Hunter, Matthews Jr. co-host golf tourney for Youth Academy

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- Former Major League All-Stars Torii Hunter and Gary Matthews Jr. first met when they competed against each other as teenagers and developed a lifelong friendship that even saw them play together as teammates on the Angels from 2008-09.

But they’ve also made it their mission to give back to the community and once again partnered to co-host the annual Celebrity Golf Invitational at Pelican Hills Country Club to raise funds for the MLB Youth Academy in Compton, Calif. The event featured dozens of former Major Leaguers such as Brady Anderson, Bob Boone, Bret Boone, Royce Clayton, Rick Dempsey, Jay Gibbons, Mark Gubicza, Jerry Hairston Sr., Jerry Hairston Jr., Scott Hairston, Mike Harkey, Trevor Hoffman, Darrell Jackson, Jacque Jones, Ken Landreaux, Rudy Law, Colby Lewis, James Loney, Jerry Manuel, Gary Matthews Sr., Brent Mayne, Darren Oliver, Gary Pettis, Jeremy Reed, Garry Templeton and Michael Young.

The event was put together by MLB chief baseball development officer and former Angels GM Tony Reagins, MLB vice president of baseball development Del Matthews and MLB vice president of youth and facility development Darrell Miller.

“It's been a great turnout,” Hunter said. “I'm excited that guys can come out and play golf and still do something for a great cause. These kids get a chance go to college, go to the next level and do some great things. And get an education through their God-given ability. We want them to have a better chance and a better opportunity.”

The tournament, which was hosted by Hunter and Matthews Jr. for the seventh consecutive year, raises money for the Science of Baseball program that is put on by the Youth Academy in Compton every year. The Youth Academy opened in 2006 and serves children throughout the greater Los Angeles area, particularly those from underserved communities, by offering baseball and softball instruction as well as resources to aid off-the-field development.

“We're really trying to raise money for the Science of Baseball because it’s a game-changer from an education perspective for these kids in the inner city, or anywhere, really,” Miller said. “The kids really need to know how to process this kind of information to get to the next level.”

Miller, who had an instrumental role in the creation and the success of the Youth Academy in Compton, explained that they use baseball analytics to help teach science and math to the children at the Academy.

They’ve helped countless athletes get a college education and several alumni have reached the Majors such as Hunter Greene, Aaron Hicks, Khris Davis, Dominic Smith, Dillon Tate and Kyle Higashioka. They’ve also developed several scouts who now work in baseball and Major League umpire Malachi Moore. They also learn other skills such as field management, player development, journalism, public relations and statistics.

“The kids really understand the educational piece of it, and that's like the launch angles and spin rates and all those things,” Miller said. “It helps them immensely from a science and technology perspective. A lot of these kids struggle because maybe their school isn’t very good or they have a difficult life at home. It's really changing the landscape of what's going on in the inner city. So we’re really proud.”

Matthews Jr. said it was an honor to co-host the event again and added that he learned about giving back from his father, Gary Matthews Sr., who played in the Majors for 16 years. This event raised funds for the Youth Academy in Compton, but there are now academies in the Bronx (New York), Cincinnati, Dallas, Gurabo (Puerto Rico), Houston, Kansas City, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

“He taught us not only is the game about getting better and winning, but it's also about giving back to these communities [where] you're playing,” Matthews Jr. said. “These fans, they come out and they support you. They buy the tickets, they buy your jerseys, and chant for you and scream for you, and the least you can do is just be committed to serving this community. I've been retired 13 years now, [and] I’m still here in Orange County, which is where settled when I signed with the Angels, and I’m still serving this community and still trying to do my part.”