Cleveland-area kids congregate for Play Ball event

CLEVELAND — On Saturday morning, rain began to fall heavily on Progressive Field. The tarp draped over the infield. About 50 participants from the area, ages 9-14, were supposed to take the field to participate in the 2016 Play Ball Clinic to learn proper baseball fundamentals.

Rather than let Mother Nature dampen their spirits, the Indians chose to make the most of their bad fortunes. Matt Kata, Cleveland’s manager of youth baseball development and initiatives elected to move the party inside, holding the clinic in the Indians’ indoor facilities.

“For me, you can play ball anywhere,” Kata said. “I grew up in Northeast Ohio here. Not many months you can play outside. You have to get creative. We’d love to be outside, but the reality is we are having fun. Learning about the game … that’s really the goal. Teach the game and hope they love baseball a little bit more.”

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Kata, who has been with the Indians for three years, was in charge of the entire event. The Cleveland native oversees all youth baseball camps and clinics aimed to engage kids in Northeast Ohio.

For two hours on Saturday morning — before an afternoon tilt with the Twins — the Indians hosted 50 kids from organizations such as the Cleveland Baseball Federation, Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland and Buzz Baseball.

The event began at 9 a.m. ET with agilities. Kata, a big league veteran, then broke them into three different groups to begin …

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