From the day Spencer Long started playing baseball, he was rarely without a ball and a glove on his hand. At five years old Spencer encouraged his t-ball coach to pitch to him from the mound saying the tee wasn’t how the big kids hit the ball. Tom Forsythe, a good natured father laughed and replied ok son, grab your bat. Spencer sprinted to the plate with his bat on his shoulder and squared up Coach Tom’s first pitch out of the infield and over the center fielder’s head. Spencer dashed past first and ended his at bat standing on third base with a smile as big as a crescent moon. Coach Tom laughed telling him he guessed he was right. Coming up to me after the game Tom said, “I think your son’s headed for the major leagues and you heard it from me first.”

During his remaining days playing Little League Spencer excelled in the sport and received praise from coaches and peers because of his advance skill. He wasn’t the biggest boy on the field but certainly the most focused and always remained a team player and cheerleader for his teammates during the games and practices. Being part of a team has always been a favorite part of his love of baseball.

Spencer used to record MLB Tonight every night (as I wouldn’t let him stay up that late) and watched it every morning while eating his cereal before school. He studied teams, stats, trades, everything he could learn about the game. His desire to work hard never stops. You see, baseball isn’t a past time for Spencer, it is a passion.

Spencer continued during and after Little League with The Prospects, a travel team from Beach City Baseball Academy. This team became a second family and played together for six years. Many of these boys still work out together weekly at BCBA. During his time with Babe Ruth Baseball, Spencer played on the 13 year old All Star team that won the Babe Ruth World Series in North Dakota. After that, he moved on to play four years on Varsity with Eagle Baseball at El Segundo High School and travel ball with Trosky out of BCBA. During his time in high school Spencer was president of FCA, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club on campus and started Undivided, an event bringing Christian Youth Groups from all over the South Bay together to worship and fellowship. You see, the one thing Spencer values more than baseball is his faith and he lives it daily.

Many young men have the 5 tools necessary to play competitive baseball. It is the 6th tool, Character, that sets an athlete apart from his peers. It is this tool that Spencer lives that earned him the Robert Kingston Award in baseball for the most Inspirational player on the Eagle Varsity team and the 2017 Louis Zamperini Award for displaying the excellence of Christ in character, leadership, integrity and athletic achievement for the glory of God.

Spencer has worked at Beach City Baseball when he is able, helping wherever he is needed at tryouts and camps. He holds down a job at Beach Mex so he is able to pay the BCBA trainers to help him stay strong and healthy to play at the next level. Spencer is already playing with the El Camino summer league team, The South Bay Sliders and is looking forward to being a Warrior next season, hoping to move to a 4 year college after that.