Despite thunder, lightning and a steady downpour, Thursday, August 25th of 2011, will be a day that ASBA kids will remember as the day they met Philadelphia Phillies Ryan Howard and Mitch Williams. In a joint effort, they were able to give the attendees an in depth look into what it takes to be a professional ball player.
After it was evident that the weather was not going to allow the clinic portion of the morning, everyone took shelter. Mitch Williams, the former closer for the Phillies ’93 World Series team, arrived shortly after and launched into an impromptu question and answer session. Williams answered questions for about an hour, with questions ranging from “Who was the best player you played with?” (Lenny Dykstra to the surprise of many) to “How did you mentally prepare to pitch?” Williams answered each question like a seasoned pro.
After about an hour or so, Williams gave way to Ryan Howard, who was equally impressive in his Q&A session. Like Williams, he answered questions about how he prepares for a game and gets out of a slump. He managed to avoid the trick question of “If you weren’t on the Phillies, what team would you want to play for?” with ease.
After each Q&A session, both men were gracious enough to take pictures with all of the All Star Baseball Academy kids, as well as the ASBA staff who were in attendance. After the fanfare of getting their picture taken with Mitch Williams and Ryan Howard, it was time for the ASBA-Powerade HR Derby. Williams was kind enough to stick around and throw to the contestants, which included his own son. After the first two rounds, John Brogan and Dan Hoy were able to advance to the finals. The two sluggers were still tied after one overtime round, until Brogan was able to put one well over the fence to put the pressure on Hoy. Down to his last out, Hoy made his last two swings count, as he hit two long homeruns to claim the title of Homerun Derby Champion. Other participants included Shane Allen, Dan Rosenbaum, Ryan Hissey, Mitchell Williams and Luke Emling.
Overall, it was a great day for everyone. As kids got to meet a Major League slugger, parents got to reminisce about the ’93 Phillies and everyone got to see some great hitting and enjoy some good BBQ after.
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