Another Radcliffe gets his chance

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It's hard to say exactly how long Kendall Radcliffe has been preparing for this day.

Maybe it was since he first picked up a bat and started swinging it at the age of 2. Perhaps it's been since his great-uncle, Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe came out to watch him play in a Little League championship game five years ago. Or even since he was sidelined last summer with a broken collarbone.

That injury forced Radcliffe, who will be a senior at Morgan Park this fall, to sit out the first Double Duty Classic all-star baseball game at U.S. Cellular Field. But the center fielder is healthy now and very much looking forward to playing in the second annual game named for his late relative.

The event features high school players from Chicago, the suburbs and four other states (Arkansas, Missouri, New York and Texas), giving them a chance to state their case for college coaches and pro scouts.

Before Friday's 1:05 p.m. game, there will be a forum moderated by writer and broadcaster Michael Wilbon, featuring White Sox general manager Ken Williams and several former Negro League players.

Radcliffe has heard the story of how his great-uncle, who died in 2005 at the age of 103, got his nickname for pitching in one game of a doubleheader and catching in the other. And he's looking forward to picking the brains of some other black baseball pioneers.

"I want to know, from a player's point of view, what can inner city players do to get looked at?" Radcliffe said Thursday during a break in a workout at UIC's Les Miller Field. "How [can they] showcase their skills so they can get opportunities like any other good ballplayer?"

Radcliffe actually has been getting some exposure by playing for the White Sox Amateur City Elite travel team.

"If it wasn't for the White Sox, I wouldn't be able to go to [prospect] showcases," said Radcliffe, who still hopes the day will come when the scouts come to the players as well as vice versa.

"Sometimes we get overlooked," he said. "College coaches should come out to see our games during the regular season to see our talent, too, like they do with the Catholic League and suburban [teams]."