MLB Together, former players pitch in at Miami Beach cleanup

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – On a beautiful sunny day in South Florida, Major League Baseball took steps to ensure more great beach days were in the future for the host city of the 2026 World Baseball Classic final.

The league organized the MLB Together beach cleanup with Clean Miami Beach, bringing together one hundred volunteers on Monday afternoon to help clean Sandy’s Beach at 6th Street in Miami Beach.

“Here in Miami, we wanted to make sure we leave a little bit behind and get the community an opportunity to join us in some great efforts,” said April Brown, MLB senior vice president of social responsibility. “A pillar under the MLB Green platform is to do some good and make sure that we leave our beaches clean for families to be able to enjoy."

Clean Miami Beach is an organization dedicated to keeping the local community and natural habitats free of garbage and harmful pollutants with a focus on single-use plastic. The group has partnered with the Miami Marlins previously, and executive director Sophie Ringel was thrilled when Major League Baseball called on them to help organize Monday’s beach cleanup.

“It's great to partner with MLB because we can raise awareness together on a different level here,” Ringel said. “We have players here joining us in this effort to clean our beaches, and that brings a new level of excitement and reach to people that we normally may not work with. Through a partnership like this, we might reach new people who might want to join us for future cleanups and help us make a difference in our city.”

Six former MLB stars joined the volunteers on Miami Beach, as former outfielders Michael Bourn and Kenny Lofton, pitchers Jeremy Guthrie and Scott Kazmir, catcher Jason Kendall and infielder Jed Lowrie handed out cleanup supplies before taking part in the afternoon’s cleanup effort.

“It truly is the 'Together' in MLB Together to see our partners on the ground, the league, our clubs, our players, come on board and able to do this great work,” Brown said. “It's many hands that go into the planning and the execution, but it's just a joyous thing to see it all come together and see something good get left behind while we're here.”

Monday’s picturesque weather served as a perfect reminder for why Ringel and the team at Clean Miami Beach are so committed to their environmental cause, as well as an encouragement that their goals resonate with others, too.

“That's why we do it. We are often out on the ocean and we see the wildlife, we see the turtles, the dolphins, the fish, and all the wildlife habitats, and knowing that we're all coming together because we can make a positive impact on them is wonderful,” Ringel said. “It’s great that we're actually doing it, and we are honored to partner with MLB to make this happen today.”

For Brown and the team at MLB, the MLB Together beach cleanup makes an impact on the local community, but also helps move closer to their goal of making a significant difference in America’s 250th year.

“On January 8th of this year, the Commissioner of Baseball announced that in celebration of America's 250th birthday, MLB would pledge to do 250,000 volunteer hours across all of our clubs, our league, our employees, our fans, and our players,” Brown said. “This event counts towards that pledge, and if anyone goes to MLBtogether.com/250, they can see how they can get involved and be a part of those hours.”