Culture
Andre Dawson understands the importance of opportunity. The Baseball Hall of Famer walked on at Florida A&M University as a freshman and eventually became an 11th-round pick of the Montreal Expos in the 1975 MLB Draft. He won National League Rookie of the Year in 1977 and was named the NL MVP 10 years later with the Chicago Cubs.
Advertisement
The opportunities he received led to additional career moves. He’s worked in the Florida Marlins front office and is now an ambassador for the Cubs. Had he not gotten the opportunity to play at FAMU, a historically Black college in Tallahassee, Fla., his resume might not be as long as it is.
“If you’re blessed with the talent, with the ability, at some point someone will notice,” said Dawson, who played 21 MLB seasons and was an eight-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner. “All you ask for is the opportunity to make that presentation.”
Exposure is key for HBCU athletes, and 50 players across 17 HBCU baseball programs will have the chance to make an impression Friday night in the third annual HBCU Swingman Classic as part of MLB’s All-Star festivities. The classic, powered by the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, will take place at Truist Park in Atlanta.
A post shared by MLB Youth Development (@mlbdevelops)
Friday’s event will showcase talented players who don’t get the same exposure as players at larger colleges. The “Swingman” is the logo of Hall of Famer and MLB-MLBPA YDF global ambassador Ken Griffey Jr., who was part of a selection committee for the student-athletes. Former MLB outfielders Brian Jordan and David Justice were named team managers for the game — Jordan for the National League squad, Justice for the American League team.
The majority of players on Friday will be first-time participants, but a small handful will return for their second appearances in the classic. One player, Bethune-Cookman catcher Irvin Escobar, will compete for the third time.
Returning players have used the classic as an opportunity to improve their game at their respective schools. Southern infielder KJ White will play in his second classic. He’s participated in other MLB developmental programs like the DREAM Series, held annually in January in Arizona.
Advertisement
White said last year’s experience in Arlington, Texas, was valuable in that every player had one-on-one time with Griffey and the coaches. The tutelage helped White have a standout junior season, batting .347 after batting .310 as a sophomore.
“I think the biggest thing I took away was the confidence that all the former major leaguers had in themselves,” White said. “Nobody could tell them that they weren’t the s—, you know what I mean? I think I took that personally, because baseball is such a high-failure sport. If you don’t have that self-confidence, it’ll beat you up. So, for me, this year was just having the utmost confidence in my work and my abilities.”
Morehouse shortstop Elijah Pinckney is the first Division II player to compete in the Swingman Classic after batting .407 last season. Along with being one of the top players in Division II baseball, Pinckney is also a two-time Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar, and he will get to meet King’s family this week (King was a Morehouse alum). Add that to all of the lessons he’ll receive on the diamond.
“I kind of felt a more direct connection, even though I’m not related to Martin Luther King, but more of a connection to his legacy and leadership because I go to Morehouse,” Pinckney said. “Being able to meet Martin Luther King III is an amazing opportunity.”
Del Matthews, MLB’s senior vice president of baseball development, said the classic can also be a door for careers beyond the playing field. Players will be put in positions to potentially secure internships.
“That’s something that we talk to the players about as they’re thinking about their careers: getting their education, what they’re majoring in, what’s next?” Matthews said. “Maybe it’s an internship. Maybe it’s working for one of the clubs if they don’t get drafted.
Advertisement
“Everybody’s journey is a little bit different, but I think the more representation that you can see and understand, that as baseball we see these individuals, I think there are opportunities available. I think that’s one of the goals and some of the things that we see as positive from this event.”
Comedian and actor Roy Wood Jr. is the host of “Have I Got News for You” on CNN and was a correspondent for “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. As an HBCU alum, Wood, a FAMU product, is an advocate for the Swingman Classic. In promoting the game, Wood visited four HBCU baseball programs — Texas Southern, Alabama State, Southern and Grambling State — to highlight their traditions.
Opening Day MLB rosters included 6.2 percent African American players, up from 6 percent in 2024. The Swingman Classic aims to grow interest in youth baseball and softball, particularly in underrepresented communities. Jordan identifies baseball as a global game, and he’s traveled as far as Egypt to play.
In addition to baseball, Jordan played in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons from 1989-91. He gave up football to play baseball full-time with the St. Louis Cardinals starting in 1992. Jordan, who played 15 MLB seasons with the Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers, recognized a decline in Black baseball players toward the end of his playing career in 2006 and wanted to take an active role in helping the sport regain popularity in the Black communities.
“I understand how Major League Baseball is trying to impact other countries to get involved in the game,” Jordan said. “But my focus also is to get more Black players back at the major-league level. That’s where I am right now, and I will always continue to share my experiences with other young players.”
Former MLB player Harold Reynolds, a two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner, might be better known as a broadcaster to the athletes competing on Friday. Reynolds sees the event as a window to discuss baseball and impart life lessons away from the field.
Reynolds also understands the importance of HBCU players showcasing their skills in front of scouts.
Advertisement
“I think the biggest part of what is happening in our sport, more than anything, is if you don’t have the analytic numbers, your spin rates, your exit velocities, all things the teams are looking at, then you kind of get left behind,” he said. “This gives a lot of these guys opportunities to be able to display not only their skill set, but to show, metrically, they measure up, as well.”
Pinckney is excited for Friday’s game, but he also sees it as a reminder of a greater purpose. He might not play in the majors, but through the connections he’ll make this weekend, he can be a part of the majors in some capacity. If pro baseball doesn’t pan out, Pinckney aspires to work for MLB as a chief marketing officer. He also wants to impact communities locally and internationally, perhaps as a motivational speaker.
Dawson believes the connections acquired can be just as important to the experience on the diamond, if not more.
“You’re put in a predicament where you can go on and be community leaders,” Dawson said. “Thousands of kids grew up with the same attitude of ‘I want to play professional sports,’ but only a selected few get that opportunity. The game opens up different avenues; it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to be a baseball player, but you can branch off into different avenues that entail the game itself and see where that takes you.”
(Top photo of Ken Griffey Jr. and players from the 2024 HBCU Swingman Classic: Marcus Plummer / Getty Images)
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Play today's puzzle