April 14, 2008
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NASHVILLE – Increasing inner-city kids’ exposure to the game of baseball and enhancing their educational opportunities have been the goals of Nashville RBI ever since Reggie Whittemore founded the organization 12 years ago.
Now, thanks to Vanderbilt baseball coach Tim Corbin and former Commodore star pitcher David Price, hundreds of kids participating in the Nashville RBI program have the opportunity to spend some time on a university campus and watch one of the country’s finest college baseball programs in action.
And the free hot dogs aren’t bad, either.
Corbin and Price have teamed up to foot the bill to allow Nashville RBI to bring up to 100 kids to all five Sunday SEC home games this season. Along with game tickets, the kids receive a free T-shirt (with Price’s name and number on the back) and vouchers for a free hot dog and soda. The kids also get to take the field with the Commodores for the national anthem and can run the bases following the game.
“We are extremely grateful to Coach Corbin and to David Price for making this happen, especially when Vanderbilt baseball tickets are so hard to come by,” said Whittemore, Nashville RBI’s executive director. “The kids get to spend some time on the campus of one of the nation’s finest universities and get to see some great baseball. It’s just a whole lot of fun for these kids to spend a Sunday at the ballpark. There are so many positive aspects to this arrangement.”
Corbin said he admires the Nashville RBI program and what it stands for.
“Baseball is America’s game and it’s important that every child has the opportunity to play,” he said. “The things Reggie is doing to get inner-city kids interested in baseball are phenomenal David and I are happy to do what we can to help.”
Corbin and Price have been involved with Nashville RBI in other ways recently. Corbin joined Whittemore onstage at the Nashville Sports Council’s O’Charley’s Dinner of Champions to present Nashville RBI board member Butch McCord with a Lifetime Achievement Award on March 12. Price joined Whittemore and McCord at the Nashville Children’s Theatre following the performance of a play on Jackie Robinson to receive Nashville RBI’s first annual “Butch McCord Student of the Game Award” on Feb. 12, recognizing the positive influence he has had on Nashville area kids, and also participated as a guest instructor at Nashville RBI’s annual coaches clinic Jan. 19.
About Nashville RBI
Nashville RBI uses baseball and softball and the power of teams to provide inner-city youth with opportunities to play, to learn and to grow, inspiring them to recognize their potential and realize their dreams. Nashville RBI was started in 1996 with a grant from Major League Baseball. The Nashville chapter now involves more than 1,300 boys and girls ages 6 to 14, and is designed to promote youth interest in baseball and softball, promote greater inclusion of minorities into the mainstream of the games, increase the self-esteem of disadvantaged children, and encourage academic participation and achievement. For more information, visit www.nashvillerbi.com or visit our group page on Facebook.