Dusty Baker stood behind the batting cage at Truist Park on Friday night, taking in batting practice before MLB’s third-annual HBCU Swingman Classic.
The game, which featured 50 of the top athletes from historically Black colleges and universities, is one of the many All-Star Week events taking place at the Braves’ home ballpark.
But it is the only one that provides exposure to college athletes who typically receive considerably less.
“This gives them something to look forward to,” Baker, a former Braves star and World Series champion, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution before the game. “Something to (help them) realize that they’re closer to their dream than they realize.”
Look no further than who attended the game — in which the National League beat the American League 7-4 — to distinguish its importance.
Former Braves Brian Jordan and David Justice — the two managers of the contest — stood to Baker’s left, while Ken Griffey Jr. could be found in the camera well, capturing every moment through his lens.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Griffey, who the event is named after, said he chose to be involved because of the opportunities it provides for the participating athletes. They get to perform in front of MLB scouts, while living the life of a big-league player — facility access, media attention and even free food — for a day.
“It’s for the kids,” Griffey told the AJC. “Yeah, I help spearhead it, but I lived my dream of playing Major League Baseball. I’m trying to give kids opportunities too that come from less-fortunate backgrounds to have a chance to make it.”
And the players’ smiles said it all the moment they stepped onto the field.
Some whipped out their phones to capture photos, while others just soaked in the environment as they walked toward the third-base line to take a team picture. But all were excited to be standing in a major league ballpark.
“It was just surreal,” said Juan Cruz, a second-year participant who committed to the University of Georgia through the transfer portal. “I walked into (four-time All-Star) Dellin Betances, and I was just like, ‘Is he real, or am I imagining it?’”
The players also get to pick the minds of former MLB athletes, including their two managers. And even though they were nervous to approach people with such legendary careers at first, they eventually warmed up.
And by the time night fell, the players were chatting with Griffey, one of the greatest legends of all, about their swings.
“After the game, to see them talk to Ken Griffey Jr., their eyes wide open when he’s telling them how to hit and how to loosen your hands and the forearms,” Jordan said after the game. “To see the attention that these kids were paying to him, that’s what it’s about.”
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Dancing, live performances from the Georgia Mass Band and postgame fireworks added to the environment of the Swingman Classic. Having the event in the city of Atlanta — which is a mecca for HBCUs, with 10 universities located in the state — was an added bonus for multiple participants.
The game day roster featured four players hailing from the state of Georgia and one more who attended a local college. It also included a coaching staff headlined by two former Braves, Jordan and Justice, who were ecstatic to bring the matchup to their former club’s home ballpark.
“This is home,” Jordan told the AJC. “Everywhere I go, it’s just so much positivity toward myself, like it’s amazing the perception that I get here in Atlanta. And I appreciate it because I used to live and die for the Braves.”
But location aside, the game more importantly provided an opportunity for talented athletes to shine on a big stage.
“They’re all hopeful, the way we all were at some point in time,” Baker said. “That some scout will see them or some organization.”
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