MEXICO CITY -- The Giants and Padres teamed as much as maintain a Play Ball occasion at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú on Saturday morning, internet hosting over 100 native youth from the John Langdon Down Foundation along side Major League Baseball’s Mexico City Series.

Giants outfielder Joc Pederson and his brother, Champ, who has Down syndrome, had been in attendance for the occasion, together with former MLB All-Stars Yonder Alonso, Sergio Romo, Carlos Baerga and Ryan Howard. Padres pitcher Tom Cosgrove and Giants catcher Blake Sabol had been additionally among the many gamers who volunteered to show children hit off a tee and run members by means of numerous baserunning and fielding drills.

“I love working with kids and being out on the field with them and seeing how much fun they have out here, it kind of reminds me to not make the game too big,” Sabol stated. “It reminds me why I fell in love with the game in the first place. It’s great to give back. It was good to try and use my limited Spanish knowledge -- my three classes I took back in middle school.”

MLB Charities additionally made a $25,000 donation on behalf of Major League Baseball to help the John Langdon Down Foundation’s work, with MLB chief technique officer Chris Marinak readily available to current the present.

Participants got here away with goodies as nicely, because the Padres and Giants donated baseball caps, rally towels, bats and Wiffle Balls to the children, who had large smiles on their faces all through the occasion.

“It was a Home Run Derby over here,” Sabol stated. “Some of them had some really good swings, actually. It was fun, seeing the simplest stuff and how much joy it brings them.”

The baseball actions had been meant to encourage larger accessibility to the game whereas demonstrating the number of methods through which the sport could be performed in nearly any setting. This effort is a continuation of MLB’s broader Play Ball initiative, which goals to encourage engagement in baseball or softball-related actions amongst younger individuals.

Content Source: www.mlb.com