As Major League Baseball's League Championship Series presented by Camping World kicked into high gear, two of its participants did their part to usher in another generation of big league stars. The Dodgers and Astros hosted Play Ball events Saturday afternoon.
The Play Ball initiative is an effort to encourage youth to participate in baseball- or softball-related activities, including formal leagues, events and casual forms of play. Play Ball events are MLB's signature youth engagement activity during the professional and amateur baseball and softball calendar, including key dates throughout the MLB offseason, regular season, postseason and the World Series.
Former players Ron Cey, Manny Mota, Dennis Powell, Billy Ashley and Derrel Thomas were on hand for the Dodgers' clinic, signing autographs and playing with youth at four different stations. The clinic featured multiple informal baseball and softball stations, including a home run derby, running bases, bat and ball games.
"I think it's great," Powell said of the event. "Now you're coming into their community and you're also letting these kids know that somebody is watching you, somebody sees you. To me that matters, especially to a young kid … this is where dreams are made and this is where diamonds are found."
Each participant also received a bat and ball, along with Dodger hats, T-shirts and wristbands to take home.
"We call this, 'Organized recess,'" said David James, vice president of youth programs for Major League Baseball. "They're going to run around for 90 minutes. … It's really going to get kids excited about playing the game and the Dodgers playing in the playoffs."
In Houston, hundreds of children took advantage of a sunny and warm Saturday morning to learn how to play baseball. The Houston Astros Foundation and Astros Urban Youth Academy teamed up with USA Baseball, USA Softball and MLB to bring Play Ball to the Spring Spirit Baseball Complex.
Twila Carter, executive director of community affairs for the Astros Foundation, said the event provides a place for children to get outside and learn how to play the game.
"It's a fun introduction to baseball for the kids with MLB's initiative," Carter said. "It's really about getting kids up, out and off the sofa. [We're] really just giving them some basic instruction in baseball."
Play Ball proved to be a healthy distraction from the life-altering events of the past month, since Hurricane Harvey brought destruction and devastation to the area. Many homes still have yet to have their trash picked up, as was evident in a nearby neighborhood. While the children may not fully understand what took place, they have witnessed tragedy from a natural disaster. Carter is happy baseball could provide a positive outlet from the life-changing tragedy.
"Young people may not have a full comprehension of the hurricane and its devastation, but they see their parents stressed. They see them worried and concerned about the housing situation," Carter said. "To provide a diversion for these young people, and to get out, have fun and be a kid just takes a little stress off them. The impact is not just on the adults. It's also on the kids. Can you imagine every time it rains? They're probably afraid it's going to be another hurricane."
Many sports teach valuable life lessons including teamwork and how to compete. Daryl Wade, the director of the Houston Youth Academy, gave specific examples of how baseball can help provide future success.
"Baseball teaches you all of life's lessons," Wade said. "It teaches you how to be successful. It teaches you when you're not successful, how to deal with it. A great baseball average is .300. When you have a .300 average in life, you're going to be successful. Of course, we want our kids to be above .500 in life. But to have that .300 average, it teaches you that you can also get through this. Trouble is only going to last for a short time, so we have to keep going and keep moving forward."