Phillies offer free baseball clinic on MLK Day of Service

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's observed as a day on, not a day off, and the Philadelphia Phillies put some swing into this MLK Day of Service with a free baseball clinic for the kids of the team's MLB Urban Youth Academy.

Outfielder Roman Quinn said, "Martin Luther King was a special part of my life, he's someone I definitely look up to, and being able to attend an event like this, working out with kids and having a good time is something special to me."

Quinn, joined Vince Velasquez and former Phillies Mickey Morandini and Milt Thompson to give back to the game that gave them so much.

"Just the message of everyone's the same, and just treat everybody the same and just give back," said Thompson.

"I think being here is part of our job to enforce that and to help kids and inspire the kids to continue doing what they love to do," said Velasquez, who reports to Clearwater with pitchers and catchers three weeks and two days from now.

He's feeling very optimistic.

"With the new management, Joe Girardi is a guy I always wanted to be managed by, I was actually a Yankees fan growing up, and when he came on board, managing all those superstars and what not, for him to come over here and manage us, I think it's gonna be a big drastic change, but for the better," Velasquez added.

In the meantime, he and the Phillies are doing their part to impact change in our world. As Dr. King once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What you are doing for others?"