By Freda Ross
Major League Baseball’s All-Star week kicks off tonight at Globe Life Field in Arlington with the Swingman Classic featuring 50 student athletes from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The game is sponsored by theĀ MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, which works to make baseball and softball more accessible for all kids. Its executive director, Jean Lee Batrus, said that after the game, some special athletes will be recognized.
“We have an MVP, which is focused on the skill and the talent,” she said, “but we also have a character award, where it goes to another young student athlete, and we really want to recognize that young man’s impact in their community, how they give back, their academic track record, and it’s not solely based on how they’re doing as a baseball player.”
The students were picked by Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., Major League Baseball representatives and scouts. Some of the schools represented include Prairie View A&M University, Texas Southern University and Florida A&M University.
The foundation is teaming up with the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center for its “Suit Up Experience” that provides young men with suits, ties, shoes, socks and haircuts. Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien said the classic is an event that could open many doors for some of the players.
“It’s an opportunity for primarily Black baseball teams to come out here and play on TV, and play in front of a lot of people in a big-league stadium,” he said. “Those opportunities have not always been there, maybe kids with more opportunities take for granted.”
Today’s festivities will also include a pregame ceremony with the Grandmother of Juneteenth, Dr. Opal Lee, an HBCU college fair and a Battle of the Bands between Texas Southern’s “Ocean of Soul” and Prairie View A&M’s “Marching Storm.”