Washington Nationals Mascot Screech the Eagle Flew the Coop

Washington Nationals Mascot, Screech the Eagle, flew the coop this week, crossing the Potomac to join Alexandria, Virginia Mayor Allison Silberberg and dozens of local children to “PLAY BALL,” a summertime initiative organized by Major League Baseball (MLB) and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

The kids, all campers with Alexandria's Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, came to Ben Brenman Park to practice their batting and pitching skills and enjoy in the classic summertime game of baseball.

Mayor Silberberg joined with @ScreechtheEagle and the kids to take a turn at bat, as she kicked off PLAY BALL SUMMER. Mayor Silberberg is one of more than 300 mayors from all 50 United States and Puerto Rico to participate in the U.S. Conference of Mayors PLAY BALL SUMMER program by organizing community-based events that engage citizens, families, and city departments to participate in fun-focused baseball & softball activities.

"PLAY BALL SUMMER has been a 'win-win' for everyone involved, including the mayors, Major League Baseball and, most importantly, our kids who are being exposed to one of America's favorite pastimes. Last year, more than 250 mayors hosted over 35,000 kids in Play Ball events across America, and that level of engagement is only expected to increase this year, with even more mayors taking the PLAY BALL Pledge.” said Tom Cochran, CEO & Executive Director, U.S. Conference of Mayors.

MLB Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. said: “The partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors is a significant factor for the success of our PLAY BALL initiative. The central focus of our effort has always been to engage communities that love our game with opportunities for young people to participate in baseball and softball activities. By reaching all 50 states and Puerto Rico, PLAY BALL has truly become a national movement. We thank all the Mayors for their extraordinary commitment.”

Launched in 2015, the PLAY BALL initiative is baseball’s collective effort to encourage young people and communities to engage in baseball- or softball-related activities, including formal leagues, special events and casual forms of play. PLAY BALL events have become MLB’s signature youth engagement activity during the professional and amateur baseball and softball calendar, especially on key dates throughout MLB’s Championship Season and through the Postseason & World Series. PLAY BALL events demonstrate the positive way the game can serve as an outlet for physical activity, fun with friends and learning how to play the sport at its most basic levels. PLAY BALL also serves as the League’s youth umbrella in which all associated programs and events derive from the initiative’s consistent, simple message: “However You Play Ball, PLAY BALL!” PlayBall.org is the PLAY BALL initiative’s online home and is accessible via MLB.com, USABaseball.com, USASoftball.com and other partner websites.

For the second consecutive year, baseball and softball combined to rank as the most participated team sports in the United States in 2017 (25.1 million participants), according to the annual Topline Participation Report produced by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). In 2017, casual participation in baseball rose by 12.9% with overall participation seeing a 6.0% increase, the latter of which is the largest increase of all major team sports. Over the last three years, baseball has seen a 49.1% growth in casual participation, which is in direct correlation to the launch of the PLAY BALL initiative.