Isotopes inspires children with disabilities during baseball clinic

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Isotopes players and staff came out to the Roadrunner Little League Park Saturday morning for a special baseball clinic. A clinic for children with intellectual or physical disabilities.

“We’re thrilled to partake in Major League Baseball’s Play Ball weekend. This is happening all over the country. Teams throughout minor league and major league baseball are doing this,” said Isotopes General Manager John Traub.  

But for Isotopes player Logan Allen, this event held a different weight.

“It hits really close to home and not being able to travel and really not being able to participate in these kinds of things. You know, it kind of reminds me of him brings you closer to him even when I’m so far away,” said Allen.

Allen’s 35-year-old brother Phillip has lived with cerebral palsey since he was a young child. But there’s a saying Allen started to use for his older brother when they were growing up. 

“Something we always said when I was younger was like ‘What handicap?’ Someone would ask you, you know ‘What’s, what’s wrong with him,’ or ‘what it is,’ and he was just my brother so we just you know, we would always say like ‘What handicap,’” Allen said. 

The phrase sits permanently on Allen’s body and sparked the name for his foundation he started back in 2020. Helping out at events like this reminds Allen of his older brother too.

“There’s just like little things that he does. Certain things with grip, certain wheelchairs I even know some of the wheelchair brands that we saw here today are some of the ones that my family’s used,” said Allen. “A lot of it reminds me of Phillip and that really brings me back home.”

This clinic also sheds light on children who grow up differently.

“It’s something I think every team should be doing both big leagues and minor leagues,” said Allen. “Let families know and let people know that there are things you can volunteer for like this. There are, you know, miracle leagues, adaptive leagues that you’re able to, you know, put your child in.”