HIALEAH — The Miami Marlins and Major League Baseball cut the ribbon Monday on a new MLB Youth Academy at Babcock Park, a year-and-a-half-long project that makes Hialeah home to the 10th such facility built nationwide in the past 20 years.
The academy, developed through a partnership among the Miami Marlins Foundation, MLB and the City of Hialeah with support from the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, features three turf fields, a high school-sized show field, an indoor skills facility and lights. “In addition to giving every kid a chance to play, academies like this help us attract the best athletes to the game, and that’s what makes our game compelling,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “I’m sure there are going to be some kids who go through this academy who eventually play in the Major Leagues.”
Manfred pointed to the broader mission behind the investment. “Last and maybe most important, we feel a great obligation to give back to the communities that give so much support to our Major League teams,” he said. “Academies like this provide children a safe place to go, a place where there’s educational activity. Some of them actually provide nutritional programs, so those academies are something that we will continue to build around the country.”
Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo called the facility a lasting asset for the city. “This is not just the ribbon cutting today,” Calvo said. “This is truly something that will impact generations of Hialeah residents to come.” Fifty children from two neighboring schools — Lincoln Diaz-Balart Hialeah Elementary and St. John the Apostle Catholic — attended the ceremony and stand to benefit most from the no-cost, year-round programming.
The Marlins have held RBI programming at Babcock Park for four years, reaching more than 1,500 youth athletes annually through Marlins Nike RBI, Fall Rookies, Summer Sandlot, Advanced Training and instructional clinics. Antonio Alfonseca, an 11-year Major Leaguer from 1997 to 2007, has been coaching at the park for two years. Retired Marlins Jeff Conine and Gaby Sanchez, Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix and Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava also attended the festivities, which were temporarily moved indoors due to rain.
Local artist Vic Garcia reimagined the Marlins’ City Connect artwork with Jackie Robinson’s nine values, a bat-wielding flamingo and signage for the Marlins, MLB and the City of Hialeah behind the center-field wall. The facility also features the same Marlins logo behind home plate found at loanDepot park. Youth Academy alumni from other MLB facilities include Reds right-hander Hunter Greene, Mariners infielder J.P. Crawford and Braves designated hitter Dominic Smith.
Marlins president of business Caroline O’Connor said the academy reflects the organization’s priorities. “It’s important for us to be part of our community and the places where we are,” O’Connor said. “We really want to show up.” Marlins Chairman, Principal Owner and Control Person Bruce Sherman echoed that message: “The commitment to the community is here for the Marlins. We’ll be there for all time. Our commitment extends beyond Hialeah to South Florida.”
Hialeah has produced Major Leaguers from Charlie Hough to Alex Fernandez to Manny Machado. The academy’s year-round programming is now open to local youth at no cost.