Members of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association joined Pathfinder Village athletes and other adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities Tuesday, Aug. 18 at the annual Cooperstown Dream Day skills clinic at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown.
According to an Aug, 23 Pathfinder news release, this year’s clinic featured MLBPAA members included relief pitcher Winston Abreu, formerly with Baltimore, Washington, Tampa Bay and Cleveland, who pitched more than 1,400 professional innings; Butch Alberts, a designated hitter for the Toronto Blue Jays who held a .278 batting average; Tom Carroll, a right-handed pitcher and member of the Cincinnati Reds’ Big Red Machine in the 1970s; Tim Christman, a left-handed pitcher for the Colorado Rockies and member of the 2003 U.S. Baseball World Cup team; Steve Grilli, a right-handed pitcher for Detroit and Toronto who pitched 147 innings with 91 strikeouts; Creighton Gubanich, a catcher, third baseman and designated hitter for the Boston Red Sox who played 13 seasons, amassing 156 home runs and 630 RBIs; Nick Greenwood, a left-handed pitcher with St. Louis who now coaches at Wesleyan University in Connecticut; Gary Holle, a former first baseman and pinch hitter for the Texas Rangers; Clint Hurdle, who played in 512 MLB games, was a National League manager of the year and is now a special assistant to the Rockies; Juan Melo, a second baseman for the San Francisco Giants who played 17 seasons of pro ball; Dickie Noles, an 11-season player whose relief pitching in Game 4 helped the Phillies win the 1980 World Series; and David Palmer, a right-handed pitcher for Montreal who pitched 1,085 innings in the major leagues.
Several MLBPAA members — Carroll, Hurdle, Holle and Noles — have helped organize each of the past Cooperstown skills clinics, which began in 2021. “I think it’s something that baseball should be involved in. It’s a great game that brings communities together,” Noles said. “When I leave after each clinic, I almost get teary-eyed. The first time I did this, I called Dr. Joe and said, ‘It’s two weeks later, and I just want to go back and have a clinic every day.’ There’s a lot of love here: These players are just incredible, and they make you feel so good. I don’t know how to explain it. I’d like to be here every day.”
“Dr. Joe” is Dr. Joseph Dutkowsky, the author of “Perfectly Human,” a retired orthopedic surgeon with Bassett Healthcare Network and a disabilities advocate. For the Cooperstown clinic, he works with members of Catholic Athletes for Christ and others. This year, student-athletes from Cooperstown and Edmeston assisted with equipment and drill duties.
“It’s the joy of sharing life together from every standpoint. … everybody is accepted; everybody’s having fun,” Dutkowsky said. “You get the guys who have played Major League Baseball, won championship rings, and pitched no-hitters. And what are they doing? They’re playing, and baseball is fun again. At the same time, these players are learning from these former elite athletes. … Everybody’s human on this field, perfectly human. That’s what I see here.”
More than 130 athletes representing Pathfinder Village, Upstate Caring Partners of Utica and other area human service organizations took part in this year’s Doubleday clinic, according to the release.
Each player received a personalized jersey. The athletes also received autographed balls, hats, Colorado Rockies shirts, and will receive personalized baseball cards as mementos of their 2026 Doubleday experience, the release stated.
Pathfinder Village is a nonprofit, livable community that supports people who have Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities.