MLB Legend Mo Vaughn Teams Up with SFCBL to Empower Promising Black Athletes in Baseball
Boca Raton, June 2023 – As part of his ongoing drive to promote inclusivity in baseball, MLB legend and three-time All-Star Mo Vaughn pledged to support twelve (12) promising athletes from various HBCU schools through donations to cover their expenses. This comes at a time when the African-American community's participation in baseball is at an all-time low.
Earlier, in 2022, Houston Astros Manager Dusty Baker expressed his deep concerns regarding that year’s World Series not featuring a single U.S.-born Black player for the first time in seventy-two (72) years. Acknowledging the gravity of the matter, the South Florida Collegiate Baseball League (SFCBL) decided to examine their previous years’ rosters. The assessment revealed that the participation of Black players had indeed declined over the years. The SFCBL study also revealed that the cost of playing summer baseball was too high for young Black athletes, even with scholarships. As a result, promising young athletes were losing out on opportunities to improve their game and get spotted by MLB scouts.
As the SFCBL board looked around for donations to promote marginalized athletes, Mo Vaughn stepped up to the plate with his longstanding initiative to serve the community and promote inclusivity in sports via his baseball coaching facility Vaughn Sports Academy (VSA). VSA has been a force to reckon with since its inception, working with young baseball players of various age groups to promote talent. According to Mo Vaughn, the adversities he faced during his player days gives him the impetus to work for the community and foster all-round growth in young athletes, especially those from marginalized communities.
With Mo Vaughn's support, the SFCBL set about to identify promising collegiate baseball pitchers unable to bear the expense of baseball training and playing. The selection criteria also included: GPA, ability, character, and coach recommendations. The coaching staff of various HBCU schools was contacted, as VSA and the SFCBL sought candidates for the program. In the end, twelve (12) promising Black NCAA D1 pitchers were identified for receiving donations to cover their baseball training and playing expenses for the 2023 season. After their selection, the players were assigned to various teams and began training from June 2 onward.
MLB MVP Mo Vaughn, a recipient of the Bart Giamatti Award for Community Service in 1995, pledges his continued support to promote talent and foster growth, especially in marginalized communities. As VSA strengthens its ties with the SFCBL, Vaughn's initiatives serve as a beacon of hope for young athletes struggling to realize their baseball dreams.
