Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Seattle and Williamsport highlight cities at the 2021 RBI World Series

Eighteen baseball and softball teams from across the U.S. have advanced to the 28th annual RBI World Series, the championship tournament of the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program held at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla. The first week, beginning on Tuesday, August 3rd until Saturday, August 7th, will feature 12 baseball teams in both the Junior (ages 13-15) and Senior (ages 16-18) divisions competing for the title, with the Softball Division featuring six teams (ages 19 and under) and operating Sunday, August 8th through Friday, August 13th.

The special event will feature nearly 200 young athletes on RBI teams from 13 cities around the United States. A total of four RBI programs (Atlanta Braves RBI, Cincinnati Reds RBI, Dodgers RBI, Roberto Clemente RBI) are sending two teams to the tournament while Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Seattle are sending teams for the first time in many years. A team from Williamsport, Pa. has clinched a berth for the first time. Additional notes can be found in the attached document.

The following is a complete list of cities (and leagues) represented in this year’s RBI World Series:

Junior Baseball Teams (Ages 13-15)

Atlanta Braves RBI (Atlanta, Ga.)

Baseball Beyond Borders RBI (Seattle, Wash.)

Indy RBI (Indianapolis, Ind.)

New Orleans Youth Academy RBI (New Orleans, La.)

Pittsburgh Pirates RBI (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Roberto Clemente RBI (Jersey City, N.J.)

Senior Baseball Teams (Ages 16-18)

Cincinnati Reds RBI (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Los Angeles Dodgers RBI (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Miami Marlins RBI (Miami, Fla.)

RBI Austin (Austin, Texas)

Philadelphia Phillies RBI (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Williamsport RBI (Williamsport, Pa.)

Softball Teams (Ages 19 and under)

Atlanta Braves RBI (Atlanta, Ga.)

Houston Astros Foundation RBI (Houston, Texas)

Cincinnati Reds RBI (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Los Angeles Dodgers RBI (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Michael Stepp RBI of Greater Harrisburg (Harrisburg, Pa.)

Roberto Clemente RBI (Jersey City, N.J.)

The baseball portion of the RBI World Series launches with Pool Play beginning on Tuesday, August 3rd, with the Championship Games being held at Holman Stadium at the JRTC on Saturday, August 7th. As part of special off-field activities, baseball athletes will travel to Marlins Park to watch the Miami Marlins take on the New York Mets on Thursday, August 5th. Pool play games will be played on August 3rd and 4th while playoff/elimination games will take place on Friday, August 6th.

Pool Play in the softball portion of the RBI World Series will begin on Monday, August 9th, with the Championship Game being held on Friday, August 13th. Like in previous years, softball players will participate in the annual “Workout Day.” This year’s event will provide athletes the opportunity to showcase their skills as part of USA Softball’s High Performance Program. Additionally, MLB will announce the recipient of the Jennie Finch Empowerment Award presented by ARM & HAMMER, which will be awarded to the player who best embodies leadership characteristics. Finch, Olympic Gold Medalist and MLB Youth Softball Ambassador, will be on hand to make the special announcement. Also in attendance for the beginning of softball play, will be MLB’s newest Youth Softball Ambassador, NCAA Softball all-time home run leader and University of Oklahoma alum Lauren Chamberlain.

The Senior Division Baseball Championship and Softball Championship games will stream LIVE on MLB.com. Former Manager and current Coaching Development Consultant with Major League Baseball Bo Porter and Gregg Caserta will call the game with youth baseball sensation and former RBI World Series Champion (2017) Mo’ne Davis joining as a sideline reporter for the baseball championship. Davis will return to that role for the softball championship joining Destinee Martinez (USA Softball Director of Sport Development; NCAA Women’s College World Series Champion) and Brett Dolan.

The RBI program has provided a path for many players to enter the college and professional game. MLB Clubs have drafted more than 200 RBI participants throughout the program’s 33-year history, and many others have been given the opportunity for higher education through baseball and softball scholarships. There have been more than 100 RBI alumni selected between the 2013-2021 MLB Drafts.

RBI alumni who have appeared in the Major Leagues in 2021 include Justin Upton (Los Angeles Angels), Eloy Jimenez (Chicago White Sox), Nomar Mazara (free agent – formerly Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers), Anthony Rendon (Los Angeles Angels), Josh Harrison (Oakland A’s), Jackie Bradley Jr. (Milwaukee Brewers), Ramón Laureano (Oakland A’s), J.P. Crawford (Seattle Mariners) and Dominic Smith (New York Mets). Jimenez (Dominican Republic RBI – ’12), Mazara (Dominican Republic RBI – ‘11), Crawford (Venice Boys & Girls Club RBI – ‘09) and Smith (Venice Boys & Girls Club RBI – ‘09) have each played in the RBI World Series.

The RBI program, which has served approximately 2 million young people since its inception, is administered by Major League Baseball and designed to give young people from underserved and diverse communities the opportunity to play baseball and softball, while also encouraging academic achievement and success and teaching the value of teamwork and other important life lessons. RBI currently serves youth in over 200 programs in approximately 200 cities worldwide. MLB and its Clubs have designated more than $40 million worth of resources to the RBI program, and all 30 Clubs support RBI leagues. For more information about the RBI World Series, please visit MLB.com/rbiworldseries.

RBI World Series Team Notes – 2021

• The Austin senior division team is making its second consecutive appearance and third overall.
• This year marks the sixth consecutive RBI World Series appearance for teams from Cincinnati (dating back to 2015).
• A total of 10 Cincinnati teams have clinched a berth in tournament history.
• Atlanta has won 13 RBI World Series Championships, the second most after Los Angeles. It is also the city’s 37th appearance overall, the fourth most after Los Angeles (50), Houston (48) and Puerto Rico (40).
• At least one team from Atlanta has appeared in 23 of the 28 total RBI World Series tournaments.
• Harrisburg’s softball team is headed to the RBI World Series for the third consecutive year, and the ninth time in the last ten years.
• Beginning with the city’s first-ever appearance in 2011, 17 Harrisburg teams have appeared in the RBI World Series.
• The two-time defending softball champions from Houston are seeking to claim their third consecutive championship while making their 12th consecutive appearance in the RBI World Series.
• Houston owns the second most appearances in RBI World Series history with 48 appearances.
• Since 1997, the city of Houston has been represented in the tournament all but once.
• Jersey City is making its third consecutive and have had a total of 17 teams in the RBI World Series, all beginning in 2008.
• The senior baseball and Softball Los Angeles teams are marking the city’s 49th and 50th appearances in the tournament, the most by any city.
• A senior baseball division team from Los Angeles is making its first RBI World Series since 2010, which was the last year of a run of appearances in 17 of the first 18 championship tournaments.
• This marks the first time since 2011 that the city will have two teams competing in the same year.
• The senior baseball team from Miami is making their second consecutive appearance, making the city’s 31st overall berth.
• The senior baseball division from Miami has won the Championship twice – in 2004 and 2015.
• The junior baseball team from New Orleans is making its second consecutive appearance, and the city’s third overall.
• Indianapolis is making its first appearance in the tournament since 2007, and the city’s fifth overall.
• The city of Pittsburgh will be looking for its first RBI World Series title in its first appearance since 2008.
• Philadelphia has been represented in the tournament a total of 34 times. Its senior baseball team holds one of the city’s two RBI World Series Championships – 2007 and 2017.
• The junior baseball team from Seattle is making its return to the tournament after a 25-year hiatus and the city’s first appearance since Softball represented during the RBI World Series in 2002.
• This marks Williamsport’s first appearance at the tournament.