Schwartz: Inaugural 'Play Ball Weekend' Coming To All 30 MLB Stadiums
By Peter Schwartz
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It's the sound of the ball hitting the glove as a father and son play catch in front of the house.
It's the joy of a mammoth drive by a youngster during a neighborhood game of Wiffle Ball.
It's the pure excitement for a young girl as she fires a softball past an opposing hitter.
All of these sights and sounds are what makes the game of baseball so great and why an effort is being made to re-engage our youth in America's national pastime.
Major League Baseball will hold the inaugural "Play Ball Weekend" this Saturday and Sunday at 15 ballparks around the country, including Yankee Stadium where the Yankees take on the White Sox. The clubs that are away this weekend have selected alternative dates, including the Mets who will hold their activities next weekend, May 21-22.
The initiative is a joint venture with USA Baseball.
"We're extremely excited," said Tony Reagins, senior VP of youth programs for Major League Baseball. "It's going to be a fun weekend. We hope to create some memorable experiences for young people around the country."
MLB launched the "Play Ball" initiative last year to encourage widespread participation in both formal and casual baseball and softball activities. "Play Ball Weekend" is an extension of that initiative as there will be a number of special activities, including the distribution of more than 320,000 plastic bat and ball sets as well as special ballpark and community activities.
Working in conjunction with the teams, MLB was able to come up with some different ways to create an experience for kids that will build lifelong memories. There will be opportunities for kids to do things over the next two weekend that they could only dream of before.
"Being involved in the game and being around it for so long, you take some of the things like stepping onto a major league field for granted," Reagins said. "We wanted to make sure that the kids have the opportunity to run the bases, run out and take the field with a big leaguer, and exchange autographs or exchange caps with a major leaguer."
"Play Ball Weekend is a unified demonstration of the national pastime's commitment to engaging youth in all facets of our game," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said. "This special program is an elevated step of the Play Ball initiative, which has been a tremendous vehicle to strengthen the ties with young people all across the United States and Canada."
The entire program is very important to Manfred. When Reagins joined MLB, his discussions with the commissioner centered around reintroducing youths from all areas, social backgrounds, and communities to the game.
"He's serious about it," Reagins said. "It's something that he has passion for and we take it very seriously in our group."
The Yankees and Mets have a variety of activities planned for their respective Play Ball Weekends.
This Saturday and Sunday, the Yankees will have a youth parade, baseline introductions with youth players, local clinics and youth tournaments throughout the tri-state area. In addition, tickets have been distributed to local area youth teams, and youth players will deliver the lineup card and game ball.
Next weekend, the Mets will host a junior clinic with three players featuring approximately 100 kids. They will also donate baseballs and softballs to approximately 70 youth leagues, team up with the "Baseball Tomorrow Fund" to collect equipment for underserved communities, and donate 500 tickets for the May 19 game against the Nationals to youth baseball and softball players.
While all 30 teams are taking part in "Play Ball Weekend," having the Yankees and Mets involved is vital to the initiative.
"They're important," said Reagins, the former Los Angeles Angels general manager who drafted Mike Trout. "When you have a major market engaged and really get on board, it lends credibility to the program."
Major League Baseball is doing the smart thing by going all out with this initiative. There are numerous Little Leagues that have gone through a decline in registration in recent years as kids are migrating toward other sports. In putting together "Play Ball," the league is attempting to re-engaging kids in baseball.
"I think you always have to have your pulse on what's going on," Reagins said. "You hear that league participation may be down in some areas, but I know that there is a lot of participation in non-formal ways. When you see a downtrend in a league, there are a significant number of kids playing in travel ball and select-type atmospheres."
There are those that will argue that football is now more popular than baseball in the United States. While it's true that there are numbers that can prove that, there is still the feeling and belief that baseball is still our national pastime. There is an innocence about the game and a special feeling that comes along with participating.
Whether it's going to a Yankees or Mets game, playing in a Little League game, trying not to embarrass yourself in a company softball game, or just having a catch with your kid in the back yard, baseball is magical.
And that's what MLB is trying to instill in our youth with "Play Ball Weekend."
"That's part of engaging kids at the youth level and then, hopefully, they can become attached and become lifelong fans," Reagins said. "We're excited about what the weekend holds for us."
There are also thousands of kids who are excited about what MLB has in store for them as part of this outstanding program. So, there's only one thing left to say:
"Play Ball!!!"
For more information on the "Play Ball" initiative, please visit www.PlayBall.org.
Please follow Pete on Twitter at @pschwartzcbsfan. You can also follow @MLB, @PlayBall, and @USABaseball
