04.08.08 New email address and update

Just wanted to send a quick email update to you. We have set up new email addresses for Mike and I. We are also in the process of doing a few updates to the website, which you should see over the next few weeks. I will be able to easily access both email addresses, so if you have become as attached to NiteBaron as I have, please indulge yourself.

Please pencil in Wed. May 7 for a board meeting. Damani has offered to host the meeting at the NCAA (and give us all Final Four tickets for next year). Well, okay, he's just willing to host the meeting so far..... Our agenda will be packed, as we have a number of issues to discuss including Sandlot Lunch speakers, Baseball Film and Print Festival, a possible golf outing, a scholarship fund and dinner, PR/marketing and a detailed update on the RBI program. We also will try to work with Leon to get a date for some more strategic planning.

Last Friday, during the rain, I arrived home to find dozens of boxes stacked in front of my garage, blocking my way into the garage and out of the rain. Inside these boxes were 35 baseball bats, 5 bat bags, 24 baseball gloves, 26 batting gloves, 4 chest protectors, 4 catcher's masks, 13 batting helmets, and 4 sets of shin guards. This is part of our Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation grant, $7000 worth of new equipment. Also, Dave Coradini, the new baseball czar at Spalding, sent us another box of brand new baseball gloves. So right now my shed is full of equipment. Yeah!!

In other news, the Indiana Sports Corporation has awarded us a $5500 CHAMPS grant for 2008. So for those of you counting, we are now up over $51,000 raised for the year thus far, or over 1/3 of the way towards our $150,000 Lilly match goal.

The IPS middle schools have started play this week. Ten baseball and eight softball teams are competing this spring. The Pitch Hit & Run Sectional will be at Victory Field again on Sat. May 31 beginning at 9am. We could use volunteers for the event, and if you think you can field as well as Andrea, please come show us.

As for the summer, things are shaping up nicely. The senior baseball division will have 18 teams, the junior baseball team will have 10-14 teams, and the girls softball division will have 4-8 teams, depending on the number of kids we attract. Our RBI Regional dates are July 10-13 in Pittsburgh, with the World Series set for early August. We are designing new uniforms for the kids with Negro or Professional Women's Baseball League team names. Also the tournament teams will sport new uniforms, and probably new colors.

As you can imagine, we are busy. So I will try to keep you posted each week on our progress. Thanks.

Mike