Bichette's PLAY BALL event launches community partnership

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- It has been a busy week for Bo Bichette, and Spring Training hasn’t even started yet.

As the ink was drying on Bichette’s three-year, $33.6 million contract with the Blue Jays, the star shortstop was hosting a PLAY BALL event at Wildwood Park in nearby St. Petersburg.

Saturday’s event celebrated the launch of Bichette’s new community partnership, which will be known as “St. Pete PAL x Wildwood Baseball Powered By Bo Bichette.” Bichette’s support will provide equipment and cover registration fees for nearly 100 boys and girls, ages 5-14, in the PAL (Police Athletic League) program. The 24-year-old has been involved in community work dating back to his teenage years, often alongside his parents, Mariana and Dante, and this program expands his work to make baseball more accessible to youth who grew up in his own area.

“A lot of different experiences in my life have led me to this being my passion,” Bichette said. “I want to help. A couple of years ago, I started working with the Police Athletic League. I found out they might need help to get the league going, so we just took that opportunity for me to come in and help out.”

Bichette grew up with a certain level of privilege, and he knows it. His father, Dante, played 14 years in the Major Leagues, meaning Bichette was never left without equipment or opportunities. While he played at Lakewood High School in St. Pete, though, a teenage Bichette recognized early on that his friends and teammates didn’t all have the same advantages.

As part of MLB’s PLAY BALL initiative, Bichette’s work will not only make the game more accessible to these young players, but also focus on the variety of ways the game can be played at the grassroots level. Bichette grew up as a multi-sport athlete, excelling at tennis, and with this program, baseball can now be a regular part of more lives for youth in the St. Pete area.

Bichette wasn’t alone, either. George Springer was on hand, giving the participants an up-close look at a World Series MVP.

“This is where it all starts,” Springer said. “Adults are the present, but this is the future. This is awesome to do.”

Jordan Romano was at the event to support Bichette and work with the young players, and Santiago Espinal -- often Bichette’s double-play partner -- was buzzing around the field.

“To me, this is the most important thing in the offseason,” Espinal said. “Doing this for the kids, we can show them what we do on the field and show them what we do off the field. They can learn what we do and practice it. I’m having a lot of fun, especially when they’re diving for those balls. Making a diving catch for me is always an exciting play, and for them, they’re just having fun.”

Throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the event, though, was a special guest.

Rosevelt “Bubba” Swinton has organized the Wildwood baseball programs for nearly 60 years, and as Bichette begins his own work with the program, it was important to honor the man who had impacted so many young lives through baseball over the decades.

“He’s been out here drawing the lines for over 50 years,” Bichette said, “so it’s my turn to take it over and I’m super grateful for that, to give the kids a place to play baseball for free.”