WASHINGTON -- Seven-year-old Antonio, like so many other children from Washington, has always preferred football to baseball. For that reason alone, he was a perfect participant in Saturday's Play Ball initiative, a joint effort between the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Major League Baseball.
For four hours at King Greenleaf Recreational Center -- less than a mile from Nationals Park -- boys and girls ages 4 to 14 participated in a host of activities, some baseball-related (throwing at a target, running the bases) and some not (negotiating a obstacle course).
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was scheduled to attend the event, but was called away by another obligation.