A batboy trudges to the on-deck circle to retrieve the aluminum bat just used by a Ball State University baseball player.
At first, nothing seems out of the ordinary. It is very common for young kids to play this role for baseball teams in all leagues. But a closer look reveals there's something different about this one.
This 4-foot, 80-pound batboy is not a junior high-aged kid at all. In fact, he's 18 years old.
Alex Whisler is afflicted with Achondroplasia, a common cause of dwarfism. According to the March of Dimes Web site, 1 in 25,000 people are diagnosed with Achondroplasia. But that's not something Whisler concerns himself with.
"It doesn't really bother me," he said. "It has never bothered me. Especially on the team. They treat me like one of them. It's not a problem at all."-á
Alex came to be a Ball State batboy after he attended a Ball State baseball camp seven years ago, run by then-coach Rich Maloney.
"I went to a baseball camp and I just got to be friends with some of the players," Whisler said. "[Maloney] called my house and asked me if I'd like to do a couple games and I said yes. So then he asked me to keep coming, so I kept coming."-á
Whisler hasn't let dwarfism bring him down. In a society where making fun of someone is considered a rite of passage, he said very few people make fun of his diminutive stature.
Alex's mother, Connie Whisler, said he's just another student.
"To the kids at school, Alex is just Alex, so they don't treat him any differently," Connie Whisler said. "And he doesn't see himself any differently. It has just never really been a problem.
"He's very enthusiastic," Connie Whisler contined. "When he chooses to do something he does it 100 percent. He loves sports. That's why he has really liked [being a batboy]. It gives him a chance to be part of the team. He's very imaginative. He can keep himself busy all the time."-á
Sports have always been a big part of Alex Whisler's life. He played baseball in the Junior Athletic Association in Yorktown through the eighth grade, where he usually played second base.
"I got walked a lot," he said with a chuckle. "It seemed like I was always on base."
He also played soccer in his seventh and eighth grade years at Heritage Hall Christian School in Muncie. In high school he did video production for the basketball team.
Alex Whisler graduated from Heritage Hall this summer. His current plan is to attend Ivy Tech State College in Muncie for two years before coming to Ball State to finish his degree. Alex Whisler intends to major in computer graphics, something he has always enjoyed.
"I just hope to get a job in something to do with graphics or animation," he said. "That'd be a lot of fun.-áI enjoy drawing and stuff like that. I do it all the time at home."
Alex Whisler makes no secret about his love for "America's Pastime." Whether he is watching the game from the dugout, on television or in the stands, he is enjoying himself.
"I love baseball," he said. "I've always enjoyed being around the game. Especially now that I'm doing this batboy thing it has been a blast. It makes me love baseball even more because you're right there enjoying the game. I love to play it, whether it's messing around in the backyard or playing Little League."-á
A Baltimore Orioles fan, Alex Whisler follows his favorite players Miguel Tejada and Javy Lopez during the course of the season. He is also a huge fan of former Ball State player Larry Bigbie, who currently plays for the St. Louis Cardinals. Alex Whisler also lists former Ball State players Doug Boone and Jason Paul as favorites.
"I pretty much like all the [the Ball State] players," he said. "They're just a blast to hang out with. Players like Doug Boone, when he played, he was a good friend of mine, I always enjoyed talking to him. Jason Paul, I liked just hanging out with him, he was a fun to be around.-áWe follow [Bigbie] all the time on the computer and follow his stats and try to hit some games he's going to play."-á
Ball State baseball coach Greg Beals inherited Alex Whisler as a batboy after Maloney left to take the head coaching position at the University of Michigan in 2002. Beals said that Alex Whisler's energy and love for the game make him stand out.
"He loves Ball State baseball and Alex has always got a smile on his face and the guys see that and they really take to him," Beals said. "In the four years I've been here Alex has really become a part of our team. The guys love seeing him at the ballpark. He gives the guys a different perspective and it makes everyone feel good when he's around."
Alex Whisler's outgoing personality is what draws people to him. He also refuses to let Achondroplasia stop him from doing everything he loves. It's that determination, Connie Whisler said, which drives him to succeed.
"He has always found a way," she said. "If he wants to do something, he may do it differently than the others did but he finds a way to do it. He's short, but that's all you can say."
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