SEMINOLE – Ben Zobrist has always been a team player so it came as no surprise when he pinch-hit for Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Andy Sonnanstine Aug. 27 at a public appearance at Osceola Middle School.
Zobrist, who is the Rays’ backup shortstop and utility player, filled the void when Sonnanstine was unable to attend due to illness.
A crowd of about 100 students listened while Zobrist, 27, lead a pep rally on the merits of learning math in conjunction with a Raytheon-sponsored program called MathMovesU.
Raytheon instituted the program after it surveyed 1,000 middle school students and discovered 84 percent would rather clean their rooms or take out the garbage than do their math homework.
In a nationwide effort to make math more appealing to sixth- through eighth-graders, Raytheon created MathMovesU, which uses an interactive Web site to make students more interested in math.
“I’m here to explain the importance of math as a Major League Baseball player,” said Zobrist. “It’s something I use every day in my job as a professional baseball player.
“Math skills are going to make your brain work in ways you never realized,” he added. “Things like putting forth the effort and getting your homework done are always important, whether it comes easy or not.”
The presentation featured a question-and-answer session with Zobrist, giveaways and student participation in singing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.”
Raytheon has long been committed to education projects. According to a release, the company has awarded $2 million in scholarships over the last two years, including more than $50,000 to Pinellas County students.
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