Greene inspires youth with latest cleat giveaway
Reds phenom hosts event at complex where he played tournaments as a kid
When Hunter Greene was a young player hoping to make it to the Major Leagues, he recalls playing on the backfields of Big League Dreams.
The fiery right-hander for the Reds remembers it as a formative experience that helped him get to where he is now—an essential part of Cincinnati’s core of talent and an anchor of the rotation.
He organized Pro Day with Hunter Greene on Saturday at BLD in the goal of encouraging young people to pursue their own baseball careers. He gave out brand-new Nike cleats to children, posed for pictures, signed autographs, and made the day memorable all around.
Greene started his charitable work a long time ago.
Regarding the most recent cleat giveaway that he and his family have had over the last few years, Greene remarked, “It’s special, man.” It consistently improves. Since we’ve started doing this, it’s gotten much bigger. Being able to hold this role has been a blessing.
Greene’s sister and brother, Libriti and Ethan, as well as his parents, Russell and Senta, were involved in the events of the day, making it a family affair as well.
Regarding his family’s involvement, Greene remarked, “They’ve been a huge part of my life and any type of work I do off the field.” “My sister and brother arrived this morning at around seven o’clock to assist with boxing up the cleats and removing them from storage. Few people would take that action.
Enjoying the cleat giveaway, which had Greene interacting with athletes of various ages and abilities, who were all obviously thrilled to get Nike cleats and the chance to meet a Major League pitcher up close. It was exactly the kind of atmosphere that gamers need to grow to love the game.
Hunter Greene talks charity, Reds
Greene, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 Draft, was born and raised in Los Angeles. And though Big League Fields in Chino Hills is roughly an hour away from L.A. proper, hosting this event at BLD was a full-circle moment for the entire Greene family.
Walking the grounds, Senta was struck by a specific memory of being at Big League Dreams when Hunter was playing in games on some of the fields (which are designed to replicate legendary MLB ballparks like Wrigley Field and Tiger Stadium, among others).
For Reds, giving back ‘part of your culture’
“It’s incredibly powerful,” said Senta, who partnered with her son on the event via her Full Circle Consulting Systems, Inc., described on its website as “a full service consulting firm specializing in child development, human development and organizational development.”
“It’s exciting to be here to see all the youth coming out and reflecting back on Hunter’s early experiences with travel ball and also being part of it, of this experience,” she said.
Hunter Greene’s 14 strikeouts
Senta said her son’s passion for giving back began at an especially early age.
“When he was this age, 8 years old, that’s when he really started his philanthropic efforts,” Senta said. “One of the things that we said to him was, ‘Even when you’re 8 years old, you’re standing on a platform. It may not be as big as a Major League Baseball player[‘s platform], but you have a platform,’ and to always go back and remember the power and the importance of making connections, caring for others and creating impact. And that’s exactly what he’s doing.”
When he was around 8 — the same age as many of the kids who took part in Saturday’s cleat giveaway — Hunter started a book drive for a cancer foundation, and that lit the spark that has powered his keen sense of charitable giving and helped him become the Reds’ 2023 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award.
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