Cubs host kids as part of PLAY campaign
CHICAGO -- When reliever Jason Motte warned 80 kids from two Chicago Boys and Girls Clubs on Tuesday about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs, one boy asked if there are other ways to get bigger physically.
"Milk," Motte said.
Cubs athletic trainers, in conjunction with the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society, the Taylor Hooton Foundation and Major League Baseball charities, hosted the children at Wrigley Field as part of the PLAY campaign -- Promoting a Lifetime of Activity for Youth.
The Taylor Hooton Foundation is a non-profit organization created to educate youth and adults about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs, including anabolic steroids, HGH and unregulated dietary supplements.
The kids rotated from station to station to perform exercises on the field and learn about nutrition as well as do a little hitting. Several members of a Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) team were part of the seminar and took advantage of the baseball drills. Motte then hosted a question-and-answer session.
Joshua Mosley, 16, a catcher on an RBI team, asked Motte how hard he throws, and Motte said, "96 mph."
"Is that good?" Mosley asked.
"It's not bad," Motte replied.
There were a few boos from the group when Motte admitted he played for the Cardinals before coming to the Cubs, but then another participant asked Motte about working with Yadier Molina, and he described the Cardinals' catcher as "awesome."
Another attendee asked Motte if he could get the Cubs to the World Series.
"It's not just me," he said. "It's got to be the whole team."