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All American Game  | Story | 9/8/2025

Big-league wisdom is served at PGAAC

Jim Salisbury
Photo: Mike Sweeney (Perfect Game)
Big-league wisdom is served at PGAAC

SAN DIEGO – For Denard Span, it was a full-circle moment.

Before serving as a coach at the DICK’s Perfect Game All-American Classic last month, he had not participated in a PG event in 24 years, since he attended a showcase at Tropicana Field as a high school prospect from Tampa Catholic in 2001.



Back then, Span shared a field with future major-league talents Prince Fielder, B.J. Upton, Scott Kazmir and Zack Greinke.

Now, he was at Petco Park working with young phenoms such as Grady Emerson, Jacob Lombard, Malachi Washington and Aiden Ruiz.

“I’m amazed at what PG is doing here, amazed at how the whole operation has grown,” Span said after watching batting practice. “The talent here is incredible. These kids have it all. I’ve been away from the amateur game for a little bit so to come back and see the size of these young guys, the speed, the arm strength, the explosiveness, the athleticism, the ability to hit for power.

“They’re way more advanced than me 20-plus years ago. They’re on another level. These guys are low-key professionals already at 17 and 18 years old.”

Perfect Game brought its top 62 rated players, all 2026 draft eligibles, to San Diego for its 23rd annual Classic.

The guest list also included an All-Star roster of coaches, instructors and ambassadors, guys who had enjoyed successful major-league careers and were eager to help a new generation of talent follow its dreams. Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman managed the West club. Former World Series champ Ryan Klesko managed the East club. The West squad won the game, but competition was only part of the event. https://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=23834&src=hmrep

Hitters benefitted from coaching tips provided by former American League MVP Mo Vaughn and All-Stars Mike Sweeney, Phil Nevin and Mark Loretta, as well as Jason Phillips and Span, a 2002 first-round draft pick who played 11 seasons in the majors. Pitchers were able to tap into the experiences of former All-Star Tom Gordon, 20-game winner Scott Erickson and longtime big-league reliever Todd Coffey.

Sweeney and Nevin were both in uniform for the first time at a PG event. Sweeney works in leadership development for the Kansas City Royals. Nevin works in player development and scouting for the Chicago White Sox. Both were impressed by the talent at the PGAAC.

“You see kids coming into minor-league baseball out of high school at such a young age and yet they’re so developed,” Sweeney said. “You think, ‘Man, how are these kids getting so big and so strong and so athletic so quickly?’ With PG, you get a taste of it right here. These kids are just starting their senior years in high school and they’re hitting the ball like big-leaguers. It’s incredible. The bodies, the skill sets, the bat to ball. PG is putting on a show.”

During batting practice, Sweeney enjoyed talking hitting with infielder Trey Ebel of Rancho Cucamonga, California.

“We talked about some of the life lessons I learned in the cage after games in Wilmington, Delaware, trying to figure it out till 1 in the morning,” Sweeney said. “Back then I was thinking, ‘Am I ever going to get out of A ball?’ Then you figure something out with your swing and you’re like, ‘Oh, this is a little golden nugget that no one ever told me.’ I got to share those golden nuggets with Trey and he’s taking it to the cage to see if it works for him. It’s great to share little nuggets with these guys.”

Nevin was the first overall pick in the 1992 draft out of Cal State Fullerton. He struggled to reach his potential early in his career before becoming one of the game’s top run producers with the San Diego Padres in the early 2000s. Later on, Nevin coached in the majors with the San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels. He also managed the Angels. Clearly, he had a wealth of experience to share with the young players.

“Listen,” Nevin said when asked what advice he was most eager to share with players. “Use all the resources around you. It took me a while to realize that people were always there to try to help me. Thankfully, I got another chance to apply those teachings and learnings throughout my career and was able to put together some good years at the end, but it certainly didn’t start off right away like that for me. I wouldn’t want to see these kids not take advantage of the situation and be at their best when they should be.”

Nevin also addressed work habits with players.

“Make sure every rep you take, every swing you take, every throw you make is done with meaning and the purpose of getting better every day,” he said.

And on top of everything …

“Keep it fun,” he said.

That wasn’t a problem for the 62 young men in San Diego. Hoffman, who has a long affiliation with PG, both as an investor and Honorary Chairman of the Classic, renewed a tradition he started years ago when he invited all the players to his beach house for a couple of hours of fun in the sun. Players swam, surfed, tossed footballs and enjoyed a catered lunch from Hodad’s, the famous San Diego burger spot.

“Kids are coming from all over the country for this event, which is great,” Hoffman said. “They all bring a different experience to San Diego. And, so, it’s an opportunity for them to see something that I truly cherish and that’s living close to the water. To be able to give them that opportunity on a mid-summer August day to take their minds off the stresses that surrounds this game, even at their level -- I like to be able to do that.”

The memories stay with the young players forever. Years after participating in the 2015 PGAAC, major leaguer Josh Naylor approached Hoffman at Petco Park and said, “Hey, Mr. Hoffman, I had a blast at your house.”

Back at the ballpark, players ate up advice like they ate up those burgers at Trevor Hoffman’s beach house.

“Stay disciplined, be consistent and have the heart and the grit and the ability to persevere,” Span said. “It’s a difficult game. It can tear you down at times. But if you stay disciplined to the work and stay disciplined to your craft and keep your nose clean, I believe you will put yourself in a position to be successful.”
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