2 Chicago natives among 50 HBCU baseball players joining Swingman Classic ahead of MLB All-Star Game
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Before next week's MLB All-Star Game in Seattle, 50 college baseball players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities will take T-Mobile Field on Friday for the inaugural Swingman Classic, and Chicago will be well represented.
The Swingman Classic is a new annual All-Star experience for college athletes from Division-I programs at HBCUs, to highlight the history and legacy of baseball programs at Historically Black College and Universities, and give HBCU players a chance to play in the national spotlight.
Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. helped MLB, the players' union, and baseball scouts pick the 50 players who will take the field on Friday.
Lawrence "Q" Noble and Khyle Radcliffe grew up loving baseball – Noble playing high school ball at Brooks College Prep, and Radcliffe playing at Morgan Park High School – and the Chicago natives have a dream to one day make it to the big leagues.
"Me, personally, I've always wanted the chance to be able to get my name out there, because I don't feel like a lot of people know who Lawrence 'Q' Noble is, and I think the world deserves to know that," said Noble.
The Swingman Classic is giving Noble, an outfielder at Arkansas Pine Bluff, and Radcliffe, an outfielder from Southern University, a bigger platform in the lead-up to the MLB All-Star Game.
"This is huge, because HBCU, we don't play national television games like the other D-I's, and stuff like that. We don't have as much exposure," Radcliffe said. "To be able to be on the national stage and national television, where millions of people can watch us, it's a blessing."
The Swingman Classic is Griffey's brainchild. The kids playing in the first annual game know all about "The Kid," thanks to the marvel of modern technology.
"You know, we got a good thing called YouTube, and you know, I've spent many times watching them 30-minute highlight clips of Griffey running into them walls or hitting them doubles," Noble said.
For Griffey, this was a chance to give back, as the percentage of African American players in MLB dropped from 16.5% to just 7.8% over the course of his career.
Along with former pros like Cubs Hall of Famer Andre Dawson and former White Sox manager Jerry Manuel, Griffey will be providing hands on-instruction.
"It gives an opportunity for these guys to be seen. Plus, they want to continue their baseball career like everybody else, and this is the opportunity for these guys to be out there on the big stage, and have some fun with some good guys who played the game at a high level, and learn some things," Griffey said.
How much can they take away from working with Griffey and other former pros?
"Everything. Everything they have to say, I'm all ears," Radcliffe said.
For Noble, this won't be his first time on a national stage. He was a part of the Jackie Robinson West team that became Chicago celebrities at the Little League World Series in 2014.
He said it's crazy to think that was nearly a decade ago, and now he's about ready to wrap up his college baseball career.
"Man, when you look back on it, you wish you could have probably took more pictures, took more videos, you know? But it was a blessing. Baseball has taken me a lot of places," he said.
MLB - MLBPA Youth Development Foundation executive director Jean Lee Batrus sees playing as just one way these kids can make it to the big leagues.
"We would love to get these kids into the draft, but we know not all of them will make it, but they can stay within our game. They can work in the front office. There's other opportunities at MLB, the commissioner's office, and the players' association," Batrus said.
Wherever their baseball path should end, these players are appreciating every step.
"I know when I first get on the field, I'm going to just walk out and just thank God for that opportunity; and just take in the scenery and get ready to pay ball," Radcliffe said.
The Youth Development Foundation has poured more than $25 million into these types of initiatives over the last few years.
The Swingman Classic starts at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, and will be televised on MLB Network.