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The Perfect Game All-American Classic will have some star power leading the way in the dugouts.
The world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform announced Wednesday that World Series champion Joe Girardi and former All-Star outfielder Shane Victorino will serve as managers. The game will take place on Sunday, August 16 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
The All-American Classic will feature many of the nation’s top high school baseball players. Girardi, who won three World Series as a player during his 15-year career and one as manager of the New York Yankees, said it’s a “thrill” to be a part of the game.
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Joe Girardi salutes the crowd during New York Yankees Old Timers Day on August 24, 2024 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY (Ikon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“It’s a thrill for me to be around so much young talent. I think the big leagues have a ton of young talent and this is going to give me an opportunity to see more and probably in three or four years I’ll say that young man in the big leagues, I got a chance to manage him and I saw him when he was 17 years old and you could just tell he was going to a big Fox interview in a digital interview.”
“I’m really excited about that and just being around so many great players and the biggest thing for me is that they’re having fun and enjoying this and realizing what they’ve achieved so far, but this is just scratching the surface.”
The former Philadelphia Phillies manager said he will tell the players they have a “gift.”
“I would tell them that they have a gift and that gift is baseball. And don’t waste it. Put everything you have into getting better every day. Take care of your body, take care of your mind, make sure you don’t overexert yourself, but you have to work. I mean, this is a repeat game and you have an opportunity to do something really, really special that so few people get a chance to do,” Guitar waste.
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Shane Victorino of Team Victorino hits during the MLBx All-Star 3-on-3 Challenge presented by ITO EN at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pa. (MLB Photos via Getty Images)
“Don’t waste your opportunity here. Really go for it and you will be rewarded.”
The players will not only have Girardi and Victorino to look after, but they will also be guided by a host of assistant coaches who starred in the big leagues. The coaching staff includes 1995 American League MVP Mo Vaughn, Hall of Fame pitcher Trevor Hoffman, All-Star outfielder Ryan Klesko, along with MLB veterans Todd Coffey, Denard Span and Jason Phillips.
The coaching staff will include members of the 1993 Phillies National League championship team Milt Thompson and Ben Rivera, 2008 World Series champions Kyle Kendrick and Tom “Flash” Gordon and 2010 and 2011 National League East champion Jose Contreras.
Girardi’s son, Dante, is also among the coaching staff.
“I also get to coach with my son, Dante, and it’s really special to me because Dante has always loved the game since he was 5 years old. And we went through these Perfect Game events and I actually coached for his team FTB one year when I wasn’t managing and went to the big Perfect Game events,” Girardi said.
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Dante Girardi stands next to his father, Joe Girardi, in the outfield at Yankee Stadium. (Courtesy of Dante Girardi)
“We went to Atlanta and I remember building a bed in the back of the truck as we drove around and played in different places. It’s just really good memories for me and it’s going to make another great memory between my son and I. And I’m sure he’ll have a lot of advice for me. And I should probably listen because he understands what it’s like to be young.”
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Girardi guaranteed that one of the players in this game will be in an All-Star game in the future.
The All-American Classic debuted in 2003, and since its inception, the game has featured some of the biggest names in the game of Major League Baseball in the event. Bryce Harper, Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt. Jr, Gerrit Cole and Francisco Lindor are among the star players who have played in the game over the years.
