Major League Baseball today announced details for the ceremonial and off-field activities of Games One and Two of the 2016 World Series, which will be hosted by the American League Champion Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. The 112th Fall Classic between the Indians and the National League Champion Chicago Cubs begins tomorrow, Tuesday, October 25th, with live coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
KENNY LOFTON AND CARLOS BAERGA TO THROW CEREMONIAL FIRST PITCHES: A pair of Cleveland Indians Hall of Famers will throw the ceremonial pitches of the first two games of the 2016 World Series. Teammates on the 1995 American League Champion Indians Kenny Lofton and Carlos Baerga will handle the prominent pre-game duties for Games One and Two, respectively.
UNITED STATES NATIONAL ANTHEM PERFORMANCES: International pop star Rachel Platten will sing the U.S. National Anthem prior to Game One. Her inspirational hit "Fight Song" topped iTunes and radio charts and sold more than two million downloads in the U.S. alone. Her major label debut was released by Columbia Records in January 2016. During the performance, the large United States Flag in the outfield will be held by Cleveland Metropolitan School District Students.
LOCASH will perform the National Anthem prior to Game Two. The country duo comprised of Chris Lucas and Preston Brust topped Billboard Country Airplay and Country Aircheck with their smash No. 1 hits "I Know Somebody" and "I Love This Life." Both singles are included on their new album, THE FIGHTERS, which is their first full-length project with Reviver Records.
"GOD BLESS AMERICA" PERFORMANCES: Singing "God Bless America" before the bottom of the 7th inning for Game One will be United States Air Force Master Sergeant and vocalist with the 'U.S. Air Force Band of Flight' Alyson Jones. Game Two's performance will be from United States Air Force Master Sergeant and baritone vocalist with the 'Singing Sergeants' Eric Sullivan.
GAME ONE COMMUNITY EVENT - COMMISSIONER MANFRED TO ATTEND 'PLAY BALL' EVENT AT LOCAL BOYS & GIRLS CLUB: Prior to Game One, Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. will visit the Boys and Girls Clubs at Luis Muñoz Marin School, part of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, where Major League Baseball and the Indians will host a fun, indoor baseball event. This effort seeks to highlight the game's commitment to youth, particularly through the PLAY BALL initiative, and to celebrate Baseball's partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the official charity of Major League Baseball. Cleveland Indians Owner & Chief Executive Officer Paul Dolan as well as former Indians Brian Anderson, Len Barker, Joe Charboneau and Jason Stanford will attend. Also in attendance will be Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) Scholar Alumna Kendra Gaither (Class of 1996). Gaither is a member of the JRF Mid-Atlantic Selection Committee based in Washington D.C., and is the Senior Policy Director of the Americas at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  
GAME TWO COMMUNITY EVENT - MLB, INDIANS, & UMPS CARE CHARITIES MAKE VISIT TO CLEVELAND CLINIC CHILDREN'S: Prior to Game Two, MLB and the Indians will donate a Starlight® Fun Center® mobile entertainment unit to the kids at Cleveland Clinic Children's. The Starlight Fun Center unit is equipped with the latest gaming system that rolls bedside in hospitals to provide distractive entertainment and healing power of play to pediatric patients. For children facing surgery, enduring long outpatient treatments or fighting loneliness after hospital visiting hours have ended, Starlight Fun Center units provide a comforting break and fun distraction. Nurses, physicians, child life specialists and parents report back to Starlight that the Fun Center unit greatly improves the experience of hospitalization for the children. Additionally at the event, members of the umpiring crew working the 2016 World Series will offer Build-A-Bear Workshop® stuffed animals to patients and families at the hospital via UMPS CARE Charities. Each child will be able to choose from a variety of pre-stuffed animals as well as clothing outfits for their new "furry friend." Former Indians Carlos Baerga and Len Barker also will attend.
HANK AARON AWARDS: The winners of the 2016 Hank Aaron Awards will be announced at a press conference prior to Game Two at Progressive Field. The press conference will include Commissioner Manfred and Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, as well as the American and National League winners.
MAKE-A-WISH: MLB and the Indians will host a young fan from the Make-A-Wish Foundation whose wish is to attend the World Series - Jonah Martinez, 13, from Troy, TX will a be VIP guest, meet with the players during batting practice and also get to spend time with Commissioner Manfred. Jonah is a fan of the Texas Rangers.
GAME BALL DELIVERY: Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Youth of the Year Jocelyn Woods, 18, from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley in San Jose, California, will deliver the official game ball of Game One to the mound with former Indians Manager Mike Hargrove, who led the Club to their last two World Series appearances in 1995 and 1997. Woods is a freshman at the University of Southern California where she is studying Journalism.
Zaylianny Mojica Mendez, 18, a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland, will deliver the official game ball of Game Two with Indians Legends and 1980 American League Rookie of the Year Joe Charboneau. Mojica Mendez is a senior at Lincoln West High School.
BUDWEISER GOOD SPORT: MLB, Anheuser-Busch and Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition will host Amelia Reid, the Indians winner of the "Responsibility Has Its Rewards" sweepstakes, at Game One of the World Series. Reid, originally from Oberlin, OH, was randomly selected after she pledged to be a designated driver. One of more than 17,000 Indians fans who pledged to be designated drivers this year at Progressive Field, Reid won a pair of tickets to Game One.