The Washington Nationals and title sponsor Smithfield hosted their fifth youth baseball clinic of the year on Saturday at Nationals Park, with approximately 120 children taking to the field for hitting, fielding, and pitching pointers from Nats players and coaches.
The event served as part of the Nationals’ outreach to young fans, and to invite children to the clinics, the team works with D.C. area Little Leagues, schools, and youth groups. “The kids get a chance to become better baseball players because they learn from some of the best teachers in the game, our coaches, and they get the opportunity to play on the same field as their baseball heroes,” said Israel Negron, the team’s director of community relations. “It is always a pleasure to see the kids’ faces light up when they sit in the Nats dugout next to [Nationals bench coach] Pat Corrales and dream that they will one day play for the Nats.”
Negron said the most challenging part of planning the event is selecting who will participate. "We would like for every child who wants to participate to be able to do so, but we just do not have enough time and space. We work with some great community leaders to invite as many kids from throughout the D.C. region as possible, but there is always a wait list."
The team has been running the free clinics since the Nationals returned to Washington in 2005. Smithfield joined on as the event’s title sponsor in 2008, providing each student with a co-branded Nationals and Smithfield Foods equipment bag, as well as a hot dog lunch in the Nats Family Picnic Area after the clinic. During lunch on Saturday, Nationals infielder Alberto Gonzalez was on hand to pose for pictures and sign autographs.
The children also got the chance to see Nationals players in action: Every student in the clinic received two free tickets to the Nats game versus the Milwaukee Brewers later that evening.
