News
St. Louis plays host to Jr. RBI Classic
Inner-city youngsters take in magic of All-Star weekend
By B.J. Rains / MLB.com
07/10/09 11:27 PM ET
ST. LOUIS -- Coach Angel Perez decided against practice this week as his Harlem RBI squad prepared to fly to St. Louis for the inaugural Jr. RBI Classic presented by KPMG. Instead, the coach decided to give his youngsters a history lesson.
"One of the history lessons centered on the arch and the significance of that," Perez said. "So when the kids got here and they saw it, it was a victory already. It was pretty exciting to hear them talk about it. When the flight came in they were looking for it, which was cool."
The Harlem RBI Program in New York City was one of 16 of teams from across the country in town this weekend for the first Jr. RBI Classic presented by KPMG, a friendly tournament that gives teams from the 16 pilot cities of the Jr. RBI Program a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to St. Louis to experience the festivities of All-Star Weekend.
"For many of these kids, it was there first time on a plane and the first time interacting on a competitive and socialization level with people from all over the country," said Major League Baseball chief operating officer Bob DuPuy. "Commissioner Bud Selig has been committed to growing the game and making the game appeal universally to people who can afford the game but also people who can't afford the game. And to see the looks on the youngsters' faces of the RBI Program and now the Jr. RBI Program makes it all worthwhile."
DuPuy and Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III spoke to the players and coaches from the 16 teams at an opening ceremony on Friday night and congratulated them for being the first group of players to ever play in the Jr. RBI Classic presented by KPMG.
In addition to the Harlem RBI Program, teams from RBI programs in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Calif., Atlanta, Jersey City, N.J., Bradenton, Fla., Chicago, Cincinnati, Jackson, Miss., Nashville, Tenn., Seattle, St. Louis, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit and Philadelphia are participating in the tournament, as well.
The Jr. RBI Program presented by KPMG is a pilot program launched in 2009 to allow children ages 6-12 the chance to play baseball as part of a youth development initiative. A plan is under way for a nationwide rollout in 2010 for the Jr. RBI Program, which, like the RBI Program, is designed to not only help gain interest in participation in baseball and softball, but also to help inner-city kids understand the importance of going to school and the value of teamwork.
RBI Programs are located in more than 200 cities worldwide and provide as many as 100,000 boys and girls the chance to play baseball and softball each year.
After the opening ceremony, kids were treated to a free clinic by the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and will be offered several other unique opportunities throughout the weekend, including the chance for a meet-and-greet with rapper Nelly and a special viewing of the State Farm Home Run Derby from The Science Center.
The teams will play four games in the tournament before heading home with a lifetime of memories as the first to compete in the Jr. RBI Classic presented by KPMG.
"I told the kids that we won the minute we got here," Perez said. "We're a part of a groundbreaking opportunity that will have ramifications and impact our youth for years and years to come. We explained to our kids that their younger siblings will have an opportunity, because of what they are pioneering, in the future.
"At first they were like, 'Yeah, OK, sure,' and then they come out here and see all of these teams and then the question is, 'Has this ever been done before?'
"'No,' [we told them,] 'you're the first. And when you're the first at anything, it's pretty cool.'"
B.J. Rains is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
