ST. LOUIS -- The first thing that Kaeden Watkins asked his mom when he walked up to the baseball fields at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Community Center on Saturday morning was when he could hit the ball and how many times.

Eventually, he got around to the batting station during the Play Ball event, and he did get to hit the ball -- with Dexter Fowler pitching.

After Kaeden hit and ran the bases, he stood behind Fowler on defense and got a few outfield tips from the Cardinals center fielder, too.

“They watch Fowler on TV and now they’re seeing him as a real person,” Huvona Watkins, Kaeden’s mom, said. “That’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It makes [Fowler] a real-life person to look up to, his real-life hero. I’m sure that’s going to be the next jersey I’ll have to buy.”

Fowler’s appearance was one aspect of Saturday’s Play Ball event, hosted by Major League Baseball, the Cardinals and the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation. The event was open to the public and held in East St. Louis, with fun-focused activities that highlighted the ways baseball can be played. Fowler was the pitcher at the bat-and-ball station, where the kids played an informal game. Cardinals broadcasters Polo Ascencio and Bengie Molina ran that station.

Other stations included grounders and popups, baserunning, agilities and the home run derby. Former Yankees, Blue Jays and Marlins infielder Homer Bush -- who grew up in East St. Louis -- rotated throughout the stations and watched the kids play.

“It’s pretty cool,” Bush said. “I’ve been a part of several outside of here, so to have it come here in my hometown, weather be beautiful, awesome facility here, it’s a great day to play ball. Everyone knows there are a ton of good athletes [in East St. Louis], so hopefully it’ll promote young players to play baseball.”

Play Ball hosting the event at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Community Center helped the event be accessible to participants who live around East St. Louis and encourage them to play. Each participant also received a bat and ball, a Cardinals glove, a T-shirt and wristbands at the end of the event.

“Having a relationship with Cardinals Care and Redbird Rookies program and the work that we do in the community, I see there’s a lack of minority kids playing baseball,” said Joyner-Kersee, who established her foundation in 1988. “What better way to introduce them, expose them and to encourage them that this is a fun sport? I’m just glad that we have a facility where they could come in and participate in an event like this.

“What it does for East St. Louis, it continues to let people know that there are people over here trying as well. Having Major League Baseball and having the Cardinals Care organization and the St. Louis Cardinals and the former players as well, shows that they care.”

Watkins grew up in East St. Louis and remembers when there wasn’t a baseball field where her son was playing on Saturday. The opportunities that Joyner-Kersee brought with the community center and the opportunities that Play Ball brought Saturday are unlike many others, Watkins said.

“The kids are having fun, they’re safe, they’re meeting people and friends and building their social skills,” Watkins said. “Sometimes the urban communities are forgotten, and you have to go a little further. To have this right here in the community, it’s wonderful and a great opportunity because sometimes you just don’t have that option. Walking distance, bus distance, opposed to going somewhere further out, it’s great for them.”

Fowler surprised the kids at the end of the event when he showed up to pitch, and he shouted words of encouragement when a player hit the ball, caught it or made a good defensive play.

“The interactions [are my favorite part],” Fowler said. “I think that’s huge. It shows the kids are having fun, and some of them have never even played baseball. Hopefully they might sign up after this. We’re trying to get more inner-city kids into baseball. It’s declined, and I’m here to help. I want everyone to love the game as much as I do.”