Mo Vaughn has never been a small man. He stands 6-1 and, in the height of his playing days, weighed around 225 lbs., mostly muscle. He hit towering home runs and was very light on his feet for a man of his stature. My guess is that if you saw the former 3X All-Star and 1995 AL MVP approaching you in a dark alley, you may walk the other way. But most who know Vaughn know the “hit dog” carries a jovial demeanor. Last weekend, at the Perfect Game All-American Classic, I saw Vaughn in his true element, at the ballpark. He flashed smiles and gave out daps and hugs like the true ambassador of the game he is. Vaughn was the Manager of the PG All-American East Team. The East team featured some of the very best high school players in the country (Class of ‘27), and, according to Perfect Game Rankings, the top two African American players in the game, Chase Fuller (#3) and Kinon Bastian (#4).
I visited with Vaughn at Citizen Bank Park for the Black Baseball Mixtape Podcast. We discussed his involvement with Perfect Game and his passion for leading young baseball players. We also talked about why there are not more Black coaches in the the professional and college ranks. Vaughn is insightful and passionate. His work at the grassroots level of youth baseball gives him a perspective worth sharing, and I know you will enjoy hearing it.
The Black Baseball Mixtape is in partnership with the Players Alliance, Minority Prospects, and Numbers Game Baseball Scorebooks.
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