Atlanta Prosthetics & Orthotics

GREER, SC -- Daniel Cloy asked his father to bring an extra set of legs to the game Tuesday night. He wasn't about to let a prosthetic mishap cut short his first varsity start.

And Daniel never came out. He pitched a two-hit shutout in Riverside High School's 10-0 victory over Chapman.

"I need to work on my curveball and my change a little bit," Daniel said. "It just wasn't there tonight. It happens. You don't have your best stuff, and you have to go with it, right?"

Daniel Cloy hasn't always had his best stuff, but he's never had legs or a left-hand either.

"He's always been a very determined child," said Lynn Cloy, Daniel's mother. "He rode a bike faster than any of my other children. He just doesn't let anything slow him down. He wants to do it, and he's gonna figure out how."

"I've always told him, 'People are gonna tell you what you don't have. Focus on what you do have,' " Steve Cloy said.

What Daniel has is a passion for baseball, and it came about quite naturally. He began therapy at about 2 years old, part of which involved throwing balls to strengthen his right arm. That led him to baseball, which he's been playing since he was 4.

Daniel wasn't even familiar with Jim Abbott -- the former pitcher who made it to the big leagues despite not having a right hand -- when he began a drill similar to the one Abbott used to do.

At a young age, Daniel would throw a tennis ball off a brick wall and then transfer his glove from under his left arm to his right hand.

"When you mastered it to where you could catch it as fast as you could throw it, you would scoot up closer to the wall and start throwing again, until you got to where you could throw as hard as you could and catch it again," Daniel said. "You keep moving closer so it's coming at you faster."

"He's got great hand-eye coordination," his father said, "so early on that served him well."

Daniel, the oldest of three siblings, was born in Alabama and lived in Kentucky before moving to the Upstate.

"We moved here when he was in the fifth grade, and this was his goal, to make this team and play for them," Lynn Cloy said.

Daniel has played four years for the Warriors, including the last two with the varsity. He had pitched three times this season and chalked up two scoreless innings before Tuesday night.

But he had never started a game for Riverside. Following Friday night's victory against Blue Ridge, Warriors coach Mark Kish told Daniel he would start on senior night against Chapman.

Among those who traveled to see Daniel pitch were his cousin, Clemson University offensive lineman Mason Cloy; and his prosthetist, Jim Hughes, who drove from Atlanta. He's been providing Daniel's legs since he was a year old.

All those who watched saw Daniel get the kind of support any pitcher would love: a 12-hit attack that included home runs by Jordan Scott, Chase Warren and Kevin Cantrell and a solid defense.

"It's easy to play with a team like this," Daniel said. "You put it in play, and they do their job."

Easy, but only because he hasn't found many things to be difficult.

"People always say they don't think I can do something, and I haven't found anything in life that I haven't been able to do," Daniel said. "Where there's a will, there's a way."



		Triple amputee, baseball star.

		GREER, SC -- Daniel Cloy asked his father to bring an extra set of legs to the game Tuesday night. He wasn't about to let a prosthetic mishap cut short his first varsity start. "He said, 'Dad, I'm not coming out," Steve Cloy said. And Daniel never came out. He pitched a two-hit shutout in Riverside High School's 10-0 victory over Chapman. "I need to work on my curveball and my change a little bit," Daniel said. "It just wasn't there tonight. It happens. You don't have your best stuff, and you have to go with it, right?" Daniel Cloy hasn't always had his best stuff, but he's never had legs or a left-hand either. "He's always been a very determined child," said Lynn Cloy, Daniel's mother. "He rode a bike faster than any of my other children. He just doesn't let anything slow him down. He wants to do it, and he's gonna figure out how." "I've always told him, 'People are gonna tell you what you don't have. Focus on what you do have,' " Steve Cloy said. What Daniel has is a passion for baseball, and it came about quite naturally. He began therapy at about 2 years old, part of which involved throwing balls to strengthen his right arm. That led him to baseball, which he's been playing since he was 4. Daniel wasn't even familiar with Jim Abbott -- the former pitcher who made it to the big leagues despite not having a right hand -- when he began a drill similar to the one Abbott used to do. At a young age, Daniel would throw a tennis ball off a brick wall and then transfer his glove from under his left arm to his right hand. "When you mastered it to where you could catch it as fast as you could throw it, you would scoot up closer to the wall and start throwing again, until you got to where you could throw as hard as you could and catch it again," Daniel said. "You keep moving closer so it's coming at you faster." "He's got great hand-eye coordination," his father said, "so early on that served him well." Daniel, the oldest of three siblings, was born in Alabama and lived in Kentucky before moving to the Upstate. "We moved here when he was in the fifth grade, and this was his goal, to make this team and play for them," Lynn Cloy said. Daniel has played four years for the Warriors, including the last two with the varsity. He had pitched three times this season and chalked up two scoreless innings before Tuesday night. But he had never started a game for Riverside. Following Friday night's victory against Blue Ridge, Warriors coach Mark Kish told Daniel he would start on senior night against Chapman. Among those who traveled to see Daniel pitch were his cousin, Clemson University offensive lineman Mason Cloy; and his prosthetist, Jim Hughes, who drove from Atlanta. He's been providing Daniel's legs since he was a year old. All those who watched saw Daniel get the kind of support any pitcher would love: a 12-hit attack that included home runs by Jordan Scott, Chase Warren and Kevin Cantrell and a solid defense. "It's easy to play with a team like this," Daniel said. "You put it in play, and they do their job." Easy, but only because he hasn't found many things to be difficult. "People always say they don't think I can do something, and I haven't found anything in life that I haven't been able to do," Daniel said. "Where there's a will, there's a way."
		above article adapted from Greenville Online. Back to Top

Triple amputee, baseball star.