Kids baseball team in Fishtown facing major challenge after all their gear is stolen

FISHTOWN - A major blow for a kids’ baseball team in Fishtown when their gear – bats, gloves, balls – were all stolen.

A perfect day to get in a little practice for players from Saint Laurentius in Fishtown. The middle schoolers actually instrumental in getting a baseball team going for the year.

"They said there hasn’t been a team in seven years and the only way they’d be able to get a team was if they found someone to volunteer and coach," St. Laurentius gym teacher and baseball coach, Daulton Miller, said.

Miller decided why not, and he was able to get some equipment donated, getting the ball rolling. The players were psyched.

"It’s my number one sport. I love baseball. Every day, all day, that’s all I do," 8th grader Jess Tomczack stated.

But, last week, the team faced a huge setback. Coach Miller got a call from his wife, saying their Kia, parked near their Fishtown home, was stolen. Everything he’d scraped together for the kids was in the car.

"Catchers gear, extra gloves, extra bats. Anything you can think of, even bases. Home plate was in my trunk," Miller explained.

The coach wondered if they were even going to be able to have a season. "My mind was running a million miles a minute. What am I gonna do? I just got all this gear gathered. Now it’s all stolen."

Players also feared the worst.

"I didn’t know what was gonna happen. I didn’t know if we were gonna get to play ever again," Tomczack said. "I couldn’t believe it."

8th grader Patrick Cain added, "Very mad. Very. Only gear we had."

A few parents took to Facebook managing to get enough gear donated for their opening game on Saturday, but they still need lots of help. The team says they may be down, but they’re not out.

"I just wish they’d give it all back. No reason to steal," Cain remarked. "Don’t know what they’re gonna do with it."

"These kids don’t want to stop playing baseball, regardless of whether we have hats, shirts, cleats," Coach Miller said. "We want to play baseball."