When the Gary SouthShore RailCats decided to establish a minor league baseball franchise in Gary, the team partnered with the City of Gary and U.S. Steel in an effort to help revitalize youth baseball in the city through the Home Field Advantage Foundation. Fast-forward 11 years, and the tripartite effort is seeing the fruits of its labor.
“As the club was being conceptualized, the parties that were involved wanted to give back to the community,” United States Steel Corporation Director of Community Affairs Allen Spajer said. “We’ve seen a lot of progress recently.”
According to Spajer, participation in little league baseball in Gary has shot up to 397 children, over double what it was four years ago. The city’s teams are also finding success on the diamond, with one squad recently placing third in the state championship tournament.
“We’re proud of it,” Spajer said. “If you give kids the opportunity to be involved with some good things, there is a better chance that they will be respectable and good adults. We are very proud of the opportunity to give kids something worthwhile to do and hone their baseball skills, but more importantly to set the foundation for kids of all ages to become good adults.”
The Home Field Advantage Foundation held a baseball camp at the U.S. Steel Yard on Saturday, giving local youth players the chance to garner valuable instruction from RailCats manager Greg Tagert and current RailCats players while enjoying a sun-soaked day on a professional playing surface. According to Spajer, 156 children signed up to take advantage of the experience that the camp offered.
“We’re very excited about the camp,” U.S. Steel Community Affairs Coordinator Joel Palaschak said. “We’re excited to have the RailCats involved. U.S. Steel has been a really good partner for the community over the course of our lifetime here in Gary, starting from day one. We’re just really happy to give back to the community and make this a great day for the kids, because that’s really what it’s all about.”
RailCats President and General Manager Kevin Spudic cherishes the relationship between the team and the foundation. He said he hopes that the rejuvenated interest in youth baseball in the city leads Gary athletes to continue their baseball careers in high school and college.
Tagert has been a minor league manager since 1995, has been the RailCats’ skipper since 2005, led the club to two league titles and has not had a losing season in 17 years as a manager. Tagert, his coaching staff and the players provided the campers with quality instruction throughout the afternoon.
“Greg and his staff do a great job with these kids,” Spudic said. “If they don’t get anything else out of this, these kids will learn a few good tips and they’ll learn some good techniques that will only help them down the road. We’ve made some strides and we hope to keep growing baseball here in the city of Gary.”