Jeanna Duerscherl | The Roanoke Times

Joey Walters walks onto the Salem Avalanche field with field manager Jim Pankovits before Wednesday’s game. Joey — who suffers from epilepsy, seizures and impulse control — was the assistant manager for the Salem Avalanche for the day.

Joey Walters lived a dream Wednesday night when he stepped onto the Salem Avalanche's baseball field to throw the first pitch.

Though he deeply wants to play baseball, the 15-year-old freshman at Eastern Montgomery High School was the only person cut from his school's junior varsity baseball team this year. He was diagnosed with epilepsy in 1997, suffers from seizures about four times a week, and has problems with impulse control and social development.

But the Salem Avalanche staff and players said they think Joey deserves to play.

"We just thought that everybody should be given a chance to do what they enjoy doing," said Allen Lawrence, the Avalanche's senior assistant general manager, of the joint decision made by staff last week.

Joey's mother, Revonda Walters, contacted Avalanche General Manager John Katz in early March to ask if there was anything Joey could do to participate. Katz and his staff decided to make Joey "Manager for a Day."

"I think all of these players will tell you it hasn't been easy for them [to play baseball] their entire lives," Lawrence said. "They've been given an opportunity and we felt like Joey should be given that opportunity since he wasn't allowed to play at school. It's not something we're doing to show the school 'See, I told you so.' It's just something that we wanted to do because we think he should be given a chance."

Joey and his mom arrived at batting practice at 3 p.m. Tuesday, with Joey decked out in an Avalanche jersey and hat provided by the team.

Revonda Walters said she told her son about the opportunity Saturday.

"He was emotional and excited," Revonda Walters said.

After he was introduced to the Avalanche staff and players, Joey was ushered to the dugout, where he watched the team practice. He later played in the outfield under the guidance of pitcher Sean Walker.

Joey caught a few loose balls and threw them back to the pitcher, and Walker high-fived him for his efforts.

"He has a pretty good arm," pitcher Sergio Perez said in the locker room after practice. He is working to organize a private clinic for Joey in the near future, though he's not sure of the details yet.

"We'll get a couple guys together and just help him with the basic skills," Perez said. "We'll just get him out there and just have fun, it will be his day."

After practice, Joey hung out in the locker room with the team, talking and playing cards.

"He probably looks up to some of us, just like we did when we were his age," catcher J.R. Towles said. "We just hope he has a good time and it's just great to have him out here."

Revonda Walters watched her son from the dugout for most of the afternoon, and Joey's family and friends, including Eastern Montgomery High School senior C.T. Perry, filled the bleachers closer to game time. Perry, who plays on Eastern Montgomery's varsity baseball team, has been working with Joey for the past month to improve his skills.

"These are the best people I've ever met," Revonda Walters said of the Avalanche staff and players. "Not cocky or arrogant, just as nice as they can be."

Before taking the field later in the night, Towles took off his red bracelet and gave it to Joey. The bracelet is inscribed with the letters "IBBWJ" which stands for "An Intentional Walk With Jesus" and is a product created by Towles and the Avalanche staff, the product's Web site says. In a baseball scorebook, the term "IBB" designates an intentional walk.

Joey was slightly emotional after his first pitch at the beginning of the 7 p.m. game, and held hands with field manager Jim Pankovits as he walked back on the field to exchange scorecards and shake hands with the coach of the Potomac Nationals, the Avalanche's opponent Wednesday.

"Now you're a real manager, now you're a real coach," Pankovits told Joey.

Afterward, Joey joined his family in the stands and said that although he had been a "little nervous" he thought everything went "great."

Pankovits said it looked like Joey "had a ball."

"Any kid that likes baseball [knows that] anytime you're on the field, you forget all your troubles and worries and it's time to have fun."