Former Major League Baseball star Hunter Pence, an American former professional baseball right fielder known as “The Reverend”, in partnership with the nonprofit Because Baseball, hosted Egypt’s inaugural Play Ball Weekend, from 13 to 15 June, at the Pyramids of Giza. As part of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) global growth initiative, the event introduced hundreds of Egyptian youth to the sport, many for the first time, through hands-on clinics, school outreach programs, and exhibition games aimed at sparking grassroots enthusiasm. The Play Ball Weekend was a deliberate initiative to introduce baseball to a nation where football dominates the athletic landscape and where, until recently, few could articulate the rules of America’s pastime. Hunter Pence, a two-time World Series champion and a dedicated advocate for youth sports, spent the weekend on the ground, coaching, encouraging, and listening to the ambitions of Egyptian children curious to explore a sport still foreign to many of them. The event’s structure reflected Major League Baseball’s evolving international strategy, which focuses on initiating development at the grassroots level, empowering local leadership, and fostering the sport’s organic growth. Throughout the weekend, Pence and a group of volunteer…
