BOB WILLIAMS, President Goodwill Series

Interview by Juliana LeRoy

"Maybe it sounds a little corny, but baseball is like the Fountain of Youth, I think," says Bob Williams.

From playing neighborhood pick-up games as a boy in Michigan to organizing an international organization that commands respect the world over, Bob's "Fountain of Youth" seems to be flowing pretty well. It might be because he pours so much of himself back in, devoting time, energy and connections to the world of baseball on a daily basis.

A conversation with Bob is sure to lead down anecdotal side trails, with amazing names springing up. Willie Mays, Tommy Lasorda, Dave LaRoche. Then there are the current stars of the baseball diamond, the names like Adam LaRoche, Delmon and Dmitri Young, Torii Hunter, Nomar Garciaparra.. And while he himself is modest, the world of baseball knows his name, too.

When Bob founded both Area Code Baseball, and the Goodwill Series, he had one main purpose in mind: to teach young men how to play better ball. Now focused solely on the Goodwill Series, Bob arranges for the best teaching staff and coaches he can find to meet that aim. Boys going to play in a Series game will have pro scouts, trainers, players and coaches on hand. They will learn by doing, because athletes are kinetic learners. They will learn on the spot, because that is the way to internalize new information. And they will learn straight from those who have been in the game and thrived.

"I'm more interested in a boy's composure than his stats," says Bob. "Can he cut it? Can he deal with the pressure of a situation and focus?"

Bob's Sixth Tool Clinic on the Goodwill Series website has questions for athletes to get them thinking. The tool Bob looks for is heart. The desire to play, and the desire to play good baseball, is what he looks for - and judging by the list of alumni, what Bob looks for he finds.