Young athletes step up to the plate with help from former MLB players at EL1 Reading

Wednesday, May 27, 2026
READING, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- When these aspiring ball players step up to the plate, they can do so with a real big leaguer in their corner.

"EL1" is a national organization with a home base out in Reading, PA.

There, future stars are being trained by former MLB Players, such as Rich DeLucia from the Seattle Mariners.

"I went to Wyomissing High School. I graduated in 1982, got drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 1986. Got to the big leagues with Seattle in 1990...All that that I learned in the big leagues, they learn here," said DeLucia of 3Up 3 Down Baseball Academy.

"My hope is each one of them gets what they want out of baseball. There's so many lessons to be learned. It's a team game, work ethic and working hard. You can learn so much," he continued.



For the kids who are a part of their program, they think it's a big hit.

"They've helped me so much and I can't thank them enough for it...I believe that they have the tools and they have the mindset to get anyone in the world a better baseball player," said Greyson Bell from Douglasville, Pennsylvania.

For more information, check out the video above.

Also, check out their website.
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