Major League Baseball receives its fair share of criticism, but it often doesn’t receive the praise it deserves when it backs an initiative that truly does a lot of good — especially for young kids and teens.

Its network of 11 Urban Youth Academies does indeed do a lot of good for young people in inner cities.

By focusing on the newest such academy in Kansas City, we look at who helped fund it, what services it provides (that go beyond playing the sport) and why its exact location “links the past with the future.” Check it out!

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