Three years ago, former Mariner All-Star Jamie Moyer and his wife, Karen, founded the nonprofit Magnolia Baseball Club with the idea of providing Magnolia players who had graduated from Little League an opportunity to play select baseball in their own neighborhood.
The Moyers also saw baseball as a way to help prepare and develop young players for adult life, by instilling such values as community service, respect, loyalty and sportsmanship. In addition to learning and playing baseball, the MBC teams take on a variety of community service projects every year.
The Moyers' vision, and the MBC organization, has flourished. This year MBC fielded two 13-year-old teams (Red and White), a 14-year-old team and a 15-year-old team, all of which play in select leagues and tournaments throughout the region. (A 16-year-old team is under consideration for next year.) And the organization attracts players not just from Magnolia and Queen Anne, but from as far away as Whidbey Island.
Now the MBC wants to celebrate its success with the community. For the next two weekends, the organization will host the Magnolia Summer Classic baseball tournament at Magnolia Field No. 1, next to Catharine Blaine School, with the 13-year-olds playing July 6-8 and the 14-year-olds competing July 13-15.
"The Summer Classic Tournaments in Magnolia are not only great for the kids," said Jamie Moyer, who currently plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. "It's an opportunity for the Magnolia community to be connected to America's favorite pastime."
Moyer, who lives with his family in Magnolia when he's not on the road, added, "We invite everyone to come out and support the MBC teams, and with 10 other teams visiting our neighborhood from as far away as Canada, we are excited for the local businesses. It's our hope that it becomes a tradition that everyone looks forward to each summer in Magnolia."
Each tournament field will feature the MBC squads as well as other top select teams from around the region, and the ballgames will take place all day from Friday afternoon through the tournament championship game, scheduled for 8 p.m. each Sunday evening. The games should be competitive and exciting, and there will be food and refreshments available throughout each weekend.
The Summer Classic kicks off this Friday afternoon, July 6, at 2 p.m. with a first-round game between the Seattle Bombers Grey and the Mudville BHC. The two Magnolia rival teams, MBC Red and MBC White, will square off against each other that same evening under the lights at 8 p.m.
More information about the Magnolia Baseball Club, including how to try out or get involved, can be found at www.magnoliabaseballclub.com[[In-content Ad]]
