Rob Thomson, 3 Phillies Spend Memorable MLK Day at Ballpark
The snow slowed by the end of the weekend, and most of Philadelphia stayed indoors with some time off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Rob Thomson and three Philadelphia…
The snow slowed by the end of the weekend, and most of Philadelphia stayed indoors with some time off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Rob Thomson and three Philadelphia Phillies, however, headed to Citizens Bank Park.
Tanner Banks, Otto Kemp, and Weston Wilson welcomed about 50 youth ballplayers who participate locally in the Nike RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) Program.
Phillies Host MLK Day Event
The three Phillies who participated in the day of community service appropriately share the commonality of imperfect journeys to reach the major leagues.
Tanner Banks made his MLB debut with the Chicago White Sox at age 30, and Wilson battled through the minors to earn his call-up to the Phillies at 28 in 2023. While Kemp reached the show at 25 closer to the MLB average age, he unexpectedly rose through the Division II ranks at the NCAA level.
Kemp and Wilson hosted some fielding drills in the Citizens Bank Park tunnels (because nobody needed to step outside) while Banks handled the pitching instruction. Former Phillies outfielder and hitting coach Milt Thompson instructed the youngsters in the Phillies batting cages to craft their plate approach.
“Love this game. Give your all to this game, and it will give back to you. With that, the biggest and most important thing I could tell any one of you is to be coachable. If you have a hard head, the game will pass you by quicker than you realize.”
-Tanner Banks
Former World Series champion Dickie Noles also continued his local alumni presence. Former outfielder and top prospect Domonic Brown has emerged as an important voice in local youth baseball in recent years. He returned to the clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park on Monday.
Noah White and Roger Gordon of the MLB-sponsored Nike RBI Program proudly walked bright-eyed children in the 9-12 age range sporting Bryce Harper t-shirts and carrying their Phillies gear through the hallways a legendary major league ballpark. Rob Thomson – who had reserved one of only four offseason days in Philadelphia away from his home in Ontario, Canada – addressed a hopeful crowd in awe. He shared the advice any competitive ballplayer knows and very few aspirational ballplayers fully understand without life experience.
“Stay in the game even when it’s not going good for you, because it’s a tough game. You’re going to make a lot of mistakes. There’s going to be tough times. You have to stay with it. You have to continue to compete. Be selfless in everything you do. It’s a team game.”
-Rob Thomson
Phillies ballgirls smoothly became the glue that held the event together. The Phillies also sent representations to the Global Citizen’s MLK Day event at Temple University and the African American Museum in Philadelphia to recognize the holiday’s importance locally.
