Rollins Mentors Next Gen HBCU Stars

Jimmy Rollins is taking the reins as manager of an HBCU baseball team in the Swingman Classic at Citizens Bank Park, a Major League Baseball All-Star event designed to spotlight historically Black colleges and universities. Rollins sees this as a vital mentorship opportunity, aiming to inspire young Black athletes by showing them the power of persistence and the value of role models. He recalls how his own career influenced Dee Strange-Gordon’s path to baseball and champions programs like The Hill Boys that nurture future talent. With the decline of Black players in MLB attributed to delayed rewards and competing sports, Rollins believes active engagement from current and former pros can reverse the trend. The event, founded by Ken Griffey Jr., gives HBCU players a national stage to prove their mettle — and Rollins, managing against fellow former MLBer Rickie Weeks, is ready to lead by example. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/b4a090df91152998