — it was a morning we will never forget.
Buddy Baseball Hits — About the Longstreth Family
Welcome to the Longstreth family! Stephanie and Jason have been married for 33 years and together they are raising five incredible kids — four of whom came to them through adoption, a cause that is deeply close to their hearts. One of their children has Down syndrome and some special medical needs, and advocating for that community is a passion they share proudly. Jason is a preacher, an elder, and a college professor. Stephanie is a stay at home mom and the heartbeat of this household. Life in the Longstreth home is big, busy, beautiful, and never boring — and they love sharing it with you!
More Jonathan Moments You’ll Love
- Jonathan’s Last Buddy Baseball Game of the Season — Three Hits and a Home Run — he closed out the season with a home run, and I am still smiling about it.
- Jonathan Was Fighting for His Life While the Roof Came Off Tropicana Field — the full-circle story of our boy and that ballpark. I will never get tired of telling it.
- Jon Loves Haircut Day — The Smile That Stopped Us All — the simplest errand of the week turns into pure joy every single time.
- Jonathan’s First Hit of the Season — Opening Day with the Cyclones — the hit that started it all this season, and the backstory of what it took for Jon to get back on that field.
- Jon Scores THREE Baskets at Special Olympics Basketball! — three at-bats, three hits at Buddy Baseball, and THREE baskets on the court. This kid does not do anything halfway.
- Jon’s Adoption Story — Down Syndrome, Big Surgery, and the Baby Who Changed Everything — the full story of how Jon came into our family, and why we are so unbelievably grateful every single day.
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