Such will be the case when the Admirals' baseball team takes on Oak Ridge at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 29, 2010, with Bearden and Karns playing at 5 p.m. In the hit ABC series "FlashForward," seen at 8 p.m. on Thursdays, the premise is the world's population falls unconscious for two minutes and 17 seconds, with many having dreams that look ahead to next April 29.
"The teams wear old-style uniforms, there is no admission charge and food is sold at greatly-reduced prices," said first-year Farragut coach Matt Buckner. "Proceeds will go to the National Parkinson Foundation. We have two former players in the Admiral family who have been diagnosed with the disease at a young age."
Brothers Pat and Pete Dorwin were speedy, All-Knoxville Interscholastic League outfielders on successful Farragut teams.
Pat Dorwin, now 45 years old, was the Admirals' leading hitter on Farragut's initial state-championship team in 1982. He was diagnosed with Early-onset Parkinson's disease in 2003. Pete Dorwin, 40 on Jan. 23, was the centerfielder on the 1988 state runner-up squad and was diagnosed in October 2009.
"It was pretty shocking when Pete was diagnosed as well," said Pat Dorwin, the Admirals' leftfielder and leadoff hitter. "He's affected on the right side of his body and my problems are on the left side, affecting my neck, hand and foot. We've gone from All-KIL to permanent DL.
"It's fairly devastating because at times the disease can really slow us down and we relied on our speed athletically. Pete and I both played competitive softball for a number of years (with middle brother Mike) and I was fast enough to last 15 years playing for the Knoxville Rugby Club as usually the shortest player on the field."
Organizers are currently accecpting checks made out to the National Parkinson Foundation and/or items donated for silent auctions that will happen during both games. Sponsors' names will be announced during the game and printed in the Farragut Press. There will also be food vendors.
Dr. Michael Rezak, writing on http://www.youngparkinsons.org/, says Parkinson's is a chronic, progressive neurological disease that affects a small area of nerve cells in the brain, that when working normally, coordinate smooth and balanced muscle movement. PD causes these nerve cells to die and can lead to the following symptoms:
* Tremors
* Muscle rigidity
* Bradykinesia (the slowing down of movement and the gradual loss of spontaneous activity)
* Changes in walking pattern and posture
* Changes in speech and handwriting
* Loss of balance and increased falls
There is no known cure.
Pat Dorwin became a stay-at-home dad in 2005 shortly after his son Eli, now 5, was born. He had worked for a decade as a reporter, editor and sports writer for a Sevier County newspaper.
"My wife Angie (a physical therapist at LeConte Medical Center) and I weren't sure how the disease would progress, so I wanted to spend as much time as possible with our children (daughter Addison Grace was born in 2006) at home in Sevierville," Dorwin said. "The disease has progressed enough that I have difficulty with balance, rising up from chairs, dystonias in my neck and hand, and cramps in my left foot.
"Things most people take for granted can become very difficult for me and my overall slowness means it takes me plenty of time to complete household tasks."
Between 10 percent and 20 percent of those diagnosed with Parkinson's are under the age of 50, according to the http://www.youngparkinsons.org/ Web site.
Author Ellen Burgoyne Hubrig, a Farragut resident for more than 20 years and past president of the FHS PTSO, has also had a close-up look at the disease as well, as her father and grandfather both had the disease.
Hubrig re-published the book "Daily Thoughts for Friendly Fellows" in October 2008. It was originally written in 1925 by her great-grandfather, Sydney John Burgoyne. The book has an inspirational verse of encouragement for each day of the year.
Hubrig began using the book in high school and has since updated it. She’s added a scripture verse to each day, an on-line forum and she donates part of the proceeds to the National Parkinson's Foundation. She'll sell copies of the book at the baseball game.
“I was thrilled when Pat called me to be a part of our first big event for the National Parkinson Foundation. We’ve donated over $1,000 in our first year and we look forward to a successful event working in conjunction with the FHS baseball team." Hubrig said. "We believe that the town of Farragut will come out to support this great cause. We also have a new product; “Seek the GOOD” wristbands where the proceeds also go to Parkinson’s. The creed of the Friendly Fellows is to Seek and Find the GOOD in others.”
For more information, see the http://www.friendlyfellows.com/ Web site. The Web site http://www.fhs1982statechamps.blogspot.com/ chronicles the first of six state baseball titles for the Admirals.
"In our championship season, we beat every team that had beaten us at some point in the season," Dorwin said. "We came into the best-of-three championship series at UT's Lower Hudson Field at 24-4 against a 25-0 Memphis Christian Brothers team."
The 1982 Admirals, coached by recent Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame inductee John Heatherly, were a team based on pitching and defense. Junior Jeff Glover went 15-1, the second-most single-season wins in state history (http://www.tbca.org/) and standout senior closer Mike Jordan recorded 14 saves, a state single-season mark.
Farragut and CBHS split the first-day doubleheader, with Glover pitching his allotted 10 innings in the two games.
On May 26 (Dorwin's daughter was later born on the same date), the Admirals scored three first-inning runs on the way to a 4-3 win and Farragut's first state championship. The left-handed hitting Dorwin opened the game with a sharp, two-hop grounder to the CBHS shortstop.
"My foot was just coming down on first base when I heard the ball hit the first baseman's glove," Dorwin said. "The ump called me safe and I knew right then and there we were going to win."
He said Pete's 1988 state runner-up team (the first of four FHS runner-up squads) had much more power than the 1982 group and a standout pitcher as well in Brian Foster.
"Pete's team could have won the state, too," Dorwin said. "Now, we have just one more foe to beat and it's a big one. Support of the Throwback games will certainly help."
Checks made out to the National Parkinson Foundation may be sent to Ellen Hubrig, 342 Mapletree Drive, Knoxville, TN 37934-0831. The deadline is April 28, the day before the game. Donations will also be accepted at the game.
E-mail Pat Dorwin at Patrugb@att.net if you have items for the silent auctions, which include two basketballs signed by Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt and a signed baseball and hat from the Philadelphia Phillies.
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The throwback games were successful, raising more than $2,000 for the NPF. Thanks to Coach Buckner, Ralph Skinner, The Dugout Club and all those who volunteer their time to make the Farragut program the success it is.
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Pat Dorwin would like to help run a Young Parkinson's Disease fundraiser in spring 2011, and interested coached can use the patrugb@att.net email address.
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The 2011 Throwback Game to benefit the National Parkinson Foundation is scheduled for April 28.
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