n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”type”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType”:”rich”},”__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”Even extra so, it’s given the student-athletes a platform of publicity, from taking part in on a nationwide stage on MLB Network and in entrance of scouts, to being entrenched with iconic coaches, equivalent to Ken Griffey Sr., Cito Gaston, Lester Strode, Andre Dawson, Rickie Weeks, Marquis Grissom and lots of extra whose careers started at HBCUs.nn“I was just telling the kids, it’s about them,” Griffey advised MLB Network commentators Harold Reynolds and Dave Sims on the dwell telecast. “It’s not about the guys that are coaching. It’s about the next generation of ballplayers. Ask all the questions you want. There’s a million years of baseball knowledge in this room. Use it. Get every question you want from guys that played.””,”sort”:”textual content”,”__typename”:”Video”,”contentDate”:”2023-07-07T16:12:15.733Z”,”most popularPlaybackScenarioURL(“preferredPlaybacks”:”mp4AvcPlayback”)”:”https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-07/07/3221eb0b-2bdf7740-cc59cac0-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4″,”type”:”video”,”description”:”Hall of Famer Andre Dawson joins High Heat to debate returning to Cooperstown for the Hall of Fame ceremony and Fred McGriff getting a bid”,”displayAsVideoGif”:false,”period”:”00:07:17″,”slug”:”dawson-on-hbcu-swingman-classic”,”tags”:[“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”swingman-classic”,”title”:”Swingman Classic”,”type”:”taxonomy”,”__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”interview”,”title”:”interview”,”type”:”taxonomy”,”__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlbn-high-heat”,”title”:”MLBN High Heat”,”type”:”taxonomy”,”__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-network”,”title”:”MLB Network”,”type”:”taxonomy”],”thumbnail”:”__typename”:”Thumbnail”,”templateUrl”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/formatInstructions/mlb/cb3beik7r84ylbmsx7hm”,”title”:”Dawson on HBCU Swingman Classic”,”relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/dawson-on-hbcu-swingman-classic”,”__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”The pomp, circumstance and pageantry greater than lived as much as the hype all through the night, maybe most notably the sense of surrealism. nnDuring the fifth inning, Kewan Braziel of Alcorn State University, who pitched a scoreless third inning, was honored on the sphere with the Impact Award, acknowledged for his management and dedication to being an impactful member of their group on and off the sphere.nn“It means a lot, honestly,” Braziel stated on the telecast. “My whole life I’ve been in a leadership position. I was a little nervous coming out here, but I was glad I was able to put on a show and win this award from everybody.””,”sort”:”textual content”,”__typename”:”Video”,”contentDate”:”2023-07-08T04:53:26.565Z”,”most popularPlaybackScenarioURL(“preferredPlaybacks”:”mp4AvcPlayback”)”:”https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-07/07/fb0d6308-449f3a4b-5fdf50c3-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4″,”type”:”video”,”description”:”Kewan Braziel joins Ken Griffey Jr. on MLB Network to speak about receiving the T-Mobile Impact Award, what the glory means to him and extra”,”displayAsVideoGif”:false,”period”:”00:06:18″,”slug”:”braziel-on-t-mobile-impact-award”,”tags”:[“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”swingman-classic”,”title”:”Swingman Classic”,”type”:”taxonomy”,”__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-network”,”title”:”MLB Network”,”type”:”taxonomy”,”__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”interview”,”title”:”interview”,”type”:”taxonomy”,”__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”all-star”,”title”:”All-Star”,”type”:”taxonomy”,”__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”no-pre-roll”,”title”:”no pre-roll”,”type”:”taxonomy”],”thumbnail”:”__typename”:”Thumbnail”,”templateUrl”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/formatInstructions/mlb/l1kevrzetetevbhcccjr”,”title”:”Braziel on T-Mobile Impact Award”,”relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/braziel-on-t-mobile-impact-award”,”__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”Braziel then turned to Griffey and requested what his greatest studying curve was upon reaching The Show — additional encapsulating what this occasion is all about. nn“The adjustment was, number one, knowing who you are,” Griffey stated. “For me, having a dad who played, I knew what it took to be a Major Leaguer at age 14. I still had to go through the learning curve and the bumps and bruises. … It made me hungry. It made me want to get to the big leagues as fast as I could. The one thing for me was, every day is about baseball. What can I do to improve myself day in and day out?””,”sort”:”textual content”,”__typename”:”Video”,”contentDate”:”2023-07-08T04:23:13.729Z”,”most popularPlaybackScenarioURL(“preferredPlaybacks”:”mp4AvcPlayback”)”:”https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-07/07/74592c32-b36b55b7-443867d8-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4″,”type”:”video”,”description”:”The T-Mobile Impact Award is given out throughout the HBCU Swingman Classic in Seattle for All-Star Week”,”displayAsVideoGif”:false,”period”:”00:00:31″,”slug”:”t-mobile-impact-award”,”tags”:[“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”swingman-classic”,”title”:”Swingman Classic”,”type”:”taxonomy”,”__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”all-star”,”title”:”All-Star”,”type”:”taxonomy”,”__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-network”,”title”:”MLB Network”,”type”:”taxonomy”,”__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”no-pre-roll”,”title”:”no pre-roll”,”type”:”taxonomy”],”thumbnail”:”__typename”:”Thumbnail”,”templateUrl”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/formatInstructions/mlb/yziw6hmi7y5wracme48u”,”title”:”T-Mobile Impact Award”,”relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/t-mobile-impact-award”,”__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”The inaugural occasion was a roaring success that celebrated the accomplishments of those formidable younger gamers, lots of whom had by no means voyaged to this a part of the nation, not to mention performed in an MLB venue.nn“These kids, not everybody can go to a Power 5 conference and spend 20, 30 or 40 thousand dollars per a year to go to a school like that,” Griffey stated. “Sometimes, it comes down to economics and where you’re going to play.”nnSince the NCAA solely permits 11.7 scholarships per staff for baseball, most gamers are on a partial scholarship and should weigh the dimensions of their scholarship towards complete tuition when selecting the place to play.nnPrior to the sport, icons of the Negro Leagues, together with Sam Allen, Pedro Sierra and the great-grandson and great-great-granddaughter of Josh Gibson, donned reproduction jerseys of their former groups of yesteryear as they had been acknowledged pregame. Griffey, Weeks and Ralph Garr stood behind the mound earlier than Dawson threw out the ceremonial first pitch to former Mariner Vince Coleman, each HBCU graduates at Florida A&M University.”,”sort”:”textual content”,”__typename”:”OEmbed”,”html”:”
Ken Griffey Jr. delivered the #HBCUSwingmanClassic offered by @TMobile and Powered by the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation ceremonial 1st pitch ball to Andre Dawson!
You can catch all the sport motion on @MLBNetwork proper now. pic.twitter.com/n1E09pJ3xW
— MLB (@MLB) July 8, 2023
nn”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”type”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType”:”rich”,”__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”The anthem was carried out by Grammy Award nominee and gospel musician Todd Dulaney, and it adopted a efficiency from the Songs of Black Folk Celebration Chorus. The Dolls & Gents Drumline carried out past second base as gamers warmed up, then once more between the third inning on high of the dugouts. Bruce Harrell, the primary African-Asian American Seattle mayor, shouted “Play ball!” simply earlier than the sport started.”,”sort”:”textual content”,”__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”Throughout the sport, Griffey invited student-athletes to talk with Sims and Reynolds on the published. He additionally shared how his thought for Swingman blossomed into actuality, recalling a middle-of-the-night awakening that prompted a name to Tony Reagins, MLB’s chief baseball improvement officer, and Del Matthews, MLB’s vp of baseball improvement. Beyond the joys for the sport’s contributors on Friday, Swingman is simply as essential for the subsequent technology who tuned in.”,”sort”:”textual content”,”__typename”:”OEmbed”,”html”:”
“Standing next to you is mind blowing.”@TXSOBASEBALL‘s C.J. Castillo joined Ken Griffey Jr. and Harold for a mid-inning chat. #HBCUSwingmanClassic pic.twitter.com/GYX4pzrGkU
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 8, 2023
nn”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”type”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType”:”rich”,”__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”“I wished them to observe a sport with the school children so they may see their future,” Griffey stated. “We got to talking, and I said, ‘The game is in Seattle, what about the All-Star Game before the All-Star Game?’ And that’s when it was like, ‘Oh my.’ It took a couple days and they said, ‘Let’s see what it can become,’ and it’s here. It’s a lot of work for a lot of people, and not just me.”nnDebuting Swingman in Seattle, the place Griffey blossomed into one in every of his technology’s greatest gamers, was a becoming venue. But it’s probably — particularly after the success in 12 months one — that this turns into an annual celebration of HBCUs at the side of All-Star Week.”,”sort”:”textual content”,”__typename”:”OEmbed”,”html”:”
The first-ever #HBCUSwingmanClassic was a blast!
See you subsequent 12 months! pic.twitter.com/LjNibO95b0
— MLB (@MLB) July 8, 2023
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5:44 AM UTC
SEATTLE — At a staff dinner the night time earlier than the inaugural HBCU Swingman Classic, Ken Griffey Jr. sat among the many 50 gamers that had been chosen for the occasion and fielded questions all through the meal. One stood out particularly from an keen student-athlete forward of the occasion that kicked off All-Star Week at T-Mobile Park.
“Is it OK to be nervous?” the participant requested, to which Griffey responded, “Yeah, it’s OK to be nervous. Everybody gets nervous. Opening Day, you get nervous. The most nerves I ever had were on Opening Day. After that, it settled down.”
That second was a microcosm of what this complete occasion is about, the primary of its variety bridging baseball custom at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) with All-Star Week.
Even extra so, it’s given the student-athletes a platform of publicity, from taking part in on a nationwide stage on MLB Network and in entrance of scouts, to being entrenched with iconic coaches, equivalent to Ken Griffey Sr., Cito Gaston, Lester Strode, Andre Dawson, Rickie Weeks, Marquis Grissom and lots of extra whose careers started at HBCUs.
“I was just telling the kids, it’s about them,” Griffey advised MLB Network commentators Harold Reynolds and Dave Sims on the dwell telecast. “It’s not about the guys that are coaching. It’s about the next generation of ballplayers. Ask all the questions you want. There’s a million years of baseball knowledge in this room. Use it. Get every question you want from guys that played.”
The pomp, circumstance and pageantry greater than lived as much as the hype all through the night, maybe most notably the sense of surrealism.
During the fifth inning, Kewan Braziel of Alcorn State University, who pitched a scoreless third inning, was honored on the sphere with the Impact Award, acknowledged for his management and dedication to being an impactful member of their group on and off the sphere.
“It means a lot, honestly,” Braziel stated on the telecast. “My whole life I’ve been in a leadership position. I was a little nervous coming out here, but I was glad I was able to put on a show and win this award from everybody.”
Braziel then turned to Griffey and requested what his greatest studying curve was upon reaching The Show — additional encapsulating what this occasion is all about.
“The adjustment was, number one, knowing who you are,” Griffey stated. “For me, having a dad who played, I knew what it took to be a Major Leaguer at age 14. I still had to go through the learning curve and the bumps and bruises. … It made me hungry. It made me want to get to the big leagues as fast as I could. The one thing for me was, every day is about baseball. What can I do to improve myself day in and day out?”
The inaugural occasion was a roaring success that celebrated the accomplishments of those formidable younger gamers, lots of whom had by no means voyaged to this a part of the nation, not to mention performed in an MLB venue.
“These kids, not everybody can go to a Power 5 conference and spend 20, 30 or 40 thousand dollars per a year to go to a school like that,” Griffey stated. “Sometimes, it comes down to economics and where you’re going to play.”
Since the NCAA solely permits 11.7 scholarships per staff for baseball, most gamers are on a partial scholarship and should weigh the dimensions of their scholarship towards complete tuition when selecting the place to play.
Prior to the sport, icons of the Negro Leagues, together with Sam Allen, Pedro Sierra and the great-grandson and great-great-granddaughter of Josh Gibson, donned reproduction jerseys of their former groups of yesteryear as they had been acknowledged pregame. Griffey, Weeks and Ralph Garr stood behind the mound earlier than Dawson threw out the ceremonial first pitch to former Mariner Vince Coleman, each HBCU graduates at Florida A&M University.
The anthem was carried out by Grammy Award nominee and gospel musician Todd Dulaney, and it adopted a efficiency from the Songs of Black Folk Celebration Chorus. The Dolls & Gents Drumline carried out past second base as gamers warmed up, then once more between the third inning on high of the dugouts. Bruce Harrell, the primary African-Asian American Seattle mayor, shouted “Play ball!” simply earlier than the sport started.
Throughout the sport, Griffey invited student-athletes to talk with Sims and Reynolds on the published. He additionally shared how his thought for Swingman blossomed into actuality, recalling a middle-of-the-night awakening that prompted a name to Tony Reagins, MLB’s chief baseball improvement officer, and Del Matthews, MLB’s vp of baseball improvement. Beyond the joys for the sport’s contributors on Friday, Swingman is simply as essential for the subsequent technology who tuned in.
“I wanted them to watch a game with the college kids so they could see their future,” Griffey stated. “We got to talking, and I said, ‘The game is in Seattle, what about the All-Star Game before the All-Star Game?’ And that’s when it was like, ‘Oh my.’ It took a couple days and they said, ‘Let’s see what it can become,’ and it’s here. It’s a lot of work for a lot of people, and not just me.”
Debuting Swingman in Seattle, the place Griffey blossomed into one in every of his technology’s greatest gamers, was a becoming venue. But it’s probably — particularly after the success in 12 months one — that this turns into an annual celebration of HBCUs at the side of All-Star Week.
Content Source: www.mlb.com