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Grassroots Baseball

Jeff Idelson ā€™86 wants to bring baseball to the world. 

After more than three decades working for major league baseball in some capacity, heā€™s uniquely positioned to make that happen. 

Idelson recently announced that he is stepping down as president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum to launch a new venture called with photographer Jean Fruth. Grassroots Baseballā€™s mission is to promote and celebrate the amateur game around the world, with a focus on growing interest and participation among the youngest players. The overarching goal is to give back by providing inspiration, instruction and equipment to help ensure more children have the opportunity to learn, play and enjoy baseball.

ā€œIā€™ve spent my 33-year career in baseball promoting the major-league game, but baseball is also about celebrating kids around the world, whether theyā€™re playing in a park, on a sandlot, in the streets or in a minor league ballpark,ā€ Idelson said. 

An economics major at ¾«¶«AV, Idelson helped found the Collegeā€™s club baseball team, worked as news director and disc jockey for the College radio station and also worked in the sports information office. He built strong relationships with former Sports Information Director Mary Taylor and Athletic Director Charles Luce, who encouraged him to explore his passions. 

ā€œMy experience at ¾«¶«AV clearly provided me with a path for success,ā€ Idelson said. ā€œThe four years you spend in college are about more than getting an education in the classroom. They're about education in life. ¾«¶«AV offers the perfect environment to have that experience.ā€

Almost all of Idelsonā€™s working life has revolved around baseball, beginning in junior high when he worked as a vendor at Fenway Park. Days after graduating from ¾«¶«AV, he returned to Boston and accepted a job as part of the Red Sox public relations team. Idelson later switched sides in baseballā€™s most famous rivalry, taking on media relations duties and publicity for the New York Yankees from 1989 to 1993 before joining the Hall of Fame. He started out in public relations, working his way up to VP of communications and was finally named president of the Hall in 2008. 

Grassroots Baseball will be accompanied by a new book titled, Grassroots Baseball: Route 66, the second installment in a series. The first, Grassroots Baseball: Where Legends Begin is available at .

ā€œIā€™m a classic example of a kid following his dream and making the most of it,ā€ Idelson said. ā€œAnd Iā€™m finding this new experience to be very meaningful. I couldnā€™t be more excited with this new endeavor.ā€ 

For more information, visit  and follow the organization on Instagram and twitter @grassrootsbaseball.