Retired players Todd Zeile, Yonder Alonso discuss vaccine at New York City high school as part of...

NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball joined many of its clubs in coronavirus vaccination efforts, sending retired players Todd Zeile and Yonder Alonso to a New York City high school as part of an education push Wednesday.

"It's just giving awareness," said Alonso, now a broadcaster for the MLB Network. "It's giving these kids an opportunity giving these families an opportunity to decide what they would like to do in regards to getting vaccinated or not. I think it's a small step to hopefully doing what's right and keeping people healthy, not just the young kids, but obviously their parents or grandparents."

Some of the students at Cristo Rey New York High School are part of a corporate work-study program with Major League Baseball, which teamed with CVS Health.

"Being vaccinated is going to help all of us in terms of the classroom and for work, with much lower risk of illness and much greater confidence, Cristo Rey president Dan Dougherty told the group.

Alonso last played in 2019, and Zeile, now an SNY broadcaster, retired after the 2004 season. The two ex-players spoke with the students about the difficulties of adjusting to the lack of a rigid routine when their careers ended.