The White Sox paid a visit to their Bridgeport neighbors Thursday, and it was hard to know who had more fun, the players or the kids from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago located half a mile from the Sox ballpark.
There was an obstacle course set up in the gym, and manager Pedro Grifol and Sox players in jerseys — including Andrew Benintendi, Paul DeJong, Jake Eder, Nicky Lopez, Nick Nastrini, Bryan Ramos, Yoán Moncada, Gavin Sheets, Michael Soroka and Max Stassi — went upstairs for a variety of learning activities.
“It’s always good to give back to kids like this,” Benintendi, the left-fielder, said. “And it takes such a small amount of time.”
“It’s setting a good example in the community,” said new Sox shortstop Paul DeJong, an Antioch High School graduate. “These kids come here for some stability, some education and some good, old-fashioned fun. It’s super important for kids at this age to promote their curiosities outside of school.”
There were knitting, coding, robotics for kids, 3-D printing stations and more. The Sox mascot, Southpaw, might have learned a thing or two as well.
“I wanted to stay up there longer and hang out with them,” DeJong said.
“It’s super-cool to step back from what we do every day and realize there are other things going on in the world.”
Chicago White Sox Charities has a long-standing relationship with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago. In 2023, the local nonprofit received Sox charities grant funding to continue the organization’s shared commitment to bettering lives of Chicago’s youth through education and health and wellness programs.
It hits home with Grifol, who said he grew up in the Boys Club in Miami.
“In the 1970s, I played baseball and basketball there,” he said. “To see how far it’s come, to turn into the Boys & Girls Club and see the smiles on their faces, it brings back a lot of good memories.”
The Sox are gearing up for spring training, which begins in three weeks. On Friday, players and staff will attend an exclusive event for season ticket holders at the Field Museum.
But Thursday was for the kids. And the neighborhood.
“This is incredible,” Michael Crowley, president and chief executive of the Boys & Girls Club, said. “This was so much fun. And you saw the looks on the kids’ faces, not just when they got to meet the players, but to have fun with them. And that’s what we do for our kids, provide a fun, enjoyable experience.
“And it seemed like the players were really having a good time. And that’s the community we try to build. And they’re our neighbors. We’re thrilled to welcome them any time they want to come.”
