Baseball fans always expected Frank Robinson to stand and deliver during his playing career, and deliver he did. The Hall of Fame slugger - and the Major Leagues' first black manager - came through with the right words in Houston recently, neatly summing up the significance of the new Baseball complex planned for Acres Homes and announced last Friday. "This is the roots of Baseball," Robinson told the crowd at the plan's unveiling. "Kids in the inner cities have been playing basketball and football, but these kids have many interests and Baseball hasn't been as inviting."
Consider the invitation extended in one of Houston's storied African-American neighborhoods. And consider what a world of opportunities this invitation opens for young people in Acres Homes and across Houston. The facility will be home for the Houston Astros MLB Urban Youth Baseball Academy, the second of its kind nationwide. Eventually, there is expected to be one in every city with a major league team. This figures to be every bit the win-win for Houston and Major League Baseball its supporters hope it will be. Thousands of Houston kids will be exposed to the pleasures of the national pastime with help from teachers who have credentials at the highest levels. Everything from hitting and fielding to umpiring and grounds keeping will be part of the curriculum.
That can't help but be a good thing. If experience with a similar facility in Compton, Calif., is any indication, Houston Baseball fans may open their Sports pages one day and read of the exploits of new stars with Houston roots who got their starts at the Astros MLB academy. Maybe some will wear the 'Stros' colors. And who knows how many others will end up with rewarding careers in Baseball behind the plate or behind the scenes because they spent time at the academy?
By all means, play ball!
