PROGRAM 15, the Official Global Grassroots Player Identification and Development Program for New Balance Baseball, recently announced the appointment of Gordon Blakeley as Special Assistant to the President.
Jeremy Booth, PROGRAM 15 Founder, CEO and President of Baseball Operations for The New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series has confirmed that 35-year MLB scouting veteran Gordon Blakeley will be taking on the role of Special Assistant to the President for the organization.
Blakeley will lead the scouting process to find the best and brightest amateur baseball talent from Puerto Rico, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Australia, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Japan, Korea and Venezuela to be selected to attend the inaugural New Balance Future Stars Series World Combine scheduled for March 2020.
Booth said, “Gordon’s knowledge of the international market and his track record of signing players that have become all-stars is unparalleled. His history in the game and his ability to navigate cultural boundaries toward a common goal is exceptional, and you can’t go anywhere in baseball without someone recognizing his name. I look forward to his further contributions as we work to provide a platform to benefit players and unify them with the US through this global game.”
Blakeley has racked up some impressive credentials over his 35-year career as a Scout and MLB executive with the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves. He has personally signed 13 players who have appeared in MLB All-Star games and was involved in the scouting, signing, and development of many current and former MLB stars including Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek, Alfonso Soriano, Miguel Andujar, Gary Sanchez, Luis Severino, and Ron Acuna.
For more than two decades, Blakeley played an integral part within the New York Yankees organization. During his tenure, the team collected 5 World Series rings and 7 American League Championships. Taking on several roles including VP of Baseball Operations and head of Pro and International Scouting, Blakeley is credited with helping the organization sign Robinson Cano, Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, Jose Contreras, and Hideki Irabu.
Participation in the World Combine is by invitation only. Elite players will be selected by Blakeley and PROGRAM 15 staff through workouts and player development camps in designated locations throughout the Caribbean and Canada. Additional countries are currently under consideration and will be announced as they are confirmed.
Led by PROGRAM 15’s National Staff of former Major League and professional players, scouts, and coaches, Future Stars Series Training and Evaluation Combines have garnered a reputation as the most comprehensive amateur baseball player identification and development experiences available.
The World Combine will be broadcast globally by FloSports TV, the exclusive Live Streaming and On-Demand Coverage Provider for The New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series. The event includes one day of player evaluation and testing followed by three days of games.
All players will be evaluated by PROGRAM 15 staff for potential invitations to join the 2020 World Team Roster for the Future Stars Series International Week, where they will compete head to head with the National Team at the annual signature event of New Balance Baseball and PROGRAM 15.
ABOUT PROGRAM 15:
PROGRAM 15 boasts a faculty and staff that includes multiple Major League All-Stars and World Series veterans responsible for executing the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series, an initiative between the two organizations to elevate the game of baseball by providing amateur players across all economic levels an opportunity to reach their full potential through the training, development, and guidance of former MLB players, scouts, and coaches. For more information on Program15 and the Future Stars Series, visit www.futurestarsseries.com or @program15bb and @ftrstarsseries on Twitter.
ABOUT NEW BALANCE:
New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. Manufactured in the U.S. for over 75 years and representing a limited portion of our U.S. sales, New Balance Made U.S. is a premium collection that contains a domestic value of 70% or greater. New Balance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs more than 6,000 associates around the globe, and in 2017 reported worldwide sales of $4 billion. To learn more about New Balance, please visit www.newbalance.com and for the latest press information please visit http://newbalance.newsmarket.com.
