Over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend in January, 80 of the nation’s high newbie baseball gamers — together with seven from Illinois — attended Major League Baseball’s Dream Series at Tempe Diablo Stadium, the spring coaching house of the Los Angeles Angels.
The four-day, invitation-only occasion yearly showcases a rising variety of range applications aimed toward growing Black participation within the sport. The Dream Series, which was established in 2017, is operated by MLB and USA Baseball and is designed to additional develop the talents of pitchers and catchers.
“It was born from a conversation in an article Dave Stewart had with Bob Nightengale in USA Today regarding the lack of Black pitchers and catchers in the game,” Tony Reagins, MLB’s chief baseball growth officer, informed the Tribune. “I learn that article and felt like to ensure that us to do one thing about that drawback, we would have liked to do one thing about it on the youth stage.
“The idea of the Dream Series is targeted round Black pitchers and catchers and round MLK weekend and Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream for our nation. And so these components — mixed with Arizona being the final state to undertake the MLK vacation — we determined to place it in Arizona.
“Major League Baseball is really providing a dream opportunity for young men to be the best that they can be both on the field and off the field.”
This yr’s Dream Series included seven highschool gamers from Illinois:
- Adison Worthman, OF, Bloomington: Class of 2023, signed with Missouri
- Dillon Head, OF, Homewood-Flossmoor: 2023, signed with Clemson
- Zion Rose, C, IMG Academy (previously Brother Rice): 2023, signed with Louisville
- Sir Jamison Jones, C, St. Rita: 2024, dedicated to Illinois State
- Kevari Thunderbird, LHP, Kenwood: 2024, dedicated to Eastern Kentucky
- Justyn Hart, LHP/1B, Marian Catholic: 2024, dedicated to Missouri
- Brandon Stinson, C, Kenwood: 2025, undecided
Dream Series members obtain what Reagins referred to as “a big-league experience.” They keep in a lodge, observe and practice at a major-league facility and obtain instruction from present and former major-league gamers. All of the gamers’ bills are paid for.
“My ego almost goes out the window when I show up to these events, especially Dream Series, because everyone is on the same level as you,” Hart stated. “Everyone is making an attempt to get to the identical purpose, so the entire gamers click on instantly.
“There was no awkwardness or shyness with any of the players when I was in Arizona. We practiced and worked out from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., so it felt like an actual week of spring training at a professional level. They talk to you and treat you like professional athletes.”
Head, a top-50 prospect for the 2023 draft, referred to as this yr’s occasion “bittersweet” as a result of it was his final alternative however stated he’s grateful for the expertise, instruction and relationships he has constructed over time.
All of the Dream Series athletes have been concerned in baseball since they have been toddlers. Players are advisable by scouts and neighborhood organizations across the nation which have relationships with MLB. Some are advisable by family and friends, together with through video submissions.
Notable attendees this yr included Cincinnati Reds pitchers Hunter Greene and Justin Dunn, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell, former Chicago Cubs shortstop Shawon Dunston and Chicago White Sox government vice chairman Ken Williams.
“We’ve been through a few iterations of it, and each year we think that we’ve improved the experience,” Reagins stated. “We had some twists this yr. Hunter Greene had the youngsters over to his house for dinner. And the youngsters obtained to play and put together for his or her seasons.
“That’s really what the goal of the Dream Series is, to really prepare them to fulfill their dreams of being baseball players and to prepare developmentally for the season.”
In addition to the shock go to to Greene’s house, gamers took batting observe to the sound of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and attended seminars on King, Jackie Robinson and different trailblazers. Though baseball was on the occasion’s middle, the seminars have been meant to tie in historical past with the game’s legacy.
“From this experience I learned that you can never take playing the game of baseball for granted,” Hart stated, “because you never know when it is the last time you step on the field or you can throw a ball or swing a bat. I also learned that you have to play this game with passion and you can’t let your emotions get the best of you. You’ve got to stay humble or the game will personally humble you itself.”
Jones stated the expertise allowed him to study from not solely the coaches, but additionally his friends.
“It’s not every day that you get to miss school to go play the game that you love,” Jones stated. “From the baseball facet, I picked up extra nice instruments from the legendary Mike Scioscia and all of the catching coaches on the camp.
“One quote that has really stuck with me was from Shawon Dunston’s speech where he said, ‘Play the game like a marathon, not a race.’”
Jones, Hart, Worthman and Thunderbird have been members of the White Sox groups that gained 2022 RBI World Series championships — Hart and Worthman within the senior division and Jones and Thunderbird within the junior division. Hart pitched a no-hitter in his crew’s first sport to set the tone for the event.
Hart, Jones, Thunderbird and Stinson additionally performed collectively within the Field of Dreams youth sport in 2021 for the White Sox Amateur City Elite (ACE) crew.
The gamers from Illinois stated they appreciated the break from the January chilly and snow in Arizona. They talked about classes realized from professionals they beforehand had admired from afar. They left with keys for find out how to proceed to excel at their positions — and in addition with mates they hope sooner or later to see within the large leagues.
For the seven gamers representing Illinois, the Dream Series was actually that.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com