KANSAS CITY -- Over the course of four days in Kansas City this past week, Milian Valdez received advice about her batting stance from Tamara Holmes and participated in fielding drills under the direction of Veronica Alvarez, two legends in the U.S. Women’s Baseball world.
On Wednesday, Valdez capped her trip to Kansas City with a meet-up with Salvador Perez at Kauffman Stadium.
“This is crazy,” Valdez said as she walked on the field during batting practice Wednesday afternoon.
Valdez first started playing baseball when she was 9 years old after watching her cousin play the sport. Now at 15, she’s more in love with the game than ever and was in town this week to participate in the Girls Baseball Elite Development Invitational at the Urban Youth Academy.
A multi-day camp, the Girls Baseball EDI and Softball EDI featured 130 high school softball and girls baseball athletes from nearly 30 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. It’s a development-focused event with on-and off-field events, including position-specific work, strength and conditioning, lessons on mental performance, mentorship opportunities and more.
USA Softball and USA Baseball Women’s National Team players, coaches and alumni served as instructors for the event. The youth camp mirrored USA Softball and USA Baseball Women’s National team training camps.
Valdez got there in part because of Perez.
The Royals captain is connected to Valdez’s family back in the Miami area, where Valdez lives and Perez spends most of his offseasons. Valdez has participated in an EDI camp before, but when Perez learned of her passion for the game and eagerness to keep learning, he helped her find a spot in the Kansas City camp this week.
“I’m happy for her that she got the opportunity,” Perez said. “And now she can take advantage of it. So I just feel like that’s part of our job, do anything you can do to help any kid try and reach their dreams.”
Valdez was grateful for the opportunity to participate in EDI again and even more so because of how she got here this year. More than anything, she was eager to learn from the coaches and grow her skillset.
“It’s just brought my confidence up,” Valdez said. “I hope I can take advantage of it and learn from it and keep going. I want to stay in the game as long as I can.”
Perez is no stranger to helping others, especially when it comes to growing the game with young kids. The 2024 Roberto Clemente Award winner, Perez has donated to the Urban Youth Academy, established a youth league in Venezuela and provides fields, coaches and equipment to the now over 200 players who participate in that league.
Last year, Perez made an impromptu stop to join a neighborhood baseball game with a group of local kids, now known as Salvy’s Sandlot Crew. And this past Monday, Perez spent part of his off day playing ball with kids in Olathe, Kan., just south of Kansas City.
Helping Valdez, and meeting her Wednesday, was “easy” for him, he said.
“It was a small thing that turned into a big thing,” Perez said. “It was just one email. But it’s anything -- just figure out how you can open the door for as many kids as you can.”
Valdez will take all she learned at EDI back to her high school baseball and softball teams. She’s more inspired than ever to continue playing and growing; her goal is to play softball in college and eventually help kids in the Dominican Republic play baseball, too.
She plays every position on the field except catcher.
“Why don’t you catch?” Perez asked Valdez on Wednesday.
She said afterward she might have to try.
Dynamic first pitch duo
Because they were in town this week for EDI, Alvarez and Jennie Finch, the Olympian and softball legend, teamed up to throw the ceremonial first pitch before Wednesday’s Rays-Royals matchup at Kauffman Stadium.
Finch threw a strike -- right to Alvarez.