In an exclusive event for the Hispanic community, several children from La Sed organization after-school program in Southwest Detroit had the opportunity to meet several players and managers of the Detroit Tigers professional baseball team.
«For us, it is a pride to be here and get to share with the community and all boys and girls. We want them to know that we are part of the community, and we are here to support them. We also appreciate the support they give us,» said Al Avila, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Detroit Tigers.
The event was part of the Tigers’ three-day caravan, where they visited several places between Ohio and Michigan to give a positive impact on children.
«In a very short period, we gave a positive message to boys and girls. We want them to know that someone is always taking care of them, either parents or the community. That always try to help each other, that God is great and always pray for themselves and others, and learn to always distinguish between good and evil,» said Avila.
Several children from La Sed after school program had the opportunity to ask professional players questions in English and Spanish.
For instance, a girl attending the event asked the player Bryan Garcia about his life in case he wasn’t playing baseball. He then replied: «I would have gone to College and studied something related to math because I am good with numbers, but instead, I ended up playing baseball.»
At the event, they also talked about what it takes to become a Major League player.
«The baseball career, like most careers in sports are not exclusive because they all face difficulties to succeed. But mainly it is work and learning. People go to elementary school, high school, and university, to learn. Then you have to keep learning, you have to accumulate experience, but you also have to be disciplined. To achieve something, you have to have discipline,» concluded Al Avila.
The players gave out gifts such as hats and shirts and even tickets for the baseball season that soon begins. They expect events like this encourage the community to go to the Detroit Tigers games at Comerica Park.
