Major League Baseball will support three special youth-focused events in the Greater Los Angeles area, including a ‘PLAY BALL’ event at Grand Park in downtown L.A. and two ceremonies revealing renovations at Boys & Girls Clubs in Anaheim and Los Angeles.  The youth-focused events, along with all pertinent details, are as follows:

Monday, March 20^th, 12:00 p.m. PT– ‘PLAY BALL’ Event Hosted by MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Dodgers Foundation at Grand Park

Kids will run through fun-centric baseball stations designed to demonstrate the many fun, informal ways the game can be played.  These activities will include: home run derby, running bases, bat & ball games and more. Attending kids will receive a bat & ball set to take home as well as ‘PLAY BALL’ T-shirts and wristbands and Dodger hats.  

Attendees include:

• Tony Reagins – Senior Vice President, Youth Programs, Major League Baseball
• Stan Kasten – President and CEO, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Dennis Powell – Former Dodgers pitcher
• Naomi Rodriguez – Vice President, External Affairs & Community Relations, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Nichol Whiteman – Executive Director, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation
• Lucas Rivera – Vice President, Grand Park

Address: Grand Park’s Event Lawn, 221 N. Spring St. (between Spring & Broadway), Los Angeles, CA 90012

Dodger stars Justin Turner and Yasiel Puig entertain kids at last year’s PLAY BALL event at Venice Beach.
(Photo courtesy of MLB.com)

Tuesday, March 21^st, 10:00 a.m. PT – Commissioner Manfred to Attend Ceremony to Unveil Renovations of the JMAC Teen Center of Boys & Girls Club of Anaheim

Supported by MLB and the Los Angeles Angels

Renovation includes new lighting, new furniture and painting as well as an improved Tech Center with new computers and state-of-the-art 3D printer. Kitchen upgrade includes all new stainless steel appliances (range, cook top, refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, sink-faucet and garbage disposal) as well as new cabinets and counter tops.  The teens will be able to use vegetables from another local Club’s community garden to cook at the new JMAC Teen Center.

Attendees include:

• Robert D. Manfred, Jr. – Major League Baseball Commissioner
• Dennis Kuhl – Chairman, Los Angeles Angels
• Chuck Finley – Five-time MLB All-Star; Former Angels Pitcher
• Bobby Grich – Six-time MLB All-Star; Former Angels Infielder
• Clyde Wright – Former MLB All-Star and Angels Pitcher
• Jim Clark – President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
• John Machiaverna – Executive Director, Boys & Girls Club of Anaheim

Address: Boys & Girls Club of Anaheim, 1115 North Citron Lane, Anaheim, CA 92801 

Tuesday, March 21^st, 1:30 p.m. PT – Commissioner Manfred to Attend Field Refurbishment of the Ramona Gardens Clubhouse (Boys & Girls Club of West San Gabriel Valley) Baseball Field

The field refurbishments were made in cooperation between MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, Scotts^® and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.  They include a new backstop, chain-link fencing, outfield fence, scoreboard and signage, laser grading the infield and outfield, new outfield sod and new seed outside of baseball playing areas (courtesy of Scotts^®), as well as improvements to foul poles, benches and bases/pitching rubber.  The field will be added to the renowned rosters of “Dodger Dreamfields” and Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation Youth Development Parks.

Following the ceremony, club staff will run the kids through a skills clinic.

Attendees include:

• Robert D. Manfred, Jr.– Commissioner of Major League Baseball Commissioner
• Stan Kasten – President and CEO, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Derrel Thomas – Former 15-year MLB Veteran; former Dodgers utility player
• Dennis Powell – Former Dodgers pitcher
• Jim Clark – President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
• Steven Springer – Scotts Representative
• Nichol Whiteman – Executive Director, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation
• Roger Licht – Board Member, Boys & Girls Club of West San Gabriel Valley

Address: Boys & Girls Club of Ramona Gardens, 2830 Lancaster Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90033

Since taking over in 2015, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has been actively involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, including this one in Kansas City following the 2015 World Series. (Photo courtesy of MLB.com)

These projects in Los Angeles and Anaheim are part of a $2 million commitment from MLB to renovate parts of one Boys & Girls Club in each MLB Club market between 2016 and 2020.  The projects will primarily focus on teen centers and playing fields connected to the Boys & Girls Clubs.  This is the 21^st year of Boys & Girls Clubs of America serving as the official charity of Major League Baseball.

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About PLAY BALL

The PLAY BALL initiative, which is supported by both USA Baseball and USA Softball, is MLB’s collective effort to encourage young people and communities to participate in baseball- or softball-related activities, including formal leagues, events and casual forms of play.  PLAY BALL events have become MLB’s signature youth engagement activity during the professional and amateur baseball and softball calendar, including key dates throughout the MLB off-season and into the World Series. PlayBall.org is the PLAY BALL initiative’s online home and is accessible via MLB.com, USABaseball.com, USASoftball.com and other partner websites.

PlayBall.org features youth-oriented content, including baseball trivia and quizzes, and video highlights from MLB games, social media content, photos and a “PlayBall Near You” interactive map that locates local community leagues.  The site also features access to video podcasts and highlights from MLB Network’s youth-focused show “Play Ball,” which features interviews and on-field demonstrations with top players throughout the League.  PlayBall.org also links to USABaseball.com, which provides players, parents and coaches with the information and resources to help with proper play and instruction, including education videos featuring Hall of Famer and MLB Network analyst John Smoltz, Chicago Cubs Manager Joe Maddon, and Kansas City Royals Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Dayton Moore, among others. Health and safety information, including through the Pitch Smart program, also is available. PLAY BALL is generously supported by Chevrolet and Scotts.

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 About the MLB-Boys & Girls Clubs of America Partnership

Commissioner Manfred has consistently reinforced Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s (BGCA) standing as MLB’s official charity.  In addition to annual, year-round support, MLB invites kids from local Boys & Girls Clubs to take part in jewel events, including MLB All-Star Week and the World Series. MLB has provided more than $100 million in direct and indirect support to BGCA.   Additionally, Boys & Girls Clubs around the country support both the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program and PLAY BALL in a variety of ways.  More than 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually through high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours.

(Article courtesy of Dodgers PD Department)