LONDON -- The bright green and tan colors of the painted baseball diamond at Roger Ascham Primary School¡¯s courtyard contrasted against the blue of the clear London sky. Cheers and shrieks of delight from the students filled the air as they watched their peers play against some former Major Leaguers. Rounding the bases after each swing, the students eagerly got back in line to hit again.

Commissioner Rob Manfred unveiled the permanent baseball diamond on the blacktop as an MLB Together legacy gift to Roger Ascham Primary in a ceremony on Friday morning. The donation, in partnership with BaseballSoftballUK, Greater London Authority and Youth Sports Trust, is part of MLB First Pitch, an in-school grassroots skills program to introduce a new generation of players to baseball.

¡°One of the best parts about international events like the London Series is it allows us to engage with our host communities,¡± Manfred said. ¡°There¡¯s a great sporting culture here, and we hope and we believe that baseball and softball can become an important part of that culture.¡±

Manfred was joined by Alex Cohen, owner of the Mets and President of the Amazin¡¯ Mets Foundation; John Middleton, Managing Partner & CEO of the Phillies; and members of MLB¡¯s Commissioner¡¯s Ambassador Program (CAP) to present and christen the playing surface to the First Pitch school.

¡°While the Mets and the Phillies are competitors for about two and a half hours out of the day, we are partners the rest of the time,¡± said Middleton. ¡°We¡¯re proud along with Major League Baseball to be a part of trying to grow our game internationally.¡±

Along with promoting the development of future ballplayers, First Pitch also aims to develop personal skills like teamwork, leadership, resilience, self-esteem and critical thinking. Both clubs worked together to promote a school-wide reading competition at Roger Ascham Primary as an extension of their reading programs.

Students from grades 4-6 were invited to a reading assembly as a reward for participating in the competition before the unveiling of the playing surface. During the assembly, the Mets and Phillies mascots -- Mr. and Mrs. Met and the Phillie Phanatic -- acted out the renowned poem ¡°Casey at the Bat¡± by Ernest Thayer, read by Phillies broadcaster Tom McCarthy. Hall of Famer Mike Piazza represented the Mets, while alumni Cole Hamels and Mickey Morandini attended on behalf of the Phillies, signing hats at the end of the assembly.

¡°The reading assembly and this morning¡¯s ceremony are a perfect demonstration of the commitment of Major League Baseball, the Mets and the Phillies as we make a difference in our communities each and every day,¡± senior vice president of social responsibility April Brown said.

The students began to play some baseball on the blacktop as they waited for the ceremony to begin. Their enthusiasm was contagious to everyone present, including former Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino, a member of MLB¡¯s CAP Program. Victorino, who played for the Phillies from 2005-12, joined the fun and pitched to the school children who were batting. Piazza also couldn¡¯t resist and joined to give some swinging tips.

The game continued on the diamond after the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The former players took to the field to play and coach the students as they went up to hit. Dellin Betances, who pitched for the Mets in 2020 and ¡®21, took the mound as he had done many times throughout his career -- but this time to face the most difficult lineup yet.

¡°I got no strikeouts probably for the first time in my career,¡± Betances said. ¡°These kids were smacking the ball all over the place. This is what it¡¯s all about: Trying to inspire these kids and playing this beautiful game that we learned to play at a young age, and hopefully they can someday be in our shoes.¡±

The students continued to play amongst themselves after the former Major League stars left, marking the continuation of a growing interest in the game.