Baseball-themed charter school aimed at getting more young black athletes into the game
Elverta, Calif. — On a field in northern California, Jerry Manuel's staging a baseball comeback. He's getting young black athletes back in the game.
Manuel built a field and their interest in the game. He's 65, a retired big league player and manager, something rare these days. Since 1986, the number of black players on Major League rosters has dropped from 19 percent to 8 percent.
"A bat's $300. Summer leagues or travel programs charge you $1,000 a month," Manuel said. "I gotta do what I can do with my experience and resources to make a change"
In 2013, he launched Alpha Charter High School. It's baseball-themed curriculum emphasizes excellence through repetition in the classroom and on the field and teaches trailblazer Jackie Robinson's character values: courage, determination, teamwork.
"You can't get on the field until you get that right. And once that's right, you can get on the field," Manuel said. "You gotta earn it."
More than 30 kids play here now, most from challenging backgrounds. Some have been homeless.
Ronnie Belton, 17, has a scholarship to play college baseball.
"I didn't have a father growing up in the picture. So we didn't have my financial stability. So I want to find a way to help my family out," he said.
Belton believes baseball could be his winning ticket.
"The goal is to make them better men," Manuel said. "Better human beings."
They'll play on prettier fields. But this is the one they'll always remember.
