photo from Mark Gormus, RTD

The RTD has a nice profile of Binford Middle School Spanish teacher Chris Mercer, who is also an assistant coach for the Thomas Jefferson High School Baseball team. It discusses Mercer’s mission to bring baseball back to the city schools in a meaningful way that emphasizes not only sports, but also character. He calls it 3-D Baseball; standing for dignity, discipline, and dedication.

It is, thanks to Chris Mercer, a Spanish teacher at Binford Middle School whose one-man mission of improving city baseball has found a team of converts at T.J. and another at Binford.

A decade after playing at T.J., Mercer is back as an assistant coach. But he’s more than a hit-’em-grounders guy. He has created a program geared to improving the way the game is played — and the way the players carry themselves. He’s teaching it to the T.J. players. And they, in turn, are teaching it to the players at Binford.

We particularly commend swinging by the Binford Bash this Saturday (April 25th) from 11 AM-6PM at 1701 Floyd Ave. It’s an Arts festival that will feature local artists and performances by Binford students and benefit the Fan’s Middle School.
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