Newhouse News Service

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.

TOP STORIES
Losing The Boss' Money At Keno Drill For Detention Duty: Howl And Squint And Just Keep On Fighting Shell's New President Says Gas Prices A Top Priority Getting Disability Payments Can Be A Fight To The Death Analysis: Electoral, Popular Vote Split May Bring Tumult

AROUND THE NATION
Library's Drill Team Shelves Staid Image Gator That Took Boy's Arm Outmatched By Deputy College Students Shelling Out More For Textbooks Career Outfits That Work Grown-Ups Plunge Into Swimming Lessons

Newhouse Spotlight

The Huntsville Times covers North Alabama, a diverse region that's home to both futuristic high-tech businesses and traditional family farms. Increasingly, the area's business sense is defined by defense and aerospace companies with workers from across the country and around the globe.

Featured Correspondent

Kathleen O'Brien, The Star-Ledger

Kathleen O'Brien has been a Star-Ledger features columnist since 1996. Her weekly column offers social commentary and humor — occasionally at the same time.

Special Reports

THE OTHER IRAQ: Villages In North Offer Christians Safe Haven

TEENA, Iraq — Something seems out of place in the little village in the valley. First, there are the low-slung homes with the pastel exteriors — yellows and pinks — that scream for attention against the rugged backdrop of pine trees and mountain peaks.
Read more...