IAmA guy that was told I wasn't going to be able to walk when I was born in 1991, and I got offered a baseball schloarship throwing 87mph at the MLB tryouts in 2011 AMA

Don't have a question, but must say congrats on all the achievements! Keep working at it, and never give up.

Thanks, I really appreciate it! I worked really hard to get to that point, and I finally made it to my dream of making it to the Major League baseball tryouts with some success.

I too play baseball, and have had to overcome things to continue. Not nearly to the extent you had, but i did tear my UCL, and played an entire season with it ignoring the need for Tommy John surgery.

That had to have been really painful playing with that, and I bet ice didn't affect it too much. Do you pitch?

Yes, Left-handed that season I threw low-mid 70s. That Summer, I clocked at 86mph (This was in high school). Also, Electro stem and Ice were my best friends every day between school and practice.

I used to use biofreeze after I iced and ate 2 hot dogs 10 minutes before I went on the mound.

I'm a chick that was told that I'd never have vision when I was born in '91, then I gained sight, then lost it, then got some back, then lost it again, then gained a little back and here I am at 22 tying this to you, it being a miracle that I can see at all, nice to meet you fellow miracle!

Congrats on a miracle too, they are gifts that we can't take for granted! What did kind of condition did you have? I'm actually going to be a Pediactric Orthopedic surgeon, so I can give back to kids that will be born like how I was.

I just wanted to let you know your title made me smile. Thanks for that :)

You're welcome, that's what I like to do! Have a great Monday.

Love this! I'm actually in Putnam reading this, so makes is that much better!

No shit, that's pretty sweet! I'm actually getting ready for class right now. I wish I could upvote this more than once :) If you ever see a De Pere baseball pullover, that's me.

I'll make sure to keep an eye out :)

What year are you at UWEC?

Soph, you?

I'm a junior, but it's cool to know there's another redditor on campus, and once in a while when I'm walking around campus, I remember you're comment and that makes me smile a bit.

Wow, I was also born with a little bit of club feet but it was fixed without surgery. Also, I live just north of Eau Claire and graduated from CVTC last year. Another fun fact, I was also born in '91.

Where did you go to high school?

It's a small world! I went to De Pere High School in Green Bay Wisconsin. Which high school did you go to? How'd everything go with you? Did you have to wear those shitty shoes at night with the bar in the middle to straighten then out? I still can remember the pain of those things.

When I was born I was probably told I was cute, but I can't remember because I was just born.

This made me laugh a little bit, I was born biggest baby of the month at the hospital, true story! 10 pounds, 7 1/2 ounces.

1991 lad checking in. You sir, were born in a good year.

Yes it was, a great year that started the kick off to good 90's Nickelodeon shows.

What MLB teams would you like to be in?

Since I'm from Wisconsin, and the Brewers are having bad luck with pitching I feel i could help out their bullpen, even be a starter since I have been starting for quite some time, but it not the Brewers, then either the Red Sox, Twins, or somewhere warm.

So is the MLB on the horizon? Also what an awesome story! It sounds like it should be on ESPN!

That would be really cool, and maybe I can get my degrees and pursue baseball professionally. I only have a couple more years of school, and it doesn't take long to get back into throwing shape. If I found the connections, I would love to play through a Major League system!

How bad was the clubbing? Is it considered fully corrected now? Do you require any sort of assistive device for residual disability? Any resultant pain now or anticipated in the future? How would you say the disability and related multiple surgeries affected you growing up?

They were completely turned around, so I had my first surgery when I was 2 days old to connect my Achilles tendons because they weren't attached. I also Had a wheelchair in kindergarten, a walker in first grade, and I was in Physical therapy from when I was a baby till about 2nd grade. I was able to participate in karate, and I've won many trophies at tournaments for sparring and forms. Sometimes my feet are sore after a long day on them, but isn't everyone's sometimes? lol. I have very limited ankle movement, but I think that helps me on the mound get torque toward home plate. The arches of my feet have very little feeling, and my doctor said foot massages are good to break up my scar tissue, so that was pretty cool as a kid getting those once in a while lol. I learned how to throw with my dad because he also tried out for the Major Leagues (Red Sox and Royals), so I always tried to be like him. I grew up an only child, so I learned to throw really high up in the air, and run to catch it, which also helped my legs recoop faster. I also had a baseball pitch-against machine that I played with for hours in between surgeries and casts. I tried not to let them hold me back, and with all the down time, I read books and liked reading this 4th grade math book and getting the concepts in kindergarten. It helped me be smarter and more accepting, so I like giving back to the community as well when my busy college schedule allows me.

I didn't know a club foot was so serious. Thought it could be fixed without surgery.

Congrats on the scholarship. How is your walk? Can you run with pace?

My feet were all the way backwards and my Achilles tendons weren't attched to my heels, and the doctors had to break my tibia and fibula and reset them multiple times with pins and plates, kind of like a combonation of Forrest Gump's and LeRoy Butler's scenarios. I was on the Cross Country team my senior year of high school, and my coach was a big influence on my success, but unfortunately he passed away because of cancer, but I alway used his words of wisdom. I was actually put in as a pinch runner when I wasn't pitching, so I have plenty of speed.

Sweet Jesus. That sounds quite severe. Doctors are fucking fantastic so they are.

Do you have "strange" walk or just like everyone else?

I don't walk weird, almost all of my friends say they couldn't tell until I told them, and I like to think I have a little swag in my step lol.

Pretty strong arm for someone in a wheelchair.

Well I'm not in a wheelchair anymore, but that's how I think I got the core strength to throw hard when I was a kid. All I did was play catch, and I had to use my core to twist up to get enough torque to throw the ball.

Are you left handed?

I'm a righty but I throw 3/4 because I think I can get more whip behind the ball.

When the doctor told your folks the bad news, what do you think were the actual chances that you'd never be able to walk? In movies, tv, news, and real-life anecdotes this "Diagnosis of Doom"(tm) always seems to be the prognosis thrust upon the protagonist, whom frequently "proves them all wrong" in the end. Do you believe that all of these (real) doctors have an agenda when delivering the news?

Any of the following: "Always give the worst case prognosis, to prevent false hope."? "Always give the worst case prognosis, but in order to motivate."? "Actually give the honest odds." -but this is rounded down/forgotten over time?

I'd love to hear your honest thoughts on this.

I think that doctors want to prepare families for the worst case scenarios, but my legs were really messed up by being backwards and having my Achilles' tendons detached. I'm planning on being a Pediactric orthopedic surgeon by attending medical school in a couple years. I might learn the psychology of delivering a prognosis to a patient's family. I'll let you know when I hopefully make it to medical school!

So what was your response when you were born and they told you that?

I prolly was still trying to process why I wasn't in my mom's uterus.

You dream of playing baseball, but turned down an opportunity to play collegiately to attend a school with no baseball program?

I was going for my education before I try anything like baseball, plus I was going to be a sophomore in college that next fall, also I signed a lease and had school commitments I was obligated to do. After I get my bachelor's degrees in majors of Spanish Business and Latin American Studies and a Minor in Economics. I still throw bullpens almost every week, if not twice a week at college so my arm stays in shape.

What MLB team would you wanna be drafted to any preference?

I'm from Wisconsin, and since I feel bad for the Brewers' bullpen at the end of every season, I know I can help them with their pitching struggles.

So who do you want to play you in the movie they'll make?

I would love to make a movie, or a documentary about it for sure. i wouldn't mind playing myself, but I think that Adam Sandler would do a funny job even though he's 20 years older than me lol.

Since you spelled it like this three times: scholarship, not schloarship.

just a typo, nothing to have a heart attack about.

I know your condition was a lot worse than mine is now, but anyways, I'd like to ask you something. I play baseball too (middle IF) and had labrum surgery in my throwing shoulder in november, I'm scheduled to start throwing again in May. I live in Germany, baseball is a small thing here and there are many guys that are better than me, but baseball is just my biggest passion. So since you are probably a better player than I am and you have accomplished something that great, what would you advice me for being able to play again as I used to? Thanks!!

I would definitely say that you should start out for the first 2 weeks throwing at like 40%, the week 3-5 throw 60% start throwing 80-90% and week 6 you should be good to go up to your full 100%. The crutial things are long toss before you pitch, a lot of shoulder stretches (all different ways), 3 ibuprofen before you throw (reduces inflamation), one pole for every inning you throw, and ice your shoulder and elbow after you throw for at least 20 minutes, then stretch for like 5 minutes. I follow the chicago cub off season work out with some tweaks to make it more pitcher oriented.

Sounds like you really overcompensated for your insecurities. Just like all the other successful people in history did.

You try walking with backwards feet, and let me know how successful you are. Surgery was the only option, and it's not over compensating for any insecurity, I'm just gifted as an athletic person after my half dozen major leg surgeries. Maybe you think your circumsion was a major surgery on your half incher, but this was serious shit and I'd appreciate the respect.

I wasn't insulting you. You put in a lot of hard work and overcame the odds. People don't become great at something by feeling confident in their current abilities. They always see room for improvement, and always feel like they need to be pushing themselves further.

I'm guessing the people who downvoted me felt like I was insulting you too, but I think you're to be complimented more than anything. If my comment was intended as an insult, then it would have insulted every other person in history who actually achieved something instead of sitting around on their ass all day.

Now your little tantrum demanding respect on the internet, on the other hand...

Well I thought you were insulting me, but thank you for the compliment, and I'm very sorry. Many figures in history came back from unbelievable scenarios like poverty, war, and a rough upbringing. Have a good day, and again, sorry for the rant.