Grassroots Baseball: Route 66

Jean Fruth's trajectory as one of baseball's preeminent photographers has taken her on a round-the-horn tour of the sport's most indelible landmarks. After covering Bay Area sports, Jean became the traveling photographer for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and then for their partner, La Vida Baseball. Jean's non-profit organization, Grassroots Baseball, celebrates and promotes the amateur game around the globe. She is recognized by Sony as one of its 45 Sony Artisans of Imagery, world-wide. Her first book, Grassroots Baseball: Where Legends Begin, was released in June 2019.Jeff Idelson's career as a baseball executive spanned 34 years with the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. After eight years in public relations with the two American League rivals, he joined the staff in Cooperstown in 1994, spending 26 years with the venerable organization. He served as President for 12 years, overseeing the daily operation of the non-profit, educational institution and its staff of 90 employees. The Boston native, who cut his teeth as a vendor at Fenway Park, retired from the Hall of Fame in 2019 to co-found Grassroots Baseball, a non-profit organization that celebrates the amateur game around the globe and grows interest and participation at the youngest levels.Mike Veeck's name has been synonymous with fun at the ballpark for the last half century. After a career as a major league executive with the White Sox, Tigers, and Rays, the current president and co-owner of the St. Paul Saints continues to blaze new trails every baseball season. His first book, Fun is Good, came out in 2005, and served as his inspiration to start an organization by the same name that's mission is to create more fun and joy in the workplace. The Veeck family has been involved in baseball for more than 100 years, as Mike's grandfather was president of the Chicago Cubs starting in 1919, and his father, Bill, owned the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and the then-minor league Milwaukee Brewers before eventually earning election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.Johnny Bench is considered one of the greatest catchers in baseball history. The winner of two National League MVP awards and 10 consecutive Gold Gloves, Bench spent his entire 17-year career in a Cincinnati Reds uniform and led the Big Red Machine to back-to-back World Series championships in 1975 and 1976. The pride of Binger, Oklahoma was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.Jim Thome, ​a left-handed slugger with prodigious power, slugged 612 home runs, thanks to 12 seasons in which he hit 30 or more. During an illustrious 22-year major league career, the native of Peoria, Illinois drove in 1,699 runs, led Cleveland to a pair of American League pennants, and became the eighth player to reach the 600 home run plateau, requiring the second fewest at bats to do so. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.