'It's always kind of come naturally to me'

FINDLAY — Joel Starkey wants to give baseball fans an old-time feel when they come to the ballpark.The keyboard player was a fixture at Flag City Sluggers games this summer, using his portable Yamaha CK 61 to entertain — and often fire up — the fans."The thing is, not every team has (an organist) anymore," Starkey said. "It's not like the good old days, like the '70s, the '60s, seemed like everybody had them. And now, there is a select few."So, Starkey played — as a volunteer — at most Sluggers home games during their inaugural season. He said he was inspired by the old ballparks and the organists who played there."The sound I actually try to use here, very much tries to replicate the sound of old Crosley Field, the old stadium in Cincinnati," Starkey said.Crosley Field hosted its last Reds game in the summer of 1970, some three decades before Starkey was born.But the Findlay native said he did research before playing at Sluggers games.Whatever he's doing, it's been working."Joel has been phenomenal," said Sluggers General Manager Sydney Craig, "I really don't think the Sluggers would have the same experience — I guess the best word is 'vibe' — if it weren't for Joel."That was evident last Friday night. Starkey — who was born blind — was at Marathon Diamonds more than an hour before the first pitch between Flag City and the Southern Ohio Copperheads. He played a number of classic tunes, such as Jim Croce's "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire," as the Sluggers warmed up.Starkey also played — and sang — the National Anthem.And then, when the game started, Starkey got down to business.Starkey has a system for in-game music."The flow of the game determines what I do," said Starkey, who said he usually has 40 songs ready to go for a game. "Usually, a lot of that's ad-libbed. If there was a mound visit, I'll play, like, 'The Jeopardy song.'"His father, Kyle, is beside him during game to help out."I do the best I can to tell him specifics," Kyle said. "He usually knows what's happening. He doesn't know when the ball's still in play, he may not know when the pitcher's getting ready, so I fill in the blanks. He pretty much knows, with instinct, what's happening.""He's my spotter. He tells me when to go and when to stop," Starkey said of his dad. "What I've told people this year is, what you don't realize is, if your timing is off just a little bit, it messes everything up. So, you've got to be on point, the entire time."Kyle said the family recognized early on that their son had a musical gift.It became clear one Christmas."His grandma bought him a keyboard when he was five, and he was sitting on the floor and he was playing Christmas carols, perfect, with his right hand," Kyle said. "But a little bit later, he's laying on the floor, and he's got the keyboard behind him — he's laying on his stomach on the floor — and he's playing 'Silent Night' with his toes."Pretty soon, music was a major part of Starkey's life."We're very thankful, we're very grateful," Kyle said. "It's a gift from God.""I had eight different keyboards in my house at one point," Starkey said. "I'd just go from room to room to room, it's hours of entertainment, right?"But while Starkey was cultivating his passion for music, something else grabbed his attention: baseball."I love the sport. I don't think 'like' is the operative (word)," he said. "I would be at a game every day if I could."Starkey has been to 27 big league stadiums. When he attends, he said he'll listen to the game on the radio, with Bose headphones tucked to his chin.That way, he can hear the play-by-play, but also pick up the sounds and feel of the ballpark."I get the best of both, basically," Starkey said.Now, by playing at Sluggers games, he can bring that to others."To be honest with you, I feel like it's always kind of come naturally to me," he said. "I knew, back when I was 11-years-old, that I wanted to do this. I think it's great that there's a place (in Findlay) where you can bring your family to a ballgame."And, as the Sluggers found out, he's just happy to be at the ballpark, doing what he loves."We've tried multiple times to get him to put a tip jar out," Craig said, "but he won't do it."Starkey's playing has gotten some attention from the people on the field."I've actually gotten very nice comments over working the season, from not just Sluggers players, but other teams that come in. They think it's really cool that we do this," Starkey said. "(The Sluggers have) been amazing. I can't even put into words. They've been awesome to work with; they're just the neatest people."Starkey will also be performing later this month. He will be at FlightHouse at 7 p.m. Aug. 8, and will be at Gillig Winery on Aug. 9.Starkey is doing what he enjoys, and he wants to make sure others enjoy themselves, too."It doesn't even feel like I'm going to work sometimes," he said. "It just feels like you're going out, and your main goal is that other people have fun; they have a good time. That's the main thing you're trying to do."