Ripken Baseball, the host organization for The Babe Ruth League’s 2009 Cal Ripken World Series, today announced that the U.S. Championship, International Championship, and World Championship games for the 2009 event will be broadcast on the MLB Network on August 21st and 22nd. Cal and Bill Ripken will be in the broadcast booth with MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger throughout the telecasts live from the Ripken Academy in Aberdeen, Maryland.
“We have been thrilled to partner with Major League Baseball on a number of initiatives to help grow the game at the grassroots level” said Cal Ripken Jr. “The latest component is this partnership with the MLB Network and it is an enormous step in our efforts to grow the game. The Cal Ripken World Series has been a wonderful event since 2000, but now millions of viewers will have the chance to learn about the Babe Ruth League and watch some of the most talented young ballplayers in the world compete and have fun.”
On Friday, August 21st, the International Championship Game will be played at 12:00 p.m. EST, followed by the U.S. Championship Game at 3:00 p.m. EST. The World Championship will be played on Saturday, August 22nd at 3:00 p.m. EST at Cal Sr.’s Yard.
The Cal Ripken World Series is the culminating tournament of the Babe Ruth League’s 12 & Under Cal Ripken Division. The tournament will be played August 14-22 at the Ripken Academy in Aberdeen, MD and will feature 16 teams from around the country and throughout the world. There will be six international teams from Japan, Australia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, the Republic of Korea and Canada. The remaining tournament field will be filled by 10 U.S. teams comprised of the Harford County (Bel Air Braves) and Maryland State Champions (Upper Montgomery Athletic Club) and teams from the following Babe Ruth League regions throughout the nation: Pacific Northwest, Pacific Southwest, Southwest, Midwest Plains, Ohio Valley, New England, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. The winner of each region is determined by tournaments throughout the summer.
For the complete information on the tournament, visit http://worldseries.ripkenbaseball.com. All games during the 2009 Cal Ripken World Series are free to the public. While admission is free, the Championship Game on Saturday, August 22nd does require a ticket and fans can register online or call 410. 297.9292. 
