By Ike Everard | Ike@Whereweconverge.com

When Joy Wilde sat down at her computer for a meeting about her Hometown Nine application, the last person she expected to see was Kyle Lewis. She was shell-shocked as the center fielder for the Mariners appeared on her screen.

“He was the one who told me that I got accepted. That was like a really life-changing moment for me,” Wilde said. “It was really amazing. I don't think there's ever going to be another moment like that.”

Wilde is a softball player who dreams of one day donning the purple and gold and competing at Husky Softball Stadium for the University of Washington. For now, she’s content with playing the game she loves alongside her friends, with the newfound support of the Seattle Mariners. 

King Allah’s story is similar. His surprise “visitor” was pitcher Justin Dunn. When the right-hander appeared on Allah’s computer screen, he was overjoyed. 

“It was so crazy,” Allah said. “I wanted to jump in the air but I was on a Zoom call. I was so happy.”

Now, both Wilde and Allah have thrown themselves into everything offered by the new program. The Hometown Nine was started last year, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Program Coordinator McKenzie Mitchell said the team wanted to help the community and spread the sport to communities of Color. 

Prospective members go through an application process. In order to be considered, an applicant must be entering eighth grade, play baseball or softball and live in King, Pierce or Snohomish County. Mitchell says when making decisions program leaders look for kids who’ve demonstrated strong character and have a connection to their community. 

Baseball is a sport which has struggled to get children of Color involved, and this is where Mitchell hopes the Hometown Nine can begin to make a difference. She hopes that through the support the Mariners can bring the game will continue to grow. 

Wilde first fell in love with the sport while attending a Tacoma Rainiers game. She said she was very active as a child, and her parents didn’t expect to be at the game for long. To their surprise, a five year old Joy was entranced. 

“I watched the game the whole time. I was on the edge of my seat, asking so many questions. And my parents never played softball, or baseball, but they were trying to explain it all to me. And ever since then, I've always just been really invested in the sport,” Wilde said. 

Experiences like that can give children the introduction to the game that they need. Bookie Gates of Baseball Beyond Borders, which is an organization bringing the game to youth of Color who may not have the resources to play, has placed five players in the Hometown Nine program. He stresses a very simple message: ‘Try Baseball’.

“It was intentional about connecting [the kids] with someone who looked like them, who can resonate with them,” Gates said. “That’s not only just within the players, but also within the organization.”

Gates says representation is the most important piece to getting Black youth involved in the sport. For him, the impact goes beyond the field.

“Baseball is the vehicle, and we want to see it lead to more CEOs, we want to see more nonprofit leaders, we want to see culinary arts, we want to see artists in general, right,” Gates said. “Whatever your passion is, we want to connect that.”

For those who have tried Baseball, their experiences have been rewarding. Mitchell told the story of Tycean Martin, another member of the Hometown Nine. Martin was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, essentially leaving him with half a heart. Over 22 surgeries later, he’s now an avid follower of Baseball and a lover of Jordan brand shoes. As part of the Hometown Nine program, Martin designed a custom pair of cleats for Kyle Lewis. They swapped shoes, and the moment became one of Mitchell’s favorites from the program. 

Tycean Martin and Kyle Lewis exchanging shoes (Photos Seattle Mariners)

Another cornerstone moment came on June 19th, as part of the Mariners’ Salute to the Negro Leagues. As part of an on-field pregame panel, Allah joined Mariners legend Alvin Davis and pitcher Justin Dunn to discuss baseball in the Black community. 

“That was a moment for me where I was just overjoyed and overcome with pride. I was just so proud of King for not only having the courage to do that level of public speaking in front of an entire ballpark, but also to do it with Justin Dunn and Alvin Davis,” Mitchell said. “I think that was a really remarkable moment.”

Even weeks later, Allah was still processing the moment. 

“Craziest thing I’ve ever done,” Allah said. “One of the best experiences.”

Allah’s introduction to the sport was nearly as exciting. In his very first baseball game he hit the ball and took off running. Before he knew it, he was standing on second base with a double. It was the excitement and thrill that caused him to fall in love with the game. 

“It was very crazy,” Allah said. “I didn’t even know what I was doing, I was just so excited.”

The support provided by the Hometown Nine is unique. One of the main goals for the program is to see every member through to high school graduation. Mitchell says the education aspect is just as important to the team as anything on the field. 

“I think making sure that they have a support system of adults that they know that they can go to at any time outside of their family unit is important,” Mitchell said. “Knowing that they can lean on us for support, especially if we need to advocate for them and the school system or help them get prepared when they want to go to college.”

Gates agreed, saying that continued education is one of the most important parts of the program.

“We know that college is not for everybody,” Gates said. “But the ability to continue along a pathway to increase your educational attainment, that speaks volumes.

While the Mariners continue to work on this program to make a sustainable difference in the community, it is an undeniable benefit to those already impacted. 

“I love it,” Allah said. “I'm glad that I have a lot of people that support me in this, but some people in the hometown nine maybe don't. I like that they support you the whole way, and I hope that I can expand the Hometown Nine program to others.”

Tune into Baseball Beyond Borders’ Students of the Game event on Tuesday, July 26th at 3 pm, streaming live across Converge Media platforms and featuring Mariners legend Dan Wilson and pitcher Justin Dunn

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