Alternative baseball program looks to NWA

Taylor Duncan was diagnosed with autism when he was 4 years old, and he was cut from his youth baseball team when he was 12 because his coach considered him a safety risk.

Duncan, now 25 and a native of Dallas, Ga., is on a nationwide mission to bring those with autism and other disabilities the opportunity he never experienced as a youth. He began the Alternative Baseball Organization in his home state, and now he's ready to expand it to other areas throughout the country, including Northwest Arkansas.

"We want to give them an experience that is truly priceless," Duncan said. "A lot of these people were denied a chance to play in the past, and that's what we try to provide them. Everybody deserves an opportunity in athletics, and where they weren't accepted in that area in the past, now they are.

"We don't call it a league. We call it an experience. Our players often go for the social experience as well, to be with others like themselves. Being able to learn those social skills, to work together as a team, build those team chemistry skills, how to win with proper sportsmanship and lose with proper sportsmanship as well – these are vital skills needed in the job sector outside of baseball."

Alternative Baseball, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, makes baseball available for those ages 15 and over that deal with autism or other disabilities. Since Duncan began Alternative Baseball in 2016 with two teams of six or seven players each, he now has organized 20 teams from Hawaii to Bangor, Maine, and he was ready to add more teams last year.

Those plans were halted as the coronavirus pandemic swept the country. Now Duncan has regrouped and would like to have 70 teams in the organization, and he believes Northwest Arkansas is an ideal spot for expansion. He has so reached out to bigger cities in the Tennessee area, as well as Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and three areas in California -- Orange County, Pasadena and Barstow.

He also sees Jonesboro as another area to reach as the organization gets more recognition and continues to grow.

"I want to keep the progress going," said Duncan, who serves as the organization's commissioner, CEO and director. "I see a lot of opportunities, and Northwest Arkansas is well known as a region that loves to gives back in these areas.

"Across America, a lot of contact with autistic kids is over when they get their high school diploma, and some of the services they enjoyed come to an end, too. There's not much offered to them after that."

Alternative Baseball is a wood-bat league and applies many of Major League Baseball's rules in its games, which can go seven or nine innings, and Duncan prefers to have about 12 players on a team. One of the biggest differences is the use of a baseball that is a little larger and softer than the regulation baseball.

Batting is done in a variety of ways. Lesser experienced players may start hitting off of a tee -- with three missed swings being a strikeout -- and work their way to hitting slow-pitch and eventually overhand pitching.

"There is where all skill levels can participate," Duncan said. "The fastest pitcher we have in our league is about 18 or 19 and has hit 81 mph with a pitch, and another player on a North Carolina team has hit the upper 70s.

"A hitter could go to the plate and see pitches anywhere between 30 and 80 (mph), but we try to make things where they are still fair for everyone."

The coronavirus pandemic wasn't the only obstacle Duncan has had to overcome as he continues his quest to bring his brand of baseball into Northwest Arkansas. The person who had volunteered to be the manager of the local team died in October, leaving Duncan with an extra void to fill before he can field a team.

Now he must find the right person to lead the team and hopes to have one soon. After that, the Northwest Arkansas team will need enough players and volunteers, and when that takes place, the organization provides a full complement of balls, volunteer umpires and a schedule with an average of one game per week.

"It takes time to find a full team," Duncan said. "We're also getting started on finding a field where the team can play its games. We want to resume plans as soon as we can and give this opportunity to as many people as we can."

Alternative Baseball gives those ages 15 and up that deal with autism and other disabilities the opportunity to play baseball. Taylor Duncan, who oversees the organization, is hopeful he can expand his league into Northwest Arkansas this year. (Photo courtesy of Alternative Baseball)

Alternative Baseball gives those ages 15 and up that deal with autism and other disabilities the opportunity to play baseball. Taylor Duncan, who oversees the organization, is hopeful he can expand his league into Northwest Arkansas this year. (Photo courtesy of Alternative Baseball)