Baseball is Alive in Aberdeen

Its almost time for the Iron Man himself to pass out the trophy to the winners of the Cal Ripken World Series, which is the culmination of the Babe Ruth Youth Baseball league. Thousands of spectators have converged on Ripken Academy in Aberdeen to watch the 16 final teams compete to become World Champions.  There are 10 U.S. teams, and 6 International teams participating.

And the best part is that all games are free, including the championship, which will be played August 22, as long as mother nature cooperates (you do however have to request tickets for the big game).


The tournament kicked off on Friday afternoon with a skills competition.  Cal Ripken Jr. took the first couple of pitches to show the kids a few tricks! The State Farm Home Run Derby was played in Cal Sr.'s yard (our own Camden Yards replica).  Although tickets were free the event still raised an astonishing $22,300 for the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation.



The Derby was followed by a parade, and free tickets to the IronBirds game that evening as a little inspiration for the young players.

Due to rain many games from the weekend were rescheduled for Monday afternoon.

The Maryland State Champions from White Plains had a stunning 12-5 win, letting them breathe a little easier for the next match up. Unfortunately the Harford County Champions weren't as victorious. Both Japan and Mexico won in shutouts, making that Mexico's second straight shutout. Another team to watch are the boys from Ocala Highlands, FL.

The U.S. and International Finals, as well as the World Championship will be broadcast on the MLB network, with commentating by our favorite Cal Jr, and his brother Billy.