Acceptance Speech:

Thank you. It’s a profound honor to receive this recognition from the Buck O’Neil Professional Scouts & Coaches Association. As an African American man, I accept this award with deep humility, giving all the glory to God.

I am committed to living fully—not just being alive. I want to dedicate my life to lifting up the oppressed, the disenfranchised, and the marginalized. For me, success means using my influence to make a significant impact, not just in baseball, but in life. Baseball has been my vehicle for excellence, allowing me to drive toward purpose and meaning.

Today, I stand here wearing my red-Fruition Fru fedora—a nod to the power of the color red. I wear my Kareem Abdul-Jabbar adidas shoes, honoring his role in The Heritage—the Black athletes who courageously fought against racism. And I proudly wear my Kansas City Monarchs jersey in tribute to Buck O’Neil, whose legacy we celebrate today.

As coaches and scouts, we must use our positions to uplift Black people as a whole and, specifically, to support and empower Black boys. Baseball was invented in 1845, nearly two decades before the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the final end to American slavery on Juneteenth in 1865. Even during enslavement, Black people were playing baseball. Moses Fleetwood Walker broke barriers as the first Black man to play in the MLB in 1884. Jackie Robinson broke through in the modern era in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, helping the MLB expand beyond the Northeast to Los Angeles. And in 1966, the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta, with Hank Aaron—the game’s greatest player—proving Atlanta to be “A City Too Busy to Hate” as it became the first Major League sports team in the South amid the racist Jim Crow era.

There has never been a time in this country when Black people could truly experience liberation without baseball by our side. We owe it to our history, our players, and our community to use baseball as a means of uplifting and empowering future generations.

As a coach, I am guided by the acronym COACH:

1. Communicate Clearly – with players, parents, and other coaches to build trust and set clear expectations.
2. Observe Objectively – evaluate players based on facts and observable actions.
3. Adapt and Adjust – be flexible to meet each player’s unique needs and skill level.
4. Cultivate Relationships – foster positive connections with players and stakeholders.
5. Harness Potential – identify and nurture each player’s abilities to bring out their best.

And as a scout, I follow the SCOUT principles:

1. Strategic Evaluation – assess players for both current abilities and potential growth.
2. Credibility and Continuity – stay relevant and respected through constant learning.
3. Overcome Challenges – face and conquer biases and barriers with resilience.
4. Understand the Market – know the baseball industry’s trends and needs.
5. Talent Development Insight – partner with coaches to turn raw talent into refined skill.

To my fellow Black coaches and scouts in this room, I offer three fastball challenges:

1. Commit to being mentors for the next generation. Just as we were guided, we must guide young Black players and aspiring scouts and coaches.
2. Push for greater diversity and equity within your organizations. Advocate for more representation and fairness in our industry.
3. Stay true to our legacy of resilience. Our history is full of challenges overcome; let that strength drive our actions every day.

And I offer three home run solutions:

1. Let’s support each other through prayer. I ask that you pray for me daily as I serve as the Chief Visionary Officer of LEAD Center for Youth, a year-round, evidence-based, globally awarded, trauma-informed, sports-based youth development organization. Established 17 years ago, our mission is to use baseball to teach Black youth how to overcome three curveballs that threaten their success: crime, poverty, and racism. Together, let us pray for one another as we work toward lasting change..
2. Share resources and opportunities. Help open doors for each other, whether through sharing contacts, introducing young talent, or spreading knowledge and tools. LEAD operates annually with over a $1.5 million budget, serving over 250 Black boys and having served over 5,000 since 2007. Many supporters in this room were present when my wife, Kelli, and I started LEAD. Kelli, our LEAD CEO, and I are grateful for those who continue to support us financially and open doors.
3. Lead with integrity and purpose. As we pursue excellence, let us remember to uplift others along the way, setting a standard that inspires those who follow us and honoring the legacy of those who paved the path before us.

The path of a coach and scout is about more than just finding and developing talent; it’s about building community, creating opportunities, and advancing equity. We stand on the shoulders of those who fought hard for our place in this game, and now it’s our turn to make it better for those who come after us.

By meeting these challenges and embracing these solutions, we ensure that the impact of our work goes beyond the field. Let us be known not only for our skills and knowledge but for our courage to lead change, our commitment to each other, and our dedication to uplifting the Black community, especially young Black boys.

Once again, thank you for this honor. I am humbled to receive it, and I am grateful for the opportunity to keep pushing forward. Let’s continue to use baseball as a tool for liberation and empowerment, standing together as examples of resilience and hope. Here’s to carrying forward Buck O’Neil’s legacy with pride, purpose, and perseverance.

Thank you.

In 1946, there were zero African Americans in Major League Baseball. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947, marking the beginning of a race—one not just for talent but for representation. By 1975, African Americans made up 18.5% of MLB players. I was born in 1976, when that number stood at 18%. That year also marked the beginning of my personal journey in baseball.

My love for the game began in the summer of 1984. I was eight years old, spending my days watching Chicago Cubs day games with my grandad, Horace Dunn. After each game, I’d go outside and pretend the kudzu in my grandparents’ backyard was the famous ivy on the outfield wall at Wrigley Field. My favorite player? Gary Matthews Sr., also known as “The Sarge.”

In 1990, I had my first tryout with the Cubs. I was drafted by them in 1994 out of Westlake High School and again in 1998 out of Dekalb College. By 1998, I signed with the Cubs, and “The Sarge” became one of my hitting coaches. It was a dream come true.

Two African American men played crucial roles in my journey. The late T.J. Wilson, an Atlanta Police Officer, took me to those Cubs tryouts and advocated for me. Derrick Stafford, also from Bankhead, was one of my travel ball coaches. I also played travel ball at East Cobb Baseball, founded by Guerry Baldwin, where travel baseball was born.

Fast forward to today: African American representation in Major League Baseball is at a historically low 6%. Without intentional efforts, we could see a return to zero by 2040.

The decline is rooted in African American boys not being trained in what I call the “6 A’s”:

– Attitude: How a player acts.

– Awareness: How a player thinks.

– Adjustments: How a player responds.

– Aptitude: How a player corrects.

– Athleticism: How a player makes things happen.

– Aggressiveness: How a player competes.

Training is more than practice. It’s about developing talent (what you do naturally), habits (what you do repeatedly without thinking), and skills (what you do under stress). If we want to prevent the race from returning to zero, we need to ensure that African American boys possess all six of these A’s.

The race for representation in baseball began in 1947, peaked in 1975, and is now in danger of reversing. We must act now to stop this decline.

For more on baseball demographics, check out this link: [Baseball Demographics]

Welcome to Week 4 of our TRIAL series. We’ve spent the past few weeks Testing, Reflecting and Implementing what works. Now, as we enter the final stretch of the Assessment Phase, it’s time to make necessary adjustments—A for Adjust.

Adjustment is a crucial part of growth. Even the best plans and strategies will need some fine-tuning along the way. This week is all about recognizing where minor tweaks can lead to major improvements. Think of it like this: you’ve tested, reflected and implemented, but now you need to ask yourself, “Where can I adjust to become even more effective?”

Here are some key points to consider as you make adjustments this week:

• Analyze the small details – Sometimes, the smallest changes can make the biggest difference. Whether it’s adjusting your timing, refining your footwork, or making slight changes in your grip, now is the time to pay attention to the fine details.
• Be open to feedback – Seek input from your coaches, teammates, and even yourself. Integrity plays a big role here, as being honest with yourself about where adjustments are needed is key to your success.
• Stay flexible – Adjustments may not feel comfortable at first, but staying flexible and trusting the process will lead to greater results in the long run.

As always, Integrity remains our guiding principle this month. Making adjustments isn’t just about fixing mistakes—it’s about having the honesty and humility to admit that improvement is always possible. Integrity demands that we adjust even when it’s difficult, even when we’ve grown attached to old habits.

For example:

• If you’ve found that you’re getting better results with a new swing technique, but it still feels a bit awkward, don’t revert back to your old ways just because it’s easier. Instead, adjust and make the new approach your own.
• If your reflection last week showed that you’re still struggling with timing or patience at the plate, focus on adjusting your mindset or pre-pitch routine to improve those areas.

This week is your opportunity to take everything you’ve learned and fine-tune it before we transition into the Build Phase (November through January). Adjustments are the finishing touches that turn good into great.

Next week, we’ll close out this phase with L for Learn, reflecting on everything we’ve gained over the past two months and preparing to build habits and strength based on what we know works.

So, take this week to make those final adjustments with integrity. You’ve put in the work—now it’s time to refine it for success.

Remember: Intelligence tops being smart.

For more information, visit L.E.A.D. Center for Youth today.

If you found this inspiring and thought-provoking, or if you have any questions, comments or concerns, add me on Discord and let’s go deeper.

C.J. Stewart has built a reputation as one of the leading professional hitting instructors in the country. He is a former professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization and has also served as an associate scout for the Cincinnati Reds. As founder and CEO of Diamond Directors Player Development, C.J. has more than 22 years of player development experience and has built an impressive list of clients, including some of the top young prospects in baseball today. If your desire is to change your game for the better, C.J. Stewart has a proven system of development and a track record of success that can work for you.