Jordan Bufford, 13, of the Cleveland RBI 13- to 15-year-old All-Star team, scrambles during a steal attempt Aug. 2. His team is traveling to the RBI World Series in Caifornia. (Photo by Lonnie Timmons III)

c.2008 Newhouse News Service

CLEVELAND — The play was a bit sloppy for a team headed to the World Series.

Batters waved at outside pitches. Bases went uncovered. And when an infielder failed to charge a slow grounder, manager Chris Scott had seen enough.

"I'm glad we're doing this today,'' he mumbled.

The recent Saturday morning practice game at dusty, gusty Brookside Park was just a tune-up for a bunch of carefree teenage boys from the city who are about to embark on the trip of a lifetime.

They're one of eight teams from this side of the globe competing in Major League Baseball's RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) Junior Division World Series in Compton, Calif. The boys, ages 13 to 15, qualified by winning all four games in the regional tournament in Pittsburgh last month.