Astros contribute to baseball academy
02/28/2006
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- General manager Tim Purpura and special assistant Enos Cabell flew cross-country on Monday to attend Tuesday's dedication of Major League Baseball's first Urban Youth Academy, located in Compton, Calif.
But their attendance wasn't the most significant element of this event. More notable was the monetary donation they made on behalf of Cabell and the Houston Astros, whose pledge of $70,000 will pay for the batting cages at this institution.
Cabell and club owner Drayton McLane each donated $35,000 to the Academy, a facility which will provide free instruction in both baseball and softball to Southern California youth between the ages of 8 and 17.
The cages will be named after Cabell's father and will be called the Houston Astros Enos Cabell Sr. Batting Cages. Cabell grew up in the Compton area and credits his late father as a driving force of encouragement throughout his Major League career.
"It's a way to remember him and honor him for all he did for Enos," Purpura said.
The Academy is a 10-acre complex, led by former Major League catcher Darrell Miller, and will operate year-round. The MLB Urban Youth Baseball Academy features state-of-the-art facilities including a show field, complete with scoreboard, a grandstand that seats nearly 200 fans, dugouts and lights, as well as an auxiliary field, softball field, youth field, and a 12,000-square-foot clubhouse consisting of a weight room, locker room, and other training facilities.
"This is an exciting project that is the first of its kind in the United States," McLane said. "The Astros are proud to be a part of the Academy and believe that this is an important step in providing opportunities for inner-city youth to play the great game of baseball."
In order to increase the efforts in scouting the South Central Los Angeles area, the Astros have hired Chuck Stone as an area scout. Stone will work closely with the MLB Urban Youth Academy in evaluating potential draft prospects from within the program.
Stone is a former scout and Minor League manager in the Detroit Tigers organization from 1985-97 who grew up in the South Central Los Angeles area. Stone and Cabell met as 16-year-old competitors on the baseball fields in Compton and have been friends ever since.
Stone will spend time in Kissimmee this spring to attend player development seminars and familiarize himself with the Astros' system.
In addition to scouting, Stone will be a presence at the Academy as an instructor.
Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- General manager Tim Purpura and special assistant Enos Cabell flew cross-country on Monday to attend Tuesday's dedication of Major League Baseball's first Urban Youth Academy, located in Compton, Calif.
But their attendance wasn't the most significant element of this event. More notable was the monetary donation they made on behalf of Cabell and the Houston Astros, whose pledge of $70,000 will pay for the batting cages at this institution.
Cabell and club owner Drayton McLane each donated $35,000 to the Academy, a facility which will provide free instruction in both baseball and softball to Southern California youth between the ages of 8 and 17.
The cages will be named after Cabell's father and will be called the Houston Astros Enos Cabell Sr. Batting Cages. Cabell grew up in the Compton area and credits his late father as a driving force of encouragement throughout his Major League career.
"It's a way to remember him and honor him for all he did for Enos," Purpura said.
The Academy is a 10-acre complex, led by former Major League catcher Darrell Miller, and will operate year-round. The MLB Urban Youth Baseball Academy features state-of-the-art facilities including a show field, complete with scoreboard, a grandstand that seats nearly 200 fans, dugouts and lights, as well as an auxiliary field, softball field, youth field, and a 12,000-square-foot clubhouse consisting of a weight room, locker room, and other training facilities.
"This is an exciting project that is the first of its kind in the United States," McLane said. "The Astros are proud to be a part of the Academy and believe that this is an important step in providing opportunities for inner-city youth to play the great game of baseball."
In order to increase the efforts in scouting the South Central Los Angeles area, the Astros have hired Chuck Stone as an area scout. Stone will work closely with the MLB Urban Youth Academy in evaluating potential draft prospects from within the program.
Stone is a former scout and Minor League manager in the Detroit Tigers organization from 1985-97 who grew up in the South Central Los Angeles area. Stone and Cabell met as 16-year-old competitors on the baseball fields in Compton and have been friends ever since.
Stone will spend time in Kissimmee this spring to attend player development seminars and familiarize himself with the Astros' system.
In addition to scouting, Stone will be a presence at the Academy as an instructor.
Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/
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