Joplin’s Little League baseball players became instant media darlings Thursday afternoon with their arrival at the Phoenix airport.
In fact, it almost caused problems.
“We spent so much time with the media, we left our bags on the baggage carousel and almost lost all of them,” head coach Mark Etter said. “The media wouldn’t let them go.”
A huge banner that read :”Welcome Joplin South Little League” greeted the team and coaches at the airport.
“The (Arizona) Diamondbacks people were there, Major League Baseball people were there, members of the media were there to interview the boys,” Etter said. “They made us feel really welcome. The boys got a Diamondbacks hat, we got our Jr. RBI Classic hats. It was more good will.”
The Joplin Cardinals will be wearing replica St. Louis Cardinals uniforms when they begin play today in the Jr. RBI Classic at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the spring training home of both the Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.
Joplin has two games today at 8:30 a.m. PST and 6:30 p.m. The Cardinals will play three games on Saturday, then one final game on Sunday.
“It looks like we are the only official Little League-sanctioned team here this year,” Etter said.
RBI — Reviving Baseball in Innercities — is sponsored by MLB. This is the third year the Jr. RBI Classic has been played at the site of the All-Star Game.
Other teams in this year’s classic include Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indiana Community from Scottsdale, Ariz., the first Jr. RBI Classic team whose entire roster is of Native American descent, and two new RBI teams in Chattanooga, Tenn., and San Francisco that reach at-risk youths.
Completing the nine-team field are Arlington, Texas; Indianapolis; Montgomery, Ala.; Rocky Mount, N.C., and Phoenix.
Sports
July 7, 2011
Joplin squad enjoying Arizona limelight
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Outlaws open season Thursday on the road
Chris Oldner takes a cut during the Joplin Outlaws practice Tuesday afternoon. The Outlaws open their season on Thursday night at Rossville and play seven road games before their home opener on June 5.
The Joplin Outlaws and new coach Rob Vessell have set some lofty goals for the 2012 baseball season.
Continued ... - Stanton’s homers fuel Marlins’ surge in May
- Five sign to join Missouri Southern women's track team
- Whisner ignites Joplin Miners past Webb City
- Venus Williams joins Serena on sideline in Paris
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- Pittsburg State Sports
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- Vengels sixth in heptathlon; PSU picks up two seventh-place finishes
- Ethan Cordray signs with Pittsburg State
- Lions, Gorillas begin competition in outdoor track and field championship
- Three finalists named for PSU head baseball coach position
- Lions qualify 10, PSU 15 for Division II outdoor track meet
- Missouri Southern Sports
- High School Sports
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Area athletes turn shine at state meet
Webb City's Jarvis Jones takes sixth in the 200.
- Cleo Elbert steps down at Thomas Jefferson
- Frontenac wins first state baseball title
- Joplin's Jeremy Lynn takes fifth at state tennis
- Frontenac advances at state baseball
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