MLB alumni to host free youth clinic

Six former Major League Baseball players will help teach at a free Legends for Youth Baseball Clinic at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Kimery Park.

The clinic will cover the fundamentals of the game over six different stations and allow children to ask players questions and get autographs, according to Rich Thompson, a member of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. The association is organizing the clinic, which is co-sponsored by the city of Hot Springs Sport Recreation Department.

“It’s a really great program that is about developing a love of the game at no cost to the parents,” Thompson told The Sentinel-Record.

Thompson, a native of Australia and a former relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels and Oaklawn Athletics, said he has been involved with the Legends for Youth Baseball Clinic in the past and realized the program was not being offered in Arkansas. Since then, he said the initial clinic was held in Little Rock, with others in Conway, but the last two years have been in his now-hometown of Hot Springs.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for those of us who have experienced the great benefits of playing in the Major Leagues to give back to the youngsters who might aspire to play in the Majors someday,” Thompson said in a news release from Visit Hot Springs. “The six of us are really looking forward to getting involved with these young players and sharing our experiences.”

Last year, at the former Boys & Girls

Club of Hot Springs, Thompson said the clinic hosted about 100 youths.

Since Visit Hot Springs acquired part of the former Boys & Girls Club property, Visit Hot Springs CEO Steve Arrison said Thompson has been helping with the project. Arrison said, for this reason, the convention and visitors bureau decided to help get the word out about the clinic.

“Baseball is such a big part of our city’s history that we told them we would help get the word out to get kids signed up,” he said.

Thompson will be accompanied by former Major League players Reggie Ritter, Russ Nagelson, Allen McDill, Gerald Hannahs and Dick Hughes.

According to the release, the Legends for Youth Clinic Series is a charitable program running more than 180 free events each year worldwide. Its mission is to promote the game of baseball to youth using positive sports images and personalities.

Thompson, in addition to his time in the MLB, was part of the Australian Olympic baseball team, which achieved a silver medal at the Athens Olympics.

Ritter, of Malvern, is a former pitcher for the Cleveland Indians whose career was cut short after he was hit in the face by a line drive off the bat of Juan Benequez while pitching against the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 7, 1987, the release said. He is a financial adviser for Merrill Lynch in Hot Springs.

Nagelson is a former outfielder and pinch hitter who also played for the Cleveland Indians, as well as the Detroit Tigers.

McDill played college ball at Arkansas Tech University and was a left-handed pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox from 1997 to 2001.

Hannahs, who played for the Arkansas Razorbacks, was a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Montreal Expos in the 1970s. His son, Dusty, also played basketball for the Razorbacks.

Hughes, a native of Stephens, played for the Razorbacks and pitched in three seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals. He finished second to Tom Seaver in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, the release said.

For those interested in participating in the free clinic, registration is required. A registration form can be found at https://www.mlb.com/mlbpaa/events/legends-for-youth-clinicform.

Thompson said limited registrations will be available the day of the clinic.