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West Michigan Whitecaps

Local Whitecaps/YMCA Team to Compete in Major League Baseball's Jr. RBI Classic

July 1, 2010 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


COMSTOCK PARK, MI -- A team of 12 youth athletes from the Whitecaps/YMCA Inner-City Youth Baseball/Softball Program will travel to Anaheim, California next week to take part in Major League Baseball's All-Star Jr. RBI Classic as part of MLB's All-Star week. The local team is one of just 12 teams internationally that has been selected to participate in the Jr. RBI Classic from July 9 to July 12.

The eight baseball and four softball teams, all in the 11-12 year age division, will participate in a 40-game friendly round-robin tournament. Teams chosen include: Anaheim, Louisiana, Miami, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Oakland, San Diego and West Michigan (baseball); and Anaheim, Chicago, Hilo and Puerto Rico (softball).

In addition to the Jr. RBI Classic tournament, the youth will be participating in FanFest Legends clinics; will receive uniforms, equipment and All-Star Game apparel; and will attend MLB All-Star Week events including the XM All-Star Futures Game, Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game, the State Farm Home Run Derby and a skills clinic by the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. The Jr. RBI teams will also participate in meet-and-greets with current and former MLB players and other celebrities.

The Jr. RBI program is part of the overall "Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities" (RBI) presented by KPMG, which is entering its 21st year of play in 2010. The RBI program is designed to provide opportunities to play baseball and softball, teach the value of teamwork and encourage academic success. From its inception in 1989 through the 2010 season, RBI has grown from a local program for boys in South Central Los Angeles to an international campaign encompassing more than 200 cities and 120,000 male and female participants a year.

In 2009, Jr. RBI launched a 16-city pilot program designed to create new playing divisions for children ages 6-12 that also serve as a feeder to the current RBI presented by KPMG 13-18 baseball and softball divisions. In 2010, Jr. RBI launched world-wide and has led to significant program expansion with more than 50,000 new participants in RBI.

The Whitecaps/YMCA Inner City Youth Baseball/Softball Program, operated by the YMCA and supported by the West Michigan Whitecaps and Fifth Third Bank, became a Jr. RBI affiliate in 2010. Whitecaps Community Relations Coordinator Anna Petersen applied for and received a grant from RBI for funds to expand the local program from 1,600 Grand Rapids area inner city youth to the 1,900 currently participating (the most since the program's inception in 1995). Major League Baseball's RBI officials took notice of the particularly large participation numbers in the Grand Rapids program and rewarded it with an invitation to participate as one of just 12 teams in the second Jr. RBI Classic.

Dwayne Moore, YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids Community Impact Director, said administrators of the Inner City Youth Baseball/Softball program chose the 12 individuals who will go to Anaheim based on a number of factors that were more important than their baseball playing ability alone.

"We did hold a skills clinic to evaluate the abilities of our 11 and 12 year olds, but more important to us was the character of the young men," Moore said. "We conducted interviews with them to assess their character and attitude, and we also looked at their length of time in the Inner City Youth Baseball/Softball program in order to reward athletes for staying with the program. While we're confident that the kids selected will field a solid team for this tournament, these aren't necessarily the best baseball team we could have fielded. They are, however, good quality kids with great attitudes and respect, with the highest levels of character as well as possessing a passion for the sport of baseball. We are proud to have them represent Grand Rapids, the YMCA and the West Michigan Whitecaps at the Jr. RBI Classic in Anaheim."

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