Baseball Revival In Inner-Cities
PALM BEACH, FL - Boys and girls from 24 teams in 18 communities around the The 24 teams playing in the RBI World Series are divided into three divisions: Junior Boys (13-15 year olds); Senior Boys (16-18 years olds) and Girls Softball (18 and under). The baseball portion of the tournament will be played August 5-8, and the softball portion will be played August 10-14. The following is a complete list of teams participating in this year’s RBI World Series presented by KPMG: Junior Boys Teams Senior Boys Teams Compton ( Girls Softball Teams Cleveland ( Minneapolis/St. Paul (Minneapolis/St. Paul The Senior Baseball Championship will air live on MLB Network on August 8 at 2:00pm ET and the Softball Championship will be taped to broadcast on August 22 at 1:00pm ET, also on MLB Network. “I would like to congratulate all of the young people from around the country, Puerto Rico and the The RBI program presented by KPMG has provided the opening for many players to enter the college and professional game. More than 180 RBI participants have been drafted by MLB Clubs throughout the program’s 22-year history and many others were given the opportunity for higher education through baseball and softball scholarships. RBI alumni currently playing in the big leagues include: Carl Crawford (Tampa Bay Rays), Justin Upton (Arizona Diamondbacks), Coco Crisp (Kansas City Royals), James Loney (Los Angeles Dodgers) and CC Sabathia (New York Yankees). Crawford (2009 MLB All-Star Game MVP Award Presented by Chevrolet recipient; Houston RBI – ’97), Loney (Houston RBI – ’99) and Crisp (Los Angeles RBI – ’95, ’96) each played in an RBI World Series. Ten current and former RBI participants were selected in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, including first round draft selections in Manny Machado and Yasmani Grandal, both from the Florida Marlins RBI program. “Playing in the RBI World Series was a great experience at a young age,” said Loney. “I loved playing at Disney World. It was a great time for me and I thank RBI for that.” In addition to RBI World Series tournament games, players and coaches will attend a game at Sun Life Stadium, home of the Florida Marlins, between the Marlins and defending National League Champions Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, August 4. There will also be educational sessions by KPMG and the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS) and receptions that will feature guest speakers such as Bob DuPuy, President and COO, Major League Baseball; Tim Brosnan, Executive Vice President, Business, Major League Baseball; Sharon Robinson, daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson and MLB Educational programming consultant; and Natasha Watley, Professional Softball Player and United States Olympic Gold Winner. “We are extremely pleased and honored to once again host the final round of this tournament,” said Marlins President, David Samson. “RBI has played a large role in shaping the lives of youth from coast to coast and we’re thankful that MLB, KPMG and our organization have been able to contribute to the program’s success. For over 20 years, RBI has provided the opportunity for kids to play baseball and softball while also promoting education, social responsibility and character development both on and off the field.” In 2008, Major League Baseball Properties and KPMG established the “RBI for RBI” Scholarship Fund, a program created to provide financial support in the form of scholarships to selected recipients who participate in an RBI Program league. This year, twelve $5,000 “RBI for RBI” scholarships were again awarded to select high school seniors, and these scholars will be recognized at the August 7 and August 9 receptions of the 2010 RBI World Series presented by KPMG. KPMG, which became the first presenting sponsor of the RBI Program in June 2007, supports RBI through the development of financial literacy and other life skills courses. In addition to the more than 1,000 volunteers who supported this year’s RBI Regionals presented by KPMG, KPMG volunteers will assist in facilitating the 2010 RBI World Series. The RBI program and RBI World Series presented by KPMG are also supported by the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, which holds a variety of clinics for players throughout the year. The RBI Program presented by KPMG is designed to provide opportunities to young people from underserved communities the opportunity to play baseball and softball, encourage academic success and teach the value of teamwork. In 2010, it is projected that there will be more than 300 programs established in more than 200 cities worldwide, providing more than 175,000 boys and girls the opportunity to play baseball and softball.
