Annotated+Bibliography

Gregory, Kia, and Luke Harold. "MLB Youth Academy Coming." //Philadelphia Inquirer//. 23 Sept. 2010. Web. 27 Sept. 2010. .

The authors for this article are both staff writers for the Philadelphia Inquirer. The goal of the authors, in this piece, is to inform the people of a goal that the Philadelphia Phillies are striving to achieve in an effort to provide a new place to play baseball in the community. By putting the article in the Philadelphia Inquirer it places it in the view of both regular people and business people in hopes of donations. These authors are taking a stance on the positives that the new youth baseball academy would provide for inner city children. They are able to achieve this by showing how one young man was able to use baseball as a way to attend Penn Charter and hopefully an excellent college in order to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. Then it is backed up further by dating back a few years and interviewing people who were able to use the current recreational center. That recreation center had been used for years to keep children off the streets and being productive in both school work and sports programs. The project was well researched by finding a young man who has made a good life for himself through the use of baseball and now has a chance to escape inner city life. Also by finding people who know the value of having somewhere to go after school and during free time in order to stay out of trouble. The authors have a slight bias, but it is understandable because they, like most people in the community, are looking forward to the completion of this project. With such a good cause it is hard to come across as completely objective when this is a such a rare opportunity to significantly help a community. This article is extremely helpful. It gives me multiple examples of people who have lived in South Philadelphia and still do, striving to make it a better community. It provides me with the specific example of Demetrius Jennings who now has an opportunity to go on to college through the recognition of his outstanding talent. This indoor facility will provide a place for young people to play not just in the spring and summer months, but the fall and winter ones as well. It also provides a place where kids can seek help in their education furthering the growth a new facility like this can accomplish. Price, Michael N., and Shannon Spillman. "Philadelphia Neighborhoods » Blog Archive » Ludlow: Youth Baseball Brings the Community Together." //SCT: School of Communications and Theater | Temple University//. 4 June 2009. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. .

The two authors of the blog post are members of Philadelphia Neighborhoods, a publication of Temple University’s school of communications and theater program. The purpose of this blog site is to give an in depth look at the neighborhoods of Philadelphia. In this particular case it takes a close look at Ludlow and their youth baseball program. The authors’ objectives seem to be to inform people of the growth and success of the youth baseball league.

The authors are taking the position that what the Cruz community center is trying to do in developing a youth baseball program is a good thing. Also that this is an opportunity that all kids should have regardless of where they live. The authors take a close look at the league and how it is developing. They show that although the team started out with kids who were not skilled that through hard work their talents have been refined and used. There were some initial problems with lack of fans and how they behaved, but this has since been resolved and now few outbreaks occur. The kids are learning how to work together as a team and that they belong on the baseball field not the streets.

The authors spent a significant amount of time interviewing the coaches and other persons who volunteer at the community center. The article flows well by starting when the league was developing and showing the growth of the league through the article. The author for the most part is a pretty objective view. They show the good this league is having on the community, but they also show the struggles of the league with the use of foul language directed at umpires.

This source is extremely valuable for my research. This provided an in depth look at a specific inner city community that has made the effort to bring back baseball as a tool for youth growth. They have an interview with the coaches and volunteers that reiterate just how vital it is for the kids to have some where to go after school. It is also stated that baseball provides them with a way to build their team work skills and self esteem. This all improves my argument that baseball is an important outlet for the youth trapped in inner cities.

Brown, Tim. "Stars Help Give Baseball a Pulse in Inner Cities - MLB - Yahoo! Sports." //Yahoo! Sports - Sports News, Scores, Rumors, Fantasy Games, and More//. 29 June 2010. Web. 07 Oct. 2010. . Tim Brown has been covering baseball for twenty years. He received studied at the University of Southern California and has worked for the Los Angeles Times, Newark Star-Ledger, Cincinnati Enquirer and Los Angeles Daily News. The purpose of this piece is to inform people of strong efforts being made by major league players to strengthen the interest in baseball. The author wants to show that major league baseball is taking an interest in the kids in their communities. That this is not a small issue and should not be treated as such, but instead deserves the attention it is getting. The author takes the position that these players should be commended for taking an active participation in today’s youth. The main argument is that baseball is a choice that these kids can have. They do not need to be out late at night selling drugs and joining gangs. Also that baseball should be a choice that young people in inner cities have. They should not have to play football or basketball. In this case Orlando Hudson a player for the Los Angeles Dodgers goes to the local recreation facility to take with the kids involved in youth softball and baseball. He makes it a point to tell them to stick with it and work hard. He also talks to them about school and reiterating just how important school is to being a successful person in life. The author provides me with a look at how some major league players are putting forth the effort to ensure kids stay involved in baseball. The work was extremely well researched. He had direct quotes from the visit that Orland Hudson, Juan Piere, and Ken Griffey Jr made. There was also background research on how many kids played in the league the past season and how many fields they had. The topic was adequately addressed the author showed that baseball is important to kids in the inner cities they just need a chance to play. The author was not bias in this article, he just reporting the facts that were observed while listening in on the conversations of the major leaguers and the young ball players. This source is helpful to my research because it is an example from all the way across the nation. It shows just how wide spread reviving baseball in inner cities has become. The source also shows that baseball is a legitimate option for young people who do not want to join gangs. They no longer should feel the need to join a gang to fit in because they have an entire team at baseball.

"GROWTH WITHIN THE GAME RBI program gives inner-city kids opportunities on, off diamond RBI: Keep a low ERA, high GPA." //Houston Chronicle// [Houston, TX] 24 July 2010: 1. //InfoTrac Newsstand//. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. The author is a writer for the Houston Chronicle. He covers baseball and writes a blog. This is an informational piece highlighting the efforts of coaches, young men, and young women to achieve in both the classroom and on the field. The author’s thesis is to show the achievements of the RBI program in Houston and the values they are pushing for. The author is arguing that the success these kids are having on the field is just as important as them going to college. The kids that live in inner cities have been losing the chance to play baseball because they do not live in a place where the fields are taken care of and their parents can’t send them somewhere to play. These young people should not be penalized because of where they live. The boys team went to the RBI world series and it had fifteen seniors on their roster who graduated in 2010. The goal is to have these kids enjoy the game and get into good colleges. A young woman said they stress a good GPA and SAT scores along with the fundamentals of the game. While they may perform well enough on the field to get into college RBI still puts the same amount of effort to get the kids who do not play as well into college. The work is well researched it contains specific quotes from both players and coaches. It also shows the names of Major League Baseball players that were part of the Houston RBI program when they were younger. It included all stars Chris Young and Carl Crawford. The issue is well addressed in this article. The author shows that school is just as important to RBI as baseball and softball. The author takes an objective stance in this piece. The source is helpful to my research because of the quotations provided. The coaches are stressing fundamentals and school work. It is important to them that kids get the chance to play baseball or softball regardless of how much money their parents make or where they live.

Baird, Annette. "Improvements made to local baseball field; Work part of national community initiative." //Houston Chronicle// [Houston, TX] 13 Oct. 2005: 7. //InfoTrac Newsstand//. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. The author is a correspondent for the Houston Chronicle. This piece of work is to inform people of the efforts being made in the Houston community to support the youth baseball and softball program. The author is arguing the need for both volunteers and for more companies to get involved like DHL and help improve their local little league fields. The author uses the specific example of a company named DHL to show how they got involved in their local little league in order to improve field conditions. They spent 40,000 dollars on new dugouts, bleachers, and scoreboards. They also brought a dozen company volunteers and about twenty other volunteers in order to sand and paint the bleachers. The goal in mind was to keep the program going that has been so beneficial for hundreds on young people. There are two hundred kids from this program that have received either baseball or softball scholarships to college. So it is imperative that they have a safe place to play giving more kids the opportunity to receive a chance at higher education. The work is logical. The author introduces the company and the RBI program that is helped. Then goes on to give specific numbers of money spent and the people who volunteer. The topic has been adequately addressed, this company is leading the way for other companies to try and follow. The author does not take a biased stance. She is just reporting the facts on the Houston RBI program and how they are receiving help from local businesses. The author does a good job of making sure to show just how important and what a good cause it is without taking a side This source is helpful to my research. It shows that businesses are seeing the importance of baseball and softball in the inner cities. That they are getting involved in the community to ensure the long lasting safety of these organizations. It also shows that people from inner cities are capable of great things and given the chance to express their talent they may be able to achieve an opportunity not just to play, but receive a high learning.

Lewis, Micheal. "Weeks Sr.'s Clinic Helps Kids with Baseball, Education - Sports." The Daytona Beach News-Journal. 5 Aug. 2010. Web. 17 Oct. 2010. <@http://www.news-journalonline.com/sports/local-sports/2010/08/05/weeks-srs-clinic-helps-kids-with-baseball-education.html>.

The Author is a staff writer for the Daytona Beach news journal. This is an informational article about the efforts of a former major league baseball player's efforts to provide baseball for youth in inner cities.

The author brings out two major points both the effort of Weeks Sr and also how most kids no longer want to play baseball, but would rather play football or basketball. There are facts on the coaches of younger players in Daytona Beach and Orlando who have made the commitment to an all year round program. There are also quotes from kids who participate in the leagues and love getting the chance to play. Weeks also sees the importance of school along with getting to play. He makes all of the players and their parents sign a commitment to reading. He asks that the children read for one hour a day every day in order to develop good habits.

The research is well done with both quotes and specific numbers based upon the participation in the two leagues both in Orlando and Daytona Beach. The author does not take a biased stance in this article. Just expresses the feelings of Weeks Sr and other members of the two organizations.

This will help my research because it is a specific example of an effort made to bring baseball to the inner cities in his community. Weeks Sr. being a former major league player sees the importance of playing and wants to make sure the kids in his community get the chance.

"RBI program taking shape." __Sedalia Democrat (Sedalia, MO)__ (Feb 27, 2007): NA. __InfoTrac Newsstand__. Gale. Springfield Township High Library. 21 Oct. 2010 . The author is a writer for the Sedalia Democrat. The intention of this piece is to get the word out on a new RBI program starting in Sedalia. The author looks to get the message to young adults ages 13-18. The author is trying to raise excitement for a new RBI program. The RBI program will be a affiliated with the Kansa City Royals. This is a positive growth for the RBI program. The goal of the RBI program is to provide tutoring and drug and alcohol prevention to young inner cite kids, while giving them a chance to play baseball or softball. Retired major league player John Mayberry could play an important roll in the success of the league. If he will be an active part along with current Kansas City Royal players there is a good chance the league will attract these young adults. They are also holding a glove and equipment drive to help lighten the burden financially on the families of kids looking to play. The work is both logical and clear. It provides specific dates and places where the children can sign up to play or receive more information. The topic for this author is to get the word out on a new RBI program and he has done a good job in enticing young people in the community. The author is motivated to show the good that RBI can provide these young people living in a rough environment. This is good for my research because it is yet another example of Major League players and organizations taking an interest in young inner city children. It gives some of the examples for which the RBI program tries to help teenagers in a time where they can make some extremely harmful or positive decisions for their future.

Hirsch, Paul. "Thirty Years of Progress Bearing Fruit With MLB RBI." Black Mens Magazine African American Community News Politics Sports Health -. 29 Oct. 2009. Web. 22 Oct. 2010. .

The author is a writer for the Regal Magazine. This piece is to give an idea of how the RBI program started and where it is headed. Included the success it is having in the Major Leagues.

The author points out how RBI started and also the goal was to raise the number of african american players in the major leagues. The author goes on to tell us that after an all time low in 2008 the african american player percentage went up in 2009. This can be partically atributed to the RBI program which is giving these kids a chance to play baseball when they normally would not have the opportunities. The author also tells us just how spread it has become it now consists of over 200 cities and aroun 120,000 children and young adults.

The article is both well researched and logical. The author provide specific number and detail that have been similar to those given by other sources. The author does not seem biased. Like many of the people reporting on this great undertaking they are just over joyed to report the success this program is having.

This helps my research because it gives me specific numbers of both participants and cities in which there is RBI. Also if gives figures on how the RBI program is adding the african american talent that played in the major leagues.

Frias, Carlos. "BASEBALL'S OUT IN INNER CITIES BASEBALL: HIGH SCHOOL GAME IS NOT A LIMELIGHT SPORT THE BIG TWO: BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL HAVE TAKEN OVER AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF INTEREST. HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS.(CityLife Atlanta (Extra))." //Atlanta Journal-Constitution// [Atlanta, GA] 20 Apr. 2000: JD11. //InfoTrac Newsstand//. Web. 27 Oct. 2010.

Carlos Frias is a writer for the Atlanta journal. This article is meant to inform the people of the struggles in high school baseball in inner cities. The author is trying to show that because of the lack of little leagues in the city the high school programs are struggling as a result. The author is arguing that without a more active interest in little league programs the high school programs will become extinct. The main arguments are that the facilities are not enough for these young players to want to play on and also that there is more emphasis on both basketball and football leaving baseball in their wake. The author talked to Vincent Winfrey a coach for an Atlanta high school team along with other high school coaches in the area. Their main concerns are the lack of fields, the lack of little league commitment, and the lack of a recognizable person to go along with baseball. They point out that the little leagues are not teaching these kids the fundamentals and as a result they are set up to fail once they reach high school. With baseball being such a hard sport to pick up and play without some kind of skill level the high school coaches can not be expected to win. The work is well researched; it contains multiple interviews with high school coaches in the Atlanta area. The topic has been adequately addressed in this article by looking at both the effects of not having a youth baseball program and the emphasis on other sports like football and basketball. The author does not directly take an objective stance. He does make some choices to show how bad it has become in the city to bring the lack of attention being paid to baseball to the for front. This is a helpful source because it shows just how far baseball has fallen. It has interviews with high school coaches who in their day played baseball as much as possible. Now they are getting kids with a basic skill level in high school making the baseball programs unappealing in the communities. My argument is that baseball in inner cities at the youth level is vital and with this article is shows the immediate effects of that in high school.

Coyle, Daniel. //Hardball: a Season in the Projects//. New York, NY: Harper Paperbacks, 1995. Print. The author was a writer for Outside magazine. It is both a report and an overview of the season of kids in Cabrini-Green housing project. The author is extremely qualified to document this based on the fact that he was the coach of these young men during the season of which he refers. The author strives to show the struggle of young men trying to play the game of baseball amid the violence of their neighborhood. These kids deal with shootings and gang violence everyday of their lives and it prevents them from going to certain places. This is the story of kids who would not be held back by the violence and played baseball risking their lives. The author depicts the shooting of two cops who are just walking by the baseball field one day. They considered these people friends before being tragically murdered. More evidence is one young man has to walk past janitors cleaning blood and brains of the wall of his apartment building from a shooting the night before. It is logical and clear. The author does a good job of mixing their baseball experiences along with the struggles of their everyday lives while away from the field. It is well researched based on the fact the author was present for these events. The author does not take an objective stance in this book, just reporting the facts of the events that occurred during the season. This is a good source for my research because it is an example of what can happen in inner cities when kids have no other options, but to join gangs. The gangs run this town and keep the kids in the area where they live, but these kids have an outlet from all of these distractions when playing baseball. This is a great example of just how beneficial baseball can be to keep kids out of trouble.