Words by Flobo Boyce
Philadelphia — Perhaps I’m being a tad anecdotal, but it felt like something special was in the air for this year’s MLB All-Star Week festivities in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Whether it was the notion of having the “Midsummer Classic” on a sweltering weekend in the City of Brotherly Love, or that MLB and company fully leaned into the patriotic America 250 theme, the general consensus was that the 2026 edition was one for the ages. The 4th annual HBCU Swingman Classic, this time played on the Friday night, was no different.
It was a night tailor-made for baseball, the culture, and showing the world that the next generation of black baseball was in good hands. Ken Griffey Jr., the original Swingman, was in tow, welcoming people from far and wide. The game was aired on the flagship MLB Network, featuring the voices of veteran broadcasters Dave Sims and Harold Reynolds. Comedian Roy Wood Jr, who’s become the preeminent black baseball master of ceremonies on demand, kept things lively between innings. And the crowd was one of the largest that ever attended the spectacle. If you were one of the 50 hand-selected collegiate athletes selected to showcase at the Classic, the experience was as close to the Majors as you can get. This was by design. The athletic talent was always there, but giving these men a proper platform to showcase their talents was always the other half of the equation.
“What we really built upon this year was the grassroots effort,” said Del Matthews, MLB Senior Vice President, Baseball Development. “We specifically went into the local community. We were at Enon Tabernacle; we were at Jack and Jill [Philadelphia]…groups like that were organically black professionals are [allowed us] to get the word out and let us know that we exist.”
While the Black Baseball Mixtape team had attended previous HBCU Swingman Classics, this was my first time attending. The crowd was into every pitch, the song selections from the DJ and PA teams were on point, and despite the game being put beyond doubt rather early (The American League All-Stars scored 5 runs by the 3rd inning en route to a comfortable 6-1 victory), the energy was high throughout. It was amazing to witness the effort of that night’s eventual MVP, Jacoby Radcliffe, live and in the flesh. And while I got swept up in both the historical precedent of HBCU baseball programs mixing with the way we experience and present sports today, I did find myself wondering one thing when the night was done.
“What’s the next step?”
Those who get it are on board with supporting the growth of the Classic. But as only one event on a weekend that has dozens of events and activities for fans to see, what could the HBCU Swingman Classic do to get even more eyes on the game, the players, and more importantly, the academic institutions that serve as the backbone for all of this? I’ve given it some thought, and if you would indulge me, here are some things I wouldn’t mind seeing in the HBCU Swingman Classic’s growth trajectory.
For the HBCU Enthusiast.
While HBCU athletic programs may not get the same exposure as their non-HBCU counterparts, one avenue where I’ve seen representation disparity quite high is in esports. Esports, or standardized and competitive videogaming, is a path a lot of high school and college-aged kids are getting themselves to in lieu of physical sports. I would love it if there was an HBCU Swingman E-Classic, inviting esports athletes from HBCU’s in a friendly tournament the morning of the traditional baseball event. This allows those on those esports teams to both show their skills as players at games such as MLB The Show, while also serving as same-day final promotion for the “main event” Swingman Classic. Plus, having athletes from other sports (albeit electronic sports) will bring their own staff and supporters, presenting more programs at once. The twin bill raises awareness for even more schools that may not be on people’s radars.
For Those Who are Just “ASG Fans.”
Though the HBCU Swingman Classic appears on the official program of All-Star Weekend, I would love to see how we can explore further integrating it with the other mainline events. One of the more popular aspects of ballpark culture over the past few years was seeing the rise of specialty concession offerings at the ballpark. The MLB All-Star Game this year had its own gimmick (essentially taking one specialty dish from each major league team and compiling the offerings into a ‘mega-menu’), but there’s nothing saying that the Swingman Classic can’t get into the fun as well.
Food aside, the goal here would be to make the HBCU Swingman Classic experience an All-Star Game BEFORE the All-Star Game. Specialty dishes you can’t get anywhere else? Check. More Swingman Classic-specific merchandise that can only be purchased at the game, including those AMAZING jerseys? Double check.
Or, how about inviting 4 more players specifically for a pre-game Swingman-branded Home Run Derby? Who doesn’t like Home Run Derbies? I know, I do!
For Those Who Are Watching At Home
During the game I made a point to check out a nearby TV monitor so I could listen to the game commentary. While I practically hear Harold Reynolds daily due to my addiction to MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM, hearing Dave Sims on the call is always a treat. I wondered, though, in this era of Manningcasts and Kelcecasts, what if the HBCU Swingman Classic team linked with multiple streaming outlets to have alternative commentary tracks? The MLB Voices fellows (some of which were already in the park on gameday) would excel at one version. I can also see two or three hand-selected streamers or personalities leading their own. For baseball fans, you’ll be offering them a choice of audio experience, and you’d be exposing the followers of each streamer participating in the alternate commentary to the Swingman Classic. It’s a bold strategy, but if there’s anything this year’s FIFA World Cup has taught me is that there really isn’t a “sole” destination to watch a sporting event anymore. It really was the clusters of streamer and broadcaster communities and how they interacted with the games that made each match unique.
Swingman 2.0
I don’t care who you are; back in the day Ken Griffey Jr. was synonymous with cool. Hell, I haven’t met the man, but he seems cool as hell now. The fact that the HBCU Classic bears the name Swingman should tell you all that you need to know about Griffey’s commitment to the next generation of black players. However, I do think there’s room in the 2020s to update what it means to be ‘Swingman.’ Now I’m not sure what that is going to be, and frankly, I’m not qualified to come up with a new direction for the moniker on the spot, but it is something to think about. Players coming up now simply don’t remember Griffey as the player that my generation and older do. While we of a certain age have done a great job in sharing what Ken Griffey Jr. meant to us, there HAS to be a built bridge to Generation Alpha and Beta as to what Swingman could possibly mean to them. This is a conversation beyond a single player, right? Lionel Messi isn’t Diego Maradona and LeBron James isn’t Michael Jordan. But that confidence, that swagger, the intangible feeling of what Swingman needs at one point to be recontextualized for the next wave of players and fans and beyond.
The thing is, though, with the rise of attendance and participation in this year’s showcase, the folks behind the HBCU Swingman Classic may be well on their way.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.