It’s been a couple of years since longtime slugger and designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion retired from baseball.
The slugger came to the big leagues with the Cincinnati Reds in 2005 and played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball.
He also spent time with the Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Chicago White Sox.
But in his retirement, the slugger has been quite busy, founding the Encarnacion Development Baseball System, a system that helps create opportunities in baseball for young children in the Dominican Republic.
MLB Network analyst Yonder Alonso caught up with his former Reds teammate to discuss what the three-time All-Star has been up to.
"The greatest blessing is going to be that a child like that reaches the Major Leagues."
Edwin Encarnación talks through his Encarnación Development Baseball System and the importance of providing opportunities to youth in the 🇩🇴.@Encadwin | @YonderalonsoU pic.twitter.com/R7VoGxZHyl
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 7, 2023
Encarnacion talked about how his long desire to help children succeed and how that tied into baseball.
It’s something that the 16-year MLB veteran had his eye on towards the end of his playing career.
And so, the slugger created his own baseball academy.
He wanted to build it far away from the town so that children could have a safe place to come play baseball.
Alonso also talked with Encarnacion’s brother Robert.
Robert talked about how he and Edwin had both desired to help enhance the experience of baseball in the Dominican Republic, and felt that it was important to provide help to young children through the sport.
The two brothers rented a nearby field, which ultimately became part of their academy.
Now, Encarnacion and his brother are providing a safe place for children to enjoy baseball and learn valuable lessons along the way.
NEXT: Cardinals Fan Stresses The Importance Of A Healthy Jack Flaherty
