New club room named for son of MLB umpire John Hirschbeck

YOUNGSTOWN

Children and adults who visit the Boys & Girls Club of Youngstown likely will notice the new plaque that shows a poignant encounter between a young man and a Major League Baseball umpire and draw added inspiration from it.

“Michael loved to make people laugh. He loved baseball, and he could walk into any room and put a smile on people’s faces,” said Erin Hirschbeck, referring to her brother, Michael, who died suddenly April 8, 2014, after having been diagnosed at age 5 with adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD, a rare genetic disorder that damages or destroys the brain’s myelin sheath, which protects the nerve cells, and has no cure.

Michael, a 2006 Poland Seminary High School graduate, was 27.

In addition, John Hirschbeck Jr., Erin’s older brother, died in 1993 at age 8 from ALD.

Erin Hirschbeck is president of the Magic of Michael Foundation, named in honor of her late brother.

She and other foundation members were among those on hand Tuesday morning at the Boys & Girls Club, 2105 Oak Hill Ave., on the South Side, because the foundation dedicated and helped fund a room to act as a learning center for children who attend the club.

The 600-square-foot space also was in Michael’s memory, said Denise Hirschbeck of Poland, Erin and Michael’s mother.

Family members and friends established the foundation to inspire, empower and offer hope and financial assistance to many families in Northeast Ohio who are experiencing a variety of difficulties and challenges while carrying on Michael’s legacy, Erin noted.

The bright, well-lit room features a rear corner with chairs and colorful pillows for the youngsters to watch movies, read and socialize.

The plaque, hung near the room’s entrance, shows a serious-looking Michael Hirschbeck as a batboy during a Cleveland Indians home game at Progressive Field handing several balls to his father, John Hirschbeck, who is a 41-year umpire, including 32 years in MLB.

Read more about the facility in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.