Crank It Up!: MLB Batting Illustrated

A few years ago, Scott Franklin, a friend of mine, raised money to build a small, rubber-matted baseball field in West Hartford, Connecticut- designed accessible to special needs children. This way any kid, even one in a wheel chair, could experience the American pastime and have their moment in the sun.

The Connecticut field is just one of many across America, operated by one of the country's great charities- The Miracle League.

I was honored to write and sing an opening-day song during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the West Hartford field. Sounding a bit like Johnny Cash, I sang, surrounded by all of the darling children who would soon make it their home.

The song "We Play Baseball in America", found at the end of the book, was refined with the help of Scott Franklin.