Players Alliance, KC Royals introduce local youths to possible career paths in baseball
Before July’s All-Star Game, Major League Baseball and the Players Alliance announced a 10-year, $150 million commitment to “build more equitable systems in baseball and increase Black representation throughout the sport.”
The financial commitment officially kicks in in 2023, but one of the initial steps taken by the Players Alliance included a road trip to all 30 markets that host major-league clubs.
Sunday afternoon, the Players Alliance made its stop at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City and brought a group of local youths to the ballpark in an effort to convey that careers in baseball are open to them.
Royals center fielder Michael A. Taylor and coordinator of outfield, base running and bunting Damon Hollins were among the representatives from the Royals to speak with the group of 14 young people.
The group, selected through Royals Charities and the Urban Youth Academy, predominantly included Black boys and girls.
“This is a part of our Gear for Good tour,” Players Alliance representative Jules Johnson said. “We’re traveling around the country visiting all 30 MLB ballparks and doing these community activations. We’re bringing local kids to the ballpark.
“We’re introducing them to our players on the field so that they can see touch and believe what’s possible in the sport and what baseball can do in their lives by way of our players who are coming out and giving a word and inspiring their journey.”
The Players Alliance, a national nonprofit organization started last year following the social unrest in the wake of the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis, has a stated goal of creating an inclusive culture within baseball and the greater community.
Taylor, a former World Series champion and Gold Glove candidate, and Hollins, a former major-league player who served as the Royals’ first base coach last season, offered words of encouragement to the youths before Sunday’s game.
Taylor is a member of the Players Alliance Major League Players Committee.
The youths attended Sunday’s game for free. Each received a baseball signed by Taylor as well as a customized “player kit,” which included a brand new bat, bat bag, glove and batting gloves.
“As the Alliance, we want to see and inspire as much diversity in the game as we possibly can,” Johnson said. “We know Black and Brown kids, generally speaking, have a lack of access to resources and don’t have the same opportunities in the sport that others may have.”
Kansas City served as stop number 26 of 30 for the tour since the All-Star Game in early July.
Johnson said the youths were also introduced to aspects of the sport away from the field — aspects that may present career options in baseball, such as data analytics, marketing, social media, ticketing, concessions, human resources and in the front office.
“We hope they all become big-leaguers some day,” said Johnson, a former director of USA Baseball’s Prospect Development Pipeline. “In the event that they don’t, we hope they would look to baseball as a professional opportunity for them and thinking about each club employs 200, 300 people. Instead of a restaurant or a factory for 40 hours a week, why not consider coming to the ballpark for 40 hours a week?”
About the MLB-Players Alliance partnership
MLB and the Players Alliance announced the financial commitment from MLB in a joint news conference at the All-Star Game in Colorado.
“Major League Baseball is thrilled to expand our commitment to the Players Alliance, which will include joint efforts to strengthen our sport’s engagement with Black communities,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said this summer. “We believe in the mission of the Players Alliance and have been inspired by the passion and perspectives of the players who are leading this effort. We know that our sport is at its best when it is accessible to everyone. Together, we will make this a reality with innovative and collaborative programs.”
The 10-year financial commitment begins in 2023 with an annual $10 million from MLB, plus $5 million in matching contributions from external Players Alliance fundraising.
“Major League Baseball’s commitment to support the Players Alliance is a monumental turning point in the history of our game, establishing a pathway to progress for equity and access for the Black community,” former major-leaguer and Players Alliance president Curtis Granderson said in July. “On behalf of our player members and allies, we’d like to thank Commissioner Manfred and all MLB Club owners for their unwavering support of our efforts to grow and diversify our sport, from the field to the front office, for generations to come.”
