Chase Jolley hates to sweat. Hard work, however, does not seem to be a problem for him.
Jolley, an 8-year-old Goodrich resident, was born with an underdeveloped left arm and no left hand.
‘Our doctors were never able to tell us why it happened,? said Trina Jolley, Chase’s mom. ‘We had three ultrasounds and there was no sign of it.?
Chase’s dad, Chris Jolley, remembers looking at his newborn son, wondering what challenges the future held.
‘As a parent, you hope your child can do anything he wants’I hoped Chase could do everything. But, there was a moment when I thought, ‘What are we going to do??? Chris said.
Trina and Chris’s fears subsided, however, as Chase grew older. His strong-willed nature kept him from letting his arm hold him back, even from sports.
Chase has played baseball since he was 4-years-old, throwing and catching with his dad in the backyard. He now plays coach pitch baseball with the Goodrich Youth Baseball League on the Goodrich Marketplace team.
‘When we played in the backyard, it wasn’t really about me teaching him,? recalls Chris. ‘Chase had to figure out the best way for him to play.?
No problem, Chase said.
‘It wasn’t hard,? said Chase. ‘It was fun. Sometimes the learning part was boring, but it was mostly fun.?
He did not let his boredom stop him from creating his own technique for playing the game.
Holding the bat firmly with his right hand, Chase balances it with his left arm before he swings. Throughout his follow-through, he ends up swinging with only his right arm.
‘He’s got a great swing on him,? said Trina. ‘He can really hit the ball. It’s amazing.?
When Chase plays the field, he wears his glove on his right hand. After catching the ball, he tucks the mitt under his left arm, slips it off, takes out the ball, and throws it.
Chase plays all positions, but he prefers outfield.
‘I like to catch fly balls. Sometimes I dive for them,? said Chase. ‘I like to slide when I run the bases, too, but I don’t like getting sweaty.?
Chase’s techniques parallel major league pitcher, Jim Abbott. Abbott is without his right hand and, like Chase, had to create his own style of play. A Flint Central High School graduate, Abbott was recently inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame after playing for the Michigan Wolverines and pitching for 10 years in the majors.
Abbott’s unrelenting attitude is something that Chase’s parents see in their son every day, on and off the baseball diamond.
‘He never uses his hand as an excuse,? said Trina. ‘Actually, we don’t even realize he’s different. His hand is just such a normal part of him. He knows that he can do absolutely anything.?