By Ro Brown
Contributing Writer
Although New Orleans does not have a major league baseball team, the Crescent City has representation in the World Series — the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) World Series.
Recently the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission’s RBI entry won the Southwest Regional Championship at The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas — home of the Texas Rangers.
This group of select players chosen from teams participating in the NORDC/RBI League, moves to the Senior Division World Series in Minneapolis, Minnesota August 5-6.
RBI is a Major League Baseball initiative designed to increase interest and participation in the game in urban communities. This is the first year of the partnership between NORDC and RBI.
“The good thing about this group is most of them have been playing travel ball or select ball,” says coach Bernard Dyer, park supervisor at St. Roch Playground. “They are accustomed to playing in tournament situations and playing more than one game a day. They know what it takes.”
After losing their opener at the regional in Arlington, Texas, the New Orleans RBI Champs won three contests in a row by a combined score of 28-3. The Southwest Region includes the states of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Fifteen-year-old first baseman Tyler Reid of Edna Karr High School, attributes the team’s success to hard work by the coaches and players. And he looks forward to the experience of playing at another big league venue. The World Series will be played at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins of the American League.
“I can’t wait to get on that field. And I’m looking forward to just meeting the other teams and hopefully we can come away with the win,” says the 6’ 5” first baseman.
NORDC Chief Executive Officer Vic Richard feels it’s significant that New Orleans has a relationship with Major League Baseball although the city does not have a franchise. This team is an example of why the NORDC/RBI relationship is so important.
“For African-American kids to play this game is an acquired skill; patience, teamwork, individual performance come into play. The social skills and the life skills that go along with them to travel, the caliber of coaching they receive and the life lessons they receive from the people directing them are very important,” says Richard.
Members of the NORDC/RBI senior baseball team are: Daryl Landry, Brandon Watson, Blair Joseph, Kerry Bruce, Corey Levy, Carnell Carter, Cristian Poché Alonzo Bowie, Erik Vinnett, Claude Hayes III, Tyree Thompson, Tyler Reid, Myles Washington, Derrick Scott and Easton Pineia. The team is directed by four NORDC coaches: Bernard Dyer, Eric Soublet, Roy Conway and Alvin Robinson.
This article originally published in the August 5, 2013 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
