Latest news with #tryouts
New York Times
14-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Cal Raleigh's family-style Home Run Derby appearance stems from choice his dad made in 2011
It was the tail end of Cal Raleigh's freshman year of high school at Knoxville Catholic, and tryouts for the baseball team were just around the corner. Cal had been developing his game quite literally since he was in diapers with the help of his father, Todd, who also happened to be the head coach of the University of Tennessee baseball team. Advertisement But when the coach of the high school team saw Cal and his abilities as a 14-year-old, he immediately rendered judgment, one coach to another. 'Not good enough,' the coach told Todd. '[He] can't make the team. If he works really, really hard, one day he'll be a Division III player.' Todd's tenure as Tennessee's head coach ended in 2011 after four seasons. He could have pursued other jobs in the collegiate ranks, but in the back of his mind was a desire to spend more time with his family. Cal not making the high school team was the deciding factor. Todd put his coaching career on pause and moved his family back home to North Carolina, partly to help Cal develop more as a baseball player. Nearly 15 years later, Todd's sacrifice not only helped his son become an MVP-caliber player in the majors, but it also came with a level of satisfaction and peace in his decision, knowing that he made the right choice for his family and himself. 'It was a gut-wrenching decision,' Todd said. 'But listen, I wouldn't do anything differently.' 'He's a big reason why I'm here,' Cal said. 'It meant a lot. And looking back, I don't think he'd do it any other way.' Monday night, Todd will pitch to Cal at the home run derby, with Cal's younger brother, Todd Jr., squatting behind the plate, a full-circle moment for a family deeply rooted in baseball. From the time Cal was one, his father put a big red bat in his hand and tossed him big white baseballs to hit. The idea, even at such a young age, was developing Cal's hand-eye coordination. After a couple swings, Todd would pick his son up and face him the opposite way so he could try switch-hitting. By the time Cal was 14, he still had a relatively small frame compared to his contemporaries. The power that he's known for today wasn't even a consideration back then. But what he lacked in strength and physical prowess, he made up for with skill. Advertisement Todd was known as a strong hitting coach during his college coaching tenure. After his first year at Tennessee, many of his returning players saw jumps in their batting average, number of homers, and slugging in the next season. His philosophy for hitting? It all comes down to the approach. 'If you're in a good position to hit when the ball crosses the plate,' Todd explained, 'and you got any type of strength regardless of your swing, and you stay in the middle of the field, you're going to have some success.' Once the family moved back to North Carolina, Todd and Cal had more opportunities than ever to train and work out together. Todd and his wife Stephanie ran a successful printing business, while Todd and Cal took countless swings in the batting cages together. And when it was time for baseball tryouts at Smoky Mountain High School, Cal not only made the team, he dominated during the season. By the middle of his junior year of high school, Cal began to receive major Division I interest. It was around that same time that Todd began to realize that his son could play beyond college baseball. 'I felt like at that point, I watched him objectively,' Todd said. 'I watched a lot on TV, I watched a lot in person, and I've had enough guys in professional baseball where I'm like yeah, I think he can do this.' It wasn't until Cal's senior year that he came into his own as a power hitter. After only hitting only three homers through his sophomore and junior years, he crushed 10 in his final year. That ranked in the top 35 nationally for home runs hit that season, according to MaxPreps. Beyond the training, it was getting to experience the moments that Todd would have otherwise missed if he had stuck with coaching. Moments like traveling with Cal to different baseball tournaments in the summer. Watching his son compete in the final four of North Carolina high school state basketball in Cal's junior and senior years. Advertisement The same went for Todd's daughters, Emma-Grace and Carley, who played volleyball and eventually went Division I themselves. And now his youngest son, Todd Jr., is currently in high school and looking to follow his big brother's footsteps. 'There is no price tag that I could put on that,' Todd said. 'I just feel like now I'm a better father, a better husband.' When Cal made his MLB debut in 2021, his father said he'd be an All-Star. Four years later, he's not only an All-Star, but he's also currently listed as second-likeliest to win AL MVP behind reigning champ Aaron Judge. Even for a proud father, though, it's sometimes difficult for Todd to wrap his head around his son's increasingly historic season. When Cal passed Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, one of the greatest catchers of all time, for most home runs before the All-Star break, Todd couldn't believe it. He considered Bench to be a baseball god. It's still hard for him to fathom Cal being in the same conversation at Bench, let alone above him in something. Cal is currently on pace to smash the record for most home runs by a catcher, set by Salvador Perez with 48 in 2021. For Todd, moments like these help him put into perspective that he truly made the right decision to leave coaching. He does still miss professional coaching from time to time, from the relationships and the camaraderie built during the season, to the competition itself. But being able to support his kids' athletic journeys has helped scratch that itch to a degree. 'I still get that adrenaline,' Todd added. 'You get the thrills. You get the ups and downs. You get the emotions watching them play and going through everything.' Todd now spends a lot of time with Todd Jr. as he plays travel baseball this summer. Emma-Grace is headed into her third year of dental school. Carley is entering her junior year after transferring to Division II Lincoln Memorial University and is a force on the school's volleyball team. Advertisement And then there's Cal. He's set for his first-ever All-Star appearance in Atlanta and a Home Run Derby that'll include his father and brother. These things are the norm now, but 15 years ago, Todd couldn't have imagined all of this. He had no clue whether he was making the right decision to leave coaching. He still hadn't won a national title and he was only in his mid-40s when he retired. There was seemingly so much of his career ahead of him. But Todd took a leap of faith, a leap for him and his family. It turned out better than he could have ever dreamed. And if he ever had to choose between the chance to win a national championship or watching his son do what he's doing in his career, or what his daughters or youngest son are doing, it's pretty obvious what he'd choose. 'It's a gazillion to one,' Todd said. 'There's no comparison. I have no regrets. I'd do it again every single day.' (Top photo of the Raleigh family receiving Cal's 2024 Gold Glove Award: AP Photo / Lindsey Wasson)
CTV News
02-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Women's Pro Baseball League to hold tryouts at Nationals Park as it aims for 2026 debut
A rainbow forms while a tarp is on the field as the start of a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Colorado Rockies is delayed due to weather at Nationals Park, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel) The Women's Professional Baseball League will hold tryouts next month at the Washington Nationals' home ballpark as it moves closer to its launch. The league is aiming to play its first season with six teams starting in spring 2026. The tryouts, which will be held Aug. 22-25, will determine the 150 players who will be invited to the league's draft in October. More than 600 players registered for the four-day camp, the WPBL said. The first three days will include drill-focused sessions, athletic performance testing and player evaluations at the Nationals' Youth Baseball Academy before an initial round of cuts. Players will then compete in a live game at Nationals Park on Aug. 25, after which the final cuts will happen. Team USA women's baseball star Alex Hugo, who is a special adviser to the league, will lead the tryouts. 'We are really excited to see all of the players at tryouts this summer and see their incredible skills,' Hugo said in a statement. 'We're building a future where girls and women who love baseball can dream as big as they want and now, finally, have a league to call their own.' The WPBL was co-founded by Justine Siegal, who is the first woman to coach for an MLB team. When it debuts, it will be the first pro league for women since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — the one immortalized in 'A League of Their Own' — dissolved in 1954. As it nears its launch, the WPBL has already struck a media deal with Fremantle, the production company behind shows like 'The Price Is Right' and 'Family Feud,' as well as brought in global women's sports investor Assia Grazioli-Venier as its chair. Alanis Thames, The Associated Press
CBS News
02-07-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Women's Pro Baseball League announces tryout dates in Washington, D.C.
A new baseball league is hoping to find star players for its inaugural season at open tryouts next month. The Women's Pro Baseball League announced on "CBS Mornings Plus" Wednesday that it will hold tryouts from August 22 through August 25 at Nationals Park and the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy in Washington D.C. The final evaluation will be at Nationals Park on August 25. Over 500 women from around the globe have signed up for the tryouts. Up to 150 will be selected to move on to a draft in the fall, where they could be selected by one of six teams ahead of the league's debut in spring 2026. "We want to see the best of the best, and that's what we're looking for. The best players around the world," Women's Pro Baseball League co-founder Justine Siegal told "CBS Mornings Plus." "I'm looking for people who can hit the long ball. I'm looking for strikes, blow by the batters. We're looking for those who have played baseball, have a good baseball acumen and people are gonna come out and watch them play." Alex Hugo, a two-time USA Baseball Sportswoman of the Year Award Winner and Team USA Silver Medalist at the 2024 Women's Baseball Cup, will help oversee the tryouts and act as a special advisor for the league. "They need to work on their mechanics, their training regimens. But I think just bringing the passion that they have for baseball, that's what this league is all about," Hugo said. "Show us what you have in terms of how special baseball is to you." Once the league starts, it will follow the same rules as the Women's Baseball World Cup. That includes using aluminum bats and having seven innings. "You're going to see passion. You know our women, they love the game so much. You know it's an obstacle to get to play, and here we are living out our dreams. So it's going to be just fantastic," Siegal said. Both women are hopeful the league will inspire future generations of girls to play baseball. "Young kids that are playing the sport, female or male, I think it's so important for them to see what they want to accomplish, so they can see people that look like them. These young girls that want to play baseball, they shouldn't be told one way or the other. They should have opportunities to do whatever they want," Hugo said. If you're interested in trying out for the league, you can submit a form on the WPBL's website. The deadline to apply is Monday, July 21 at 11:59 p.m. ET. "If you love baseball, come out, try out and show us what you got," Siegal said.
The Independent
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Women's Pro Baseball League to hold tryouts at Nationals Park as it aims for 2026 debut
The Women's Professional Baseball League will hold tryouts next month at the Washington Nationals ' home ballpark as it moves closer to its launch. The league is aiming to play its first season with six teams starting in spring 2026. The tryouts, which will be held Aug. 22-25, will determine the 150 players who will be invited to the league's draft in October. More than 600 players registered for the four-day camp, the WPBL said. The first three days will include drill-focused sessions, athletic performance testing and player evaluations at the Nationals' Youth Baseball Academy before an initial round of cuts. Players will then compete in a live game at Nationals Park on Aug. 25, after which the final cuts will happen. Team USA women's baseball star Alex Hugo, who is a special adviser to the league, will lead the tryouts. 'We are really excited to see all of the players at tryouts this summer and see their incredible skills,' Hugo said in a statement. 'We're building a future where girls and women who love baseball can dream as big as they want and now, finally, have a league to call their own.' The WPBL was co-founded by Justine Siegal, who is the first woman to coach for an MLB team. When it debuts, it will be the first pro league for women since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — the one immortalized in 'A League of Their Own' — dissolved in 1954. As it nears its launch, the WPBL has already struck a media deal with Fremantle, the production company behind shows like 'The Price Is Right" and 'Family Feud,' as well as brought in global women's sports investor Assia Grazioli-Venier as its chair. ___
Washington Post
02-07-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Women's Pro Baseball League to hold tryouts at Nationals Park as it aims for 2026 debut
The Women's Professional Baseball League will hold tryouts next month at the Washington Nationals' home ballpark as it moves closer to its launch. The league is aiming to play its first season with six teams starting in spring 2026. The tryouts, which will be held Aug. 22-25, will determine the 150 players who will be invited to the league's draft in October. More than 600 players registered for the four-day camp, the WPBL said. The first three days will include drill-focused sessions, athletic performance testing and player evaluations at the Nationals' Youth Baseball Academy before an initial round of cuts. Players will then compete in a live game at Nationals Park on Aug. 25, after which the final cuts will happen. Team USA women's baseball star Alex Hugo, who is a special adviser to the league, will lead the tryouts. 'We are really excited to see all of the players at tryouts this summer and see their incredible skills,' Hugo said in a statement. 'We're building a future where girls and women who love baseball can dream as big as they want and now, finally, have a league to call their own.' The WPBL was co-founded by Justine Siegal, who is the first woman to coach for an MLB team. When it debuts, it will be the first pro league for women since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — the one immortalized in 'A League of Their Own' — dissolved in 1954. As it nears its launch, the WPBL has already struck a media deal with Fremantle, the production company behind shows like 'The Price Is Right' and 'Family Feud,' as well as brought in global women's sports investor Assia Grazioli-Venier as its chair. ___ AP MLB:
