Jonathan’s Last Buddy Baseball Game of the Season — Three Hits and a Home Run
Last Buddy Baseball game of the season — and Jonathan saved the best for last. Three at-bats. Three hits. And a home run to end the season. My heart was so full watching him out there on that field doing what he loves.
Jonathan has been playing Buddy Baseball for 16 seasons now — since he was 8 years old. Sixteen seasons of games, of cheering, of running the bases, of belonging. And every single one has been a gift.
If you don’t know about Buddy Baseball, it is a program designed for children and adults with special needs to experience the joy of playing baseball alongside volunteer buddies who come out to support them. The buddies are just as much a part of this as the players — and to every single person who has ever shown up to be a buddy for Jonathan or for any of these kids, thank you. You have no idea what it means to our family and to families like ours.
Jonathan is 16 years old, has Down syndrome, and has been through more medically than most people twice his age. He has had major surgery at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and come out the other side with that same smile, that same joy, and that same love of sports that has defined him from the very beginning. Watching him step up to that plate and swing is one of the greatest privileges of my life.
Three hits. A home run. Last game of the season.
That’s our Jonathan. 💛
More Jonathan Moments
If you’re new here and want to know more about our boy, start here:
- Jon’s Adoption Story — Down Syndrome, Big Surgery, and the Baby Who Changed Everything — the full story of how Jonathan came home and changed our whole family forever
- Jon Scores THREE Baskets — Special Olympics Basketball — another incredible sports moment from our favorite athlete
- Jonathan’s First Hit — Buddy Baseball Opening Day — where the season started, right here
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Jonathan’s Buddy Baseball Home Run — About Stephanie Longstreth
Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, sourdough journey, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.
