With true grit and steady grips, softball players join the elite

The team's second baseman, Damon Isles, was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a rare neurological disorder caused by inflammation of the spinal cord, in 2002.

The right fielder, Mac Williams, was the victim of a bullet wound in 1989.

Other players on the New England Red Sox roster have sustained spinal cord injuries, or had limbs amputated, or were born with spina bifida.

Despite their disabilities, they've continued to play softball. The team practices on an asphalt-covered softball diamond in Brockton, and has emerged as one of the best wheelchair softball squads in the country.

The New England Red Sox just wrapped up their eighth successful season, ranked sixth in the nation, and they're already looking forward to the next one.

"This is our highest ranking so far," said Thomas Dodd, who has been on the team since it started in 1999. "The competition gets very high, especially among the top four teams. Some of these guys are out in the boonies in left field and throwing line drives to first base."

"But we're not that far behind," added the Attleboro resident.

The team practices at the Brockton campus of the VA Boston Healthcare System, which is home to the only wheelchair softball field in New England. The players range in age from 24 to 63, and come from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

Wheelchair softball is played just like 16-inch, slow-pitch softball, but on an asphalt surface instead of fields. Bases and base lines are painted on the blacktop, and runners can tag the bases with their wheels or their hands.

Most fielders play barehanded so they can have both hands free to push themselves around. Many players bat one-handed because they can swing the bat more easily that way from a seated position. Others choose the more traditional batting grip, wrapping two hands around the bat handle.

Since athletes can have a wide range of disabilities, teams aren't allowed to stack their rosters with the most able-bodied players. In order to keep things on a level playing field, teams are required to use a three-point classification system for their bench: Players with severe disabilities, such as quadriplegics, count as one point, and the least-disabled players count as three points. Every team is required to have at least one player who is quadriplegic, and the roster cannot total more than 22 points.

The team has been competing in the National Wheelchair Softball Association since 2000, making it one of the newer teams in the league. Most teams are located in the Midwest.

The number of wheelchair softball teams and players has doubled over the past decade, according to the association. The sport is played in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, England, France, and Germany. More teams are being formed in Latin America, Morocco, Senegal, and other parts of West Africa.

But the sport has yet to blossom here in New England. Out of the 47 teams in the National Wheelchair Softball Association, only a handful are located in the Northeast, and the Red Sox are the only team from New England. Their closest rivals hail from New York.

Despite the lack of local competition, the Red Sox are "doing a great job," said Mike Wheaton, commissioner of the National Wheelchair Softball Association. "Their team has been increasingly doing a lot better over the past few years."

Indeed, the New England Red Sox are holding their own. They won the Division 2 national championship in 2005 and last year, and this year they moved up to Division 1.

The Red Sox were among 13 teams to compete in the 31st National Wheelchair Softball Tournament in St. Paul in August, where they moved up to the Division 1 bracket and finished the competition in sixth place.

"We played quite well at nationals, despite the rain," said Dodd, "which is never much fun for anybody."

The Red Sox ended their season in September. They played their final games at the seventh annual Major League Wheelchair Softball Tournament in the Shea Stadium parking lot. The Red Sox lost their first game, 12-2, against Chicago's Vaughn PVA White Sox. Dodd said the team made "errors with easy pop-ups" and "we couldn't get bats off the ground."

But they came back strong the next morning, and pummeled the United Spinal Association Mets, 13-2. Then they faced the White Sox again and emerged victorious, winning 2-1 and finishing the tournament in second place.

As they focus on preparing for next season, the Red Sox hope to expand their organization.

"A deeper bench would definitely help us," said Dodd. "We're always recruiting more players and coaches."

Anyone interested in joining, sponsoring, or volunteering for the New England Red Sox may e-mail Thomas Dodd at ThomasD10@aol.com or visit the team's website at newenglandredsox.org.

Emily Sweeney can be reached at esweeney@globe.com.