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MLB WORLD SERIES: DODGERS VS RED SOXOctober 26, 2018Commissioner Rob ManfredHank AaronTony ClarkBoston, Massachusetts CHRIS ROSE: Tony Clark, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association has joined us on the dais. And this is to make a major announcement concerning the future of baseball and the legacy of Hank Aaron, and once again, here is the Commissioner. COMMISSIONER ROB MANFRED: Good afternoon, everybody. Since 2015 we've been partners with Tony, the Major League Baseball Players Association and USA Baseball in a program called the Elite Development Invitational. It's held in Historic Dodgertown down in Vero Beach every year. It's kind of the crown jewel of all of our youth programs. Hundreds of racially diverse high school-age players have participated in the program. And it's a Spring Training type of environment and experience for really talented young players. Probably the most exciting part of this opportunity is to work with former Major League players and managers to give the kids an opportunity to develop their skills. Just to give you a feel for the kind of people who have participated, Hall of Famers Ken Griffey and my friend Dave Winfield, who's here in the front row; former All-Stars, Eric Davis, Reggie Smith, Marquis Grissom, Tom Gordon, just to name a few; four Major League managers, Jerry Manuel and Bo Porter; and even former GMs, Tony Reagins, who now works for us and runs our youth programs, as well as Omar Minaya, who was the GM of the Mets. The program for the participants is completely free. And it gives them the opportunity to become familiar with the history of our game, the pioneers of our game, including Jackie Robinson, obviously spent years in Dodgertown. Since we started the program 200 participants have graduated from high school. They've been in the program and aged out. 50 percent of those players are now playing professional or playing in a top-flight collegiate program. And it is the pipeline for diversity at the Major League level. Next year we're going to have two really important changes to the Elite Development Invitational. Going forward the event is going to be named the Hank Aaron Invitational, to honor one of our greatest players and greatest friends to the game. And the program will also be expanded to participant in Henry Aaron Week that the Braves hold each week in Atlanta. In Atlanta 44 of the very best players from the Invitational will play in a game. They'll have an opportunity to play in beautiful SunTrust Park, a great spot. And it will be part of a week that will feature the Diverse Business Summit, an important program of Major League Baseball, as well as cultural activities that will emphasize the role of Atlanta in the civil rights movement. I want to thank Hank Aaron for lending his name to this great effort, as well as Billye, who helped us develop this program. Tony? TONY CLARK: Yes, thank you. I would simply echo, this has been a joint program that has truly made a difference, we believe, in not just the development of a number of young people that have come through the program on the field, but also off the field, as well. Over the course of a couple of weeks having groups of kids in from ages 12 through 17 really have an opportunity to spend time with them, equipping them for life in general. Sharing player knowledge and expertise, while giving them an opportunity to appreciate Major League Baseball and what it is and the opportunities that it represents. All of that culminating in a camp that now is going to enter into its fourth year. So having an opportunity to grow and expand the program in the way that the Commissioner mentioned, let alone having Mr. Aaron be a part of it in a fashion that he's going to be moving forward by being the title to it, is representative of our history in a way that is going to impact the next generation of kids in a fashion that we simply haven't done before. It's something that players are excited about, we're excited about. And again it's a program in working with Major League Baseball, Rob, Tony Reagins and his staff, it's something that we've enjoyed being a part of and look forward for many years to come, the impact it's going to make. Q. Hank, you were talking earlier about the state of the game and the young talent and athletes. To have your name on something like this that represents the future of the sport, to have an impact on the future of the sport, what does that mean to you? HANK AARON: It means an awful lot to me. First, let me thank the Commissioner. Thank you, Commissioner. I want to thank the Atlanta Braves. You know, many, many years ago, I mean, many years ago, when I first started playing baseball, that one person that I always idolized and I still think about him right now, I think that in terms if he had not spread his wings, that I would not be standing here this afternoon talking to you, and that was Jackie Robinson. So I feel quite proud of that. So I want to thank Rob Manfred, Major League Baseball, of course. I certainly want to thank the Atlanta Braves for all that they do because that's what we need. We need someone to help shape this game into what the game is all about. And the game is about all of us, not just a few of us, but all of us who have an opportunity and a chance to play this game, then let's play it. We just a few minutes ago just now awarded two trophies, plaques, to two young men that I think a few years ago that would never -- a few years ago that would never have happened. But just to think about what Major League Baseball has to do, I mean really, it has been instrumental in helping not only kids get out of the doldrums but bring them to life and make them understand what life is all about. And again, I want to thank you, Commissioner, for all that you do and your organization. Thank you very much. Q. You have a guy like Mookie Betts playing tonight who's become such a good player and such a potential role model. Does having a player with his background, being as successful as he is, is that important, and is he kind of a role model that people can look to? HANK AARON: Oh, no question about it, yes, yes, he's a role model. When you think about who he is, where he is. He certainly is a role model. Q. Mr. Aaron, you said at these events in the past that you would be almost embarrassed to strikeout 150 to 200 times a year that so many guys do today. You mentioned a comment about you and Willie Mays and D ball, but as you watch the game today, what do you appreciate about it and what do you think, maybe it's not so much fun to watch guys strike out? HANK AARON: No, it's embarrassing, really. It always was embarrassing to me. I never, and I said this, bragging about my career for 23 years, that, no, I never struck out a hundred times. And that was something that I felt like if I did, I walked back to the bench, I didn't crack my bat on my leg or try to chew it up (laughter). But, no, I felt quite embarrassed. And I think -- the game has changed, really, to be honest with you. This game has changed and it has changed for the best sometimes for some players. Some players will always strike out a hundred times. Some players will never strike out a hundred times. I think you've got one or two players now in the league now that haven't struck out a hundred times. It was quite embarrassing to me if I walked up to the plate, even facing pitchers like Drysdale or Koufax and those guys, if they got me one time, I felt I could go home and sleep well at night. I felt very well that I had a very good night striking out once a night rather than four times (laughter). But I remember one time when I was facing -- I was talking to Koufax, and I had a little fellow, I won't name the kid's name, he was hitting in front of me and I remember after the game was over with, the next day we were talking and Koufax was on the mound and somebody said, man, he said, why were you so hard on that young kid? He said, well, let me tell you one thing, he said, I would strike him out every time he'd go to the plate if I've got to face Hank Aaron. That's the reason I struck him out so much. I guess that's the way things are, really. Q. Rob, back to the matter at hand here, how does it impact your youth initiatives and where do you think that's gone? That was so important to you when you took over as Commissioner, how has that developed for you? COMMISSIONER ROB MANFRED: We think over the last four years we made great strides in terms of youth participation. There's a Sports and Industry Fitness Association that puts out annual numbers on youth participation. Baseball has been the fastest growing sports each of the last three years. Baseball is the most played sport by kids under 12. And we do feel that Major League Baseball's programs have been important in terms of encouraging participation generally. I think equally important, the programs have helped us on the diversity front. If you look at the first round of our draft the last five years, 20 percent of the players are African American. We only have eight percent in the Big Leagues right now. So that's a good number for us. It portends well for the future. And almost every one of those young men that are drafted in the first round had some touch with a program that is a Major League Baseball or a MLBPA program. And those are really, really important developments. The Hank Aaron Invitational in a lot of ways sits atop the programs. We want kids who are in RBI or playing in an academy in Compton, to aspire to have the opportunity to go to the Hank Aaron Invitational in Vero Beach. To have that two weeks where they get an opportunity to work with former Major League players to develop their skills. And it is a motivating piece of our youth programs. CHRIS ROSE: Thank you very much for attending, we appreciate it. Enjoy the game tonight. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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