NEWPORT COAST, Calif. — On a picturesque day in sunny Southern California, several current and former MLB players gathered at Pelican Hill Golf Club for the annual Celebrity Golf Invitational to benefit the MLB Youth Academy in Compton.
Former Major League outfielders Gary Matthews Jr. and Torii Hunter, who were Angels teammates from 2008 to 2009, hosted the event for the sixth consecutive year. They were joined by a long list of current and former MLB players/managers, including Trevor Hoffman, Mike Scioscia, Ron Roenicke, Adam Jones, Jacque Jones, Brady Anderson, Mark Gubicza, Chuck Finley, Garret Anderson, Eric Chavez, Mickey Hatcher, Darren Oliver, James Loney and Jerry Hairston Jr. and Jerry Hairston Sr.
MLB Director of Baseball Development and former Angels General Manager Tony Reagins, MLB Vice President of Baseball Development Del Matthews and MLB Vice President of Youth and Facilities Development Darrell Miller were also present and helped organize the event.
“Major League Baseball and the MLB development department are giving us the opportunity to do this,” Matthews said. “They do the marketing and do all the heavy lifting behind the scenes. But we all do it for a common goal, which is to create opportunities for these young men and young women to go to college and try to achieve their dreams. Obviously, they learn incredible lessons through sports and lessons that I still apply in my life today.
Miller, who had a huge impact helping create the Youth Academy in Compton and other MLB academies across the country, said the tournament raises funds specifically targeting the academic side of young people who use the academy. The Youth Academy of Compton opened in 2006 and serves children in the greater Los Angeles area, particularly those in underserved communities, offering baseball and softball lessons as well as resources to facilitate development outside of the classroom. ground.
“Having that kind of support is priceless,” Miller said. “I love that we can raise money for the right reasons, including the educational support of those who attend our academies. We’re really evolving and trying to take care of business in that regard. So it’s not just about educational support, like we do with baseball science from a STEM perspective, but also about SAT prep and getting these kids to college on a regular basis.
Compton was the first to open, but MLB now has youth academies in Cincinnati, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., while also partnering with Curtis’ academy Granderson to Chicago and the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High. School in Gurabo.
Hunter said he was proud to raise money for youth academies because of what they are able to offer young people, especially in underserved areas. He said he wishes he had access to a facility like that growing up in Arkansas, and he’s proud of what MLB has been able to do with its academies, especially in Compton. Several current major league players such as Hunter Greene, Vince Velasquez, JP Crawford, Dominic Smith, Aaron Hicks, Kyle Higashioka and Dillon Tate are alumni of Compton’s Youth Academy.
“We want to help these kids do bigger things than us,” Hunter said. “A lot of different players have come through this academy in Compton and made it to the Majors. Hunter Greene has been there and now he’s the pitching guy in the big leagues. So when you see stories like that, that’s what it’s all about. And it’s not just about making it to the big leagues, baseball just teaches you many life lessons.
Malakai Pruitt, current Academy participant and recent Compton Academy Youth of the Year, also gave a touching speech to tournament attendees, expressing what the Academy has meant to him over the years . He started going there at the age of 5; he’s now 14 and a freshman at Poly High School in nearby Long Beach. A pitcher and shortstop, Pruitt dreams of going to college and playing baseball as far as that takes him.
“It’s like a brotherhood and a family,” Pruitt said. “I’ve been going there since I was 5 and they treat me like family. It’s just a cool place to play baseball. I was able to participate in the RBI World Series and even travel to Seattle for the RBI Regional Tournament. It really is like a family.
