Big Train welcomes author, community organizations during Monday's contest

Oriole Bird with Logan Ponnett (left) and Alex Peltier by Mark Thalman

ROCKVILLE, Md. — It was a packed night of festivities at Shirley Povich Field as the Bethesda Big Train featured a number of important community figures on Monday.

One notable attendee was Miriam Chernick, an author who was part of a former host family that welcomed players — including Seattle Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert (Big Train ‘16) — for six seasons. During the game, Chernick sold signed copies of her 2025 children’s novel, “The Zuzu Secret,” which can be found at Wonderland Books in Bethesda.

Miriam Chernick and Bruce Adams by Mark Thalman

The book spotlights two siblings, Josie and Abe, and the story is told through both of their voices, alternating between each chapter. In the story, Josie rescues a stray bearded dragon to keep as a pet, while Abe — who lives with an uncommon disease known as Prader-Willi syndrome — hopes to see an Orioles game at Camden Yards.

Chernick said she hopes to influence reluctant readers by getting them to read for fun.

“Kids are not reading for pleasure,” she said. “They’re always on their screens, so I just want them to finish it. And if they say, ‘I finished it and I didn’t like it,’ yippee! Because they finished it, and they have an opinion about a book.”

A baseball fan herself, Chernick said she enjoyed hosting Big Train players over the years.

“We became involved because my son was a huge baseball player and fan,” she said. “I just really appreciated and respected the commitment that these young college players had to their sport, to their game.”

“Even though I knew my kids would never be professional sports players, they all participated in sports,” Chernick said. “I wanted them to learn some of the skills of going after a dream, working hard every day.”

In addition to Chernick, the Big Train welcomed The Arc Montgomery County as a community hero. Chief Development Officer Stephanie Benedetti said The Arc is “the largest provider of supports and programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities" in Montgomery County.

Stephanie Benedetti and Bruce Adams by Mark Thalman

“The biggest thing you can get out of it is honestly just getting to know someone with a disability,” Benedetti said. “We provide inclusive opportunities for people, coming here to a baseball game and seeing someone with an intellectual disability, connecting with them, finding volunteer opportunities to come join us. We have parties and hosted events and other fun things that you can get engaged and involved with.”

The Arc also holds another major connection to the Big Train. Community Engagement Manager Laura-Kate Perez said her father, Craig English, is the artist who designed the team’s logos, as well as the stadium painting displayed on the Miller and Long Grandstand.

Stadium Painting

The other community hero on Monday was Bethesda Green, an organization that seeks to promote sustainable environmental practices. Executive Director Dave Feldman said Bethesda Green’s work involves economic, environmental and social components.

“We bring people together to help work on complex challenges to make our communities better, safer, cleaner, provide jobs,” Feldman said. “We do it in three ways. We incubate, which means we help working with new startups and solutions that we help build. We educate, so we help the community understand the complex situations around transportation, sustainable materials and waste, food and energy and other things as well.”

“And then we initiate, we bring together all these key players and kind of make it happen,” he said. “We bring them together and figure out how we can actually scale up things that are good and the things that work.”

Bruce Adams and Dave Feldman by Mark Thalman

Bethesda Green also organizes an Incubator Program to guide a number of businesses and entrepreneurs. The program currently features eight companies that it seeks to advise and help grow.

Finally, the Big Train hosted members of Old Georgetown Club Swim and Dive on Monday, welcoming the kids onto the field for the First Pitch Ceremonies. The Oriole Bird mascot was also in attendance, throwing out a first pitch and racing Homer and Bunt in the Veterinary Park Potomac Pup Run.

Old Georgetown Club Swim and Dive by Mark Thalman

Pup Run by Mark Thalman