A catcher’s call to read: Will Smith kicks off 2025 LA Reads season
by Erin Edwards
Dodger All-Star catcher Will Smith traded his mitt for a microphone and his spikes for storytime at Manhattan Place Elementary in South Los Angeles, where he helped launch the 2025 LA Reads program in an unforgettable fashion on Wednesday.
In front of 200 enthusiastic elementary school students, Smith led a lively reading session, fielded rapid-fire questions from the crowd and unveiled a brand-new outdoor Literacy Corner. It’s the second of three World Series Legacy projects made possible through the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) and Smith’s Catching Hope Foundation with his wife Cara Smith.
Smith’s connection with the students was immediate. When asked who the most famous contact in his phone was, he smiled and said, “Shohei Ohtani.”
Another student wanted to know which teammate he’d want to be stranded on a desert island with. His answer? “Tyler Glasnow. He’s got that Tarzan vibe.”
But perhaps the most meaningful moment came when a young fan asked how they could become a Dodger someday. Smith’s advice was clear and powerful: “Dominate the classroom and work hard.”
The day was filled with fun, from a spontaneous dance battle with the Dodger bobblehead character to book giveaways that had students flipping pages before the event even ended. Each child went home with a new LA Reads T-shirt, a cap and their own book to grow their home library.
Now in its ninth season, LA Reads has distributed over 30,000 books and logged more than 5.6 million minutes read through its Dodgers Reading Champions challenge. This year’s kickoff is a reminder of what happens when literacy meets community — and when a Dodger like Smith shows kids that heroes don’t just hit home runs, they open books.
To register for Dodgers Reading Champions or learn more about LA Reads, visit dodgers.com/lareads.
A Catcher’s Call to Read: Will Smith Kicks Off 2025 LA Reads Season was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.