MLB brings smiles to young cancer patients in Miami

Part of the beauty of the World Baseball Classic is bringing the game of baseball to a larger, global stage while also giving back to the communities that are hosting each stage of the tournament.

So ahead of Monday’s World Baseball Classic semifinal game between Japan and Mexico in Miami, a crew of Major League Baseball representatives visited the children at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s “Alex’s Place.” The visit honored the patients -- ages ranging from pediatric to adolescents and young adults -- and the staff at Alex’s Place, part of the University of Miami Health System that provides outpatient care at the childhood cancer clinic.

The group of Major League representatives in attendance was packed with star power. It included former players Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez and MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds, plus Miami Marlins president of business operations Caroline O’Connor, MLB’s deputy commissioner Dan Halem and senior vice president of social responsibility April Brown.

And that’s not to leave out arguably the most popular baseball figure to attend the event -- mascot Billy the Marlin.

Together, the group played a few rounds of cornhole and Jenga, while squeezing in a session of arts and crafts -- the kids colored drawings of the flags representing all of the teams participating in the World Baseball Classic.

“The WBC is a sign of diversity,” O’Connor said. “We have diversity in Miami, and it’s great to see it celebrated on a global stage with the World Baseball Classic. Seeing the kids coloring the pictures, learning about the countries around them is a very educational experience.”

Alex’s Place is a pediatric hematology-oncology clinic and is more than just a treatment site for children with blood diseases and cancer: It is a space created to empower the young patients while offering support to their families.

On Monday, the only order of business was to simply have fun.

“There’s nothing better than a smile on a child,” Brown said. “To see the children walk out, and the first thing they saw was Billy the Marlin -- [there were] hugs immediately, smiles and laughter. And that’s really great. Especially knowing they were here today for treatment. They had big smiles and were ready for fun.”

The visit to the clinic was special for everyone involved, but perhaps just a tad more for Ibanez, who is from the area. Ibanez, who now serves as MLB’s senior vice president of on-field operations, graduated from Miami Sunset High School, and he’s a Miami Dade College alumnus.

“Part of the responsibility that comes with being associated with the great game of baseball is that we should be giving back, and spending time and giving back to our communities,” Ibanez said. “Especially when it comes to kids that are undergoing treatment. It’s a really important endeavor for all of us at Major League Baseball.”