MLB NETWORK’S YOUTH BASEBALL MONTH PRESENTED BY WALMART BEGINS ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 9
Breakthrough Series Championship to air at 12:30 p.m. ET
Live coverage of RBI World Series presented by KPMG to follow at 3:00 p.m. ET
Secaucus, N.J., August 7, 2009 – MLB Network will begin its coverage of Youth Baseball Month presented by Walmart when it airs the Breakthrough Series Championship on Sunday, August 9 at 12:30 PM ET. The game will be immediately followed by live coverage of the Senior Boys RBI World Series presented by KPMG at 3:00 p.m. ET, with MLB Network analyst Dave Valle and MLB.com broadcaster Noah Coslov calling the game.
The Breakthrough Series, hosted by the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy in Compton, California, features players selected by the MLB Urban Youth Academy, the Major League Scouting Bureau, the Chicago White Sox and a scouts’ organization called Mentoring Viable Prospects. MLB Scouting Bureau Director Frank Marcos, Senior Director of the MLB Urban Youth Academy Darrell Miller and LA36 broadcaster Randy Rosenbloom called the game, which was played on July 24, 2009. The Breakthrough Series is a joint effort on the part of Major League Baseball and USA Baseball to provide opportunities to urban youth by heightening their exposure to collegiate and professional scouts.
The Senior Boys RBI World Series presented by KPMG will be held at Land Shark Stadium, the home of the Florida Marlins. MLB Network will also air the RBI Softball World Series presented by KPMG on Sunday, August 23 at 1:00 p.m. ET. The RBI – Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities – Program presented by KPMG is a youth outreach program designed to increase participation and interest in baseball, encourage academic participation and achievement, increase number of talented athletes prepared to play in college and minor leagues, promote greater inclusion of minorities into the mainstream of the game and teach the value of teamwork. Former scout and Major Leaguer John Young developed the RBI concept in Los Angeles in 1989; MLB assumed administration of RBI in 1991 and manages the program with the assistance of Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), the official charity of MLB.
Throughout the month of August, MLB Network will feature broadcasts of youth baseball games that will also be simulcast on MLB.com, including the Cal Ripken World Series on August 21 and 22, which will be simulcast on Baltimore’s WBAL-Plus, and the New Era National Youth Baseball Championships from August 27-30. Additional programming includes Diamond Demonstrations from MLB Network’s Studio 42, featuring Rickey Henderson, Tim Lincecum, Justin Upton, Barry Larkin, Harold Reynolds and Al Leiter showing viewers fundamentals and tips on how to play baseball. Special vignettes on MLB Tonight will also highlight Major League players when they were young, including Shawn Green, Ken Griffey Jr., Derek Jeter, Mike Lieberthal, Hideki Matsui, Jimmy Rollins, Mike Sweeney, B.J. Upton and Justin Upton.
MLB Network’s complete youth baseball broadcast schedule in August appears below.
MLB NETWORK YOUTH BASEBALL SCHEDULE:
August 9 – 12:30 p.m. Breakthrough Series Championship
August 9 – 3:00 p.m. Senior Boys RBI World Series presented by KPMG - Dave Valle & Noah Coslov
August 21 – Cal Ripken World Series International Championship
August 21 – Cal Ripken World Series U.S. Championship
August 22 – Cal Ripken World Series World Championship Game
August 23 – RBI Softball World Series presented by KPMG
August 27 – New Era National Youth Baseball Championships
August 27 – New Era National Youth Baseball Championships
August 28 – New Era National Youth Baseball Championships
August 28 – New Era National Youth Baseball Championships
August 29 – New Era National Youth Baseball Championships 10 & Under Semi-Finals
August 29 – New Era National Youth Baseball Championships 10 & Under Semi-Finals
August 29 – New Era National Youth Baseball Championships 10 & Under Finals
August 30 – New Era National Youth Baseball Championships 12 & Under Semi-Finals
August 30 – New Era National Youth Baseball Championships 12 & Under Semi-Finals
August 30 – New Era National Youth Baseball Championships 12 & Under Finals
MLB Network’s on-air schedule can be found online at http://mlbnetwork.mlb.com/network/schedule
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