Garden Grove, CA (June 23, 2011)- The RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) Program was a great success this year in Orange County.  The program has existed for over 10 years, providing youth ages 13-18 the opportunity to learn and play a structured baseball/softball league. This year, 18 teams from Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove participated in the RBI Program.  The participants had the chance to play other Boys & Girls Clubs in Orange County including Santa Ana, Westminster, Capistrano Valley, Anaheim, Fullerton, Stanton, and Placentia-Yorba Linda.  

At the end of the season softball tournament played at Tustin Columbus Park, the ladies from Santiago High School took first place in the Senior Division and Walton Intermediate placed fourth in the Junior Division.

On the baseball side of the league, the Walton Intermediate men won the Junior Division Championship that was played at Erstad Field in Garden Grove.  The single elimination tournament took place over two weeks and included 13 teams.  The championship game was played on Thursday, June 23 and the Walton Wildcats held on to beat Westminster Warner in a 4-2 victory.

Every year, the RBI Program selects players to participate on the All-Star team.  This year, the Regional tournament will be hosted by the Los Angeles Angels and played in Irvine.  The winners of the tournament will have the opportunity to play in the World Series in Minnesota later this year.  RBI selected ten players from Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove to be on the All-Star team.  The players will train for four weeks before they play in the tournament on July 21-23. 

The Los Angeles Angels RBI Program along with MLB (Major League Baseball) selected 12 players from the RBI league to participate in a week long baseball boot camp that will take place July 8-16 in Vero Beach, Florida.  The camp is paid for by MLB and all participants get the chance to train and work with professional trainers and play on facilities that MLB players play on.  Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove congratulate Raul A. and Ivan F, from the Walton Intermediate RBI team for being selected to participate.