The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, in conjunction with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and the Diamond Dream Foundation, will host the Battle of the Beltway youth baseball game at Regency Furniture Stadium on Thursday, August 27, 2015. The Battle of the Beltway game is part of the Badges for Baseball initiative that the Sheriff’s Office focuses on annually.
The mentorship program pairs police officers with local kids to learn and play baseball. The officers in the program then aim to mentor and coach these kids by teaching them lessons about teamwork, communication, and respect on and off the field.
“We are very proud to be partnering with all of these exemplary organizations for such a great cause,” said Blue Crabs Manager, Stan Cliburn. “This is a chance for Charles County youth to experience baseball like never before. It’s a great opportunity for children to receive free baseball instruction from the pros, character building from local officers, and the chance to play on the field at Regency Furniture Stadium. I’m very excited to take part in this game.”
The game has been coined the Battle of the Beltway because one team will don Baltimore Orioles jerseys and the other will wear Washington Nationals jerseys. On arrival, the participants will be served breakfast and will take part in batting practice at 9:00 a.m. Opening ceremonies will commence shortly thereafter, which will be followed by a seven inning baseball game. To top off the fun, there will be a homerun derby immediately following the game.
The Sheriff’s Office and the Blue Crabs are able to present this event at low cost thanks to the Diamond Dream Foundation and Kroger, who are helping to fund the event.
“We are very appreciative that we are able to host this event, and we especially thank the Blue Crabs, the Diamond Dream Foundation, and Kroger for their generosity,” said Corporal Chris Cusmano. “We just hope for a good turnout and that everyone has fun. Learning from our own professionals is a great opportunity.”
