WASHINGTON — Pitchers and catchers don’t report for about two more weeks, but baseball’s new boss already got a preview of the talent coming up.
On Wednesday, Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred toured the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy in Southeast D.C.
“A program like this is just an example of Major League Baseball and one of its clubs at its best,” he says.
At the moment, 108 elementary students — boys and girls — are part of the core after-school program. Three days a week, they split time working on grounders and line drives with science and math homework.
The fields and training space in Ward 7 expose youth to a game that has lost footing in cities across America.
“One of the things that I hope to accomplish during my time as commissioner is to increase the number of kids who play our game and are interested in our game,” Manfred says.
The facility not only does that, but it also supports youth with mentors and life lessons.
“What the Nationals have done here is unbelievable,” he says. “It promotes the goals of participation and diversity that are so important to our game.”
