Love of game fuels Little Leaguer

BRADEN RIVER — His eyes light up, and a vibrant smile spreads across his face at the mere mention of baseball.

For 12-year-old Robby Lyons, baseball is more than just a game. It’s his passion. And it’s also been the driving force behind his ability to overcome the odds.

The Lee Magnet Middle School sixth-grader grew up watching baseball and fell in love with the sport. But it wasn’t until last spring that Robby finally was able to run out onto the diamond and take his place in the batter’s box.

Robby continually replays the scene over in his mind. After all, until that moment, the Braden River Little Leaguer wasn’t sure he would ever be able to play the game he loved.

Robby has been dreaming of playing baseball ever since he first discovered the sport. His parents signed him up for T-ball. But Robby’s days in the dugout ended prematurely when an eye surgery before the start of T-ball season left him struggling with depth perception.

“I wasn’t sure if I could keep playing,” Robby said.

Robby shied away from the field as a precaution, but that didn’t deter him from the prospect of playing again one day.

“He’s always loved baseball,” Robby’s father, Rob Lyons said. “If you go to a baseball game, you better be able to stay until the ninth inning because he isn’t leaving.”

“I loved watching it,” Robby said. “I loved the sport. It was just fun to watch the people hit and pitch.”

With his eyesight having improved, Robby decided to give baseball another try. He signed up for Minors and was drafted by the Publix Punishers. At the time, Robby didn’t know his teammates; and with no prior baseball experience, the outfielder found himself well behind the rest of his team in terms of skill level.

But what he lacked in talent, Robby more than made up for in heart.

“I drafted Robby to the team with the mindset that I could teach him to be a competitive ball player,” coach Richard Nelson said. “Robby didn’t have the fastest feet or the strongest arm, but he did have the biggest heart.

“Robby taught our team a lesson — the lesson of sportsmanship,” Nelson said. “He always had a smile on his face no matter the score, and he continually uplifted the players.”

As the season went on, Robby, with the help of his coaches and teammates, began to improve. And by the end of the season, Robby saw his team post an 11-1 record and win the division title.

“It was just a lot of fun,” Robby said. “We had a good team. In the beginning, of course I wasn’t so used to it, but I started progressing better. I’ve gotten much better over time.

“Even though I’ve sat down and watched baseball (a lot) — watching it is very different from the real thing,” Robby said. “I just thought it was super fun.”

Before long, the season had drawn to a close, and Robby, who received the coaches award for his sportsmanship and dedication to his team, once again found himself wondering if he would be able to play the game he loved ever again.

“One night he looked at me and started to cry,” Rob Lyons said. “He said, ‘I don’t want the season to end because I know this is never going to happen again.’”

Born with flat feet, Robby’s ankles couldn’t support the weight of his body, causing his feet to turn out and prohibiting him from walking for long periods of time. In June, Robby underwent the first of two reconstructive ankle surgeries. Doctors lengthened his Achilles tendon and put two implants into his ankle.

After a month of physical therapy, Robby had his second ankle surgery in September, setting his recovery back more. But it wasn’t the rehabilitation itself that discouraged Robby. It was the uncertainty of whether he would be able to return to the diamond.

“I was doing really well before my second surgery, but after my second surgery, it was like that all over again,” Robby said. “I was concerned for months because I wanted to play so bad, but I didn’t think I would be able to play.”

Robby spent the fall season out at the park, rehabilitating his ankles in the hopes that he would be able to play again in the spring. He also spent ample time hobbling around the ballpark on his crutches to cheer on his teammates.

This spring, Robby, who only began running about three weeks ago, returned to the dugout for his second season of Minors. And while he now has a year of baseball under his belt, Robby is once again adjusting to his team. All but one of his former teammates moved up to Majors.

“It’s a little different,” Robby said. “We don’t have the championship team like we had last year, but we are pretty good.

“I come out and watch my former teammates though,” he said. “It’s a rarity that I see them, so I like to go out and support my teammates.”

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].