NEWPORT COAST, Calif. – What do Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford and Reds ace Hunter Greene have in common? In addition to being key contributors to their teams’ 2025 postseason runs, both are also alumni of the MLB Youth Academy in Compton.
On Monday morning, after the coastal morning haze lifted, MLB All-Star outfielders, former teammates and long-time friends Torii Hunter and Gary Matthews Jr. co-hosted their annual Celebrity Golf Invitational at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach to raise money benefiting that very academy.
Founded in 2006, the MLB Youth Academy in Compton serves children throughout the greater Los Angeles area — particularly those from underserved communities — by offering baseball and softball instruction along with educational and personal development resources.
Hunter and Matthews were joined by former MLB players and coaches including David Justice, Mike Scioscia, Royce Clayton, Mark Gubicza, Brian Wilson, Chuck Finley, Damon Buford, Mickey Hatcher, Darren Oliver, Gary Pettis and Michael Young. The participants also extended beyond baseball, featuring legends like boxer Sugar Ray Leonard and rapper Scarface.
MLB chief baseball development officer and former Angels GM Tony Reagins, MLB vice president of baseball development Del Matthews and MLB senior vice president of youth and facility development Darrell Miller also helped put the event together.
“When you think about all the kids who’ve come through the Academy, the big leaguers, the All-Stars, umpires in the big leagues, it’s a comprehensive program,” Del Matthews said. “We’re excited about what we’ve been able to do right there in Compton and all the kids who’ve had the chance to come through the facility.”
Hunter and Matthews Jr., who have known each other since they were 15 and who played together on the Angels from 2008-09, emphasized how important it is to give back to the communities that shaped them.
“When you build relationships, you want what’s best for people,” Hunter said. “I’ve seen the impact of the MLB Youth Academy and fell in love with it. I have a heart to give back and keep it moving forward. You’ve got kids from the Academy going to college, playing ball and getting the same opportunities we had growing up.”
“I grew up in Southern California,” Matthews Jr. added. “It’s an honor and a pleasure to partner with so many of my former colleagues and local community members to benefit these kids and create more opportunities.”
Among those kids were twin brothers James and Miles Clark, high school seniors who have attended the Compton Youth Academy since childhood and are both committed to play baseball at Princeton next year.
“The Academy has been a very impactful part of our life and baseball journey,” James said. “They’ve helped us so much with the mental side of the game, teaching us the written and unwritten rules of baseball.”
When asked what it meant to see so many former players and celebrities at the event supporting the Academy, Miles said, “It means a lot that they’re donating and helping raise money. Knowing that the academy helped me so much, that it’ll be able to help the next person.”
Their mother, Sheri, has seen firsthand how the Academy has shaped her sons.
“They’ve had coaches there who have always told them, ‘You can play at a high level,’” Sheri said. “Having people with that experience speaking that into their lives really strengthened their belief in their own abilities and what they can do.”
Both brothers credit the Academy for helping them build confidence in themselves that they will carry forward, both on and off the field. They also emphasized that the Academy’s impact goes well past athletics.
Besides their Academy in Compton, there are MLB Youth Academies in the Bronx, Cincinnati, Dallas, Gurabo (Puerto Rico), Houston, Kansas City, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Each Academy’s goal is for 100% of the youth it serves to graduate high school and to provide educational programming such as SAT and ACT preparation and tutoring.
Looking ahead, Matthews Jr. said his vision for the event and the Academy includes continuing to expand opportunities for young women, which is something he’s always looking to do in the work he does.
“Creating more opportunities for young women in the game, whether it’s coaching, broadcasting or whatever their interests might be, I’d love to see more opportunities for them as well. The Academy does a great job creating opportunities for everyone, including young women,” Matthews Jr. added.
Before hitting the course, Leonard shared his reason for being there: “It’s all about reciprocating. Giving back to the kids, I’m for that. I’m in their corner.”
And really, who better to have in your corner than a champ?
