News
Urban Youth Academy hosts Japanese club
U.S.-Japan All-Star series set to get under way Saturday
Clayton Kershaw and Hiroki Kuroda pose with Urban Youth Academy and visiting Japanese players. (Ben Platt/MLB.com)
By Ben Platt / MLB.com
09/03/09 2:59 AM ET
LOS ANGELES -- It started three years ago with uncertainty and has blossomed into a yearly event that young ballplayers on two continents look forward to. This year the annual U.S.-Japan All-Star series has returned to the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy and on Wednesday, Urban Youth Academy players and players from the Japan High School Baseball Federation took in a game at Dodger Stadium. "When the players both on the American and Japanese side got here they were very impressed" said Urban Youth Academy executive director Darrell Miller. "We're very happy to see the Japanese players come over with such a powerful team and we put together a really good team as well, and it's going to be very, very competitive and it's all about exchanging ideas and the love for the game and the passion for it that both countries share." The players from the Academy arrived on the field before their Japanese counterparts and were visited by Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp and D-backs infielder Augie Ojeda. "The academy is doing well," said Kemp. They're doing the job right and teaching the kids baseball. It's good to see them come out here and see what the big leagues is like. I think it's great to see this team play teams from other countries. I never got a chance to do that when I was a kid and it should make these kids better players." "This is good for baseball, the community and especially these kids here," said Ojeda. "I have friends who are helping with this program and getting it to other cities and it can only help get more of these kids to the Major Leagues and playing the kids from Japan can only help raise their game." The series started at the Academy in 2007 where the players from Japan were hosted by families in Southern California. Last year the Urban Youth Academy team visited Japan and were given the same hospitality by Japanese families. The federation representatives are pleased to return to Southern California for the 2009 series. "For us to return here and play the Urban Youth Academy team is a very big honor," said Kazuhiro Tanabe, senior advisor for the federation, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Dodgers-D-backs game Wednesday night. "For the players to learn about life outside of baseball here in the United States is very important and we hope they learn a lot about American culture as well." Both teams received another treat when Dodgers pitchers Hiroki Kuroda and Clayton Kershaw came by to visit. "Those fellas don't want to meet me," said Kershaw about the Japanese players, figuring they'd want to see their fellow countrymen Kuroda. The young Dodger pitcher was shocked when the Japanese players started screaming his name, begging him for autographs and posing with him for pictures. "Hiro is like a rock star over there in Japan," said Kershaw about his teammate. "It was kind of cool to see their reaction to him and I was surprised with the reception I got. It must be very exciting for both teams to be on a big league field. I know it was always exciting for me when I was a kid and visit a big league stadium." "I think this tournament is a great thing," said Kuroda, who also said he's fully recovered from the head injury he sustained against the D-backs two weeks ago. "For high school players this is a really great experience that should benefit the players from both countries." For the next few days the players will work out at the academy, experience more cultural exchanges at events throughout the Southland and start the series on Saturday at the academy with the opening ceremonies beginning at noon pacific time.Ben Platt is a national correspondent for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
