Over 40 young athletes from Bedford participated in the Cleveland Guardians Youth Baseball Camp, which took place in town this past June—an initiative made possible through the efforts of Councilman Vic Fluharty and Union Home Mortgage CEO Bill Cosgrove.
Fluharty, a former Bedford High School baseball player and coach, helped bring the camp to Bedford last year with Cosgrove, a Bedford native. “We promised to get this camp back again this year, and Bill was paying again this year for every Bedford kid,” said Fluharty. “We are trying to get these kids involved in playing baseball.”
With no local baseball leagues currently active in Bedford, Fluharty says the camp is a step toward reigniting interest in the sport among local youth. “It hurts me to see no baseball around on our baseball fields. This is why I am trying to get this started for our kids.”
The Guardians camp provides professional-level instruction, including drills and skill-building sessions led by Guardians-affiliated coaches. This year’s camp was made even more memorable by a visit from former Cleveland Guardians reliever Cody Allen, who met with players and signed autographs.
Fluharty expressed heartfelt thanks to Cosgrove for once again fully sponsoring Bedford’s participants: “Thank you Bill Cosgrove for paying for these kids and caring for our town!”
The June camp signals new energy around youth baseball in Bedford—and a hopeful path toward seeing the city’s fields active once again.
