by Major League Baseball on Monday announced the two youth baseball teams from the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program representing Chicago and Cincinnati will compete in the second iteration of “A Dream Fulfilled,” a special youth baseball exhibition on the iconic corn-stalk field at the fan-favorite tourist destination in Dyersville, Iowa. On Wednesday, August 10th at 5:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. CT, teams from the Chicago Cubs RBI and the Cincinnati Reds RBI programs will compete to a national television audience LIVE on FS1 in celebration of MLB at Field of Dreams Presented by GEICO.
On the following day, the young players and their coaches will attend the MLB at Field of Dreams game featuring the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. *ATTACHED ARE THE ROSTERS FOR EACH TEAM*
Cubs RBI baseball launched in 2001 with support from Cubs Charities and in partnership with a Chicago nonprofit. The program has been operated by Cubs Charities since 2018 with the goal of establishing a best-in-class program for baseball and softball players. Today, Cubs RBI consists of summer and fall baseball and softball leagues, skills clinics, and RBI All-Stars, a nine-month player development program supporting athletes on and off the field with performance training, academic coaching, civic engagement opportunities and team-building experiences. In 2022, the 15U Cubs RBI All-Star team competed in the RBI World Series advancing to the semifinals. Since 2001, more than 7,000 players have participated in Cubs RBI, free of charge.
Reds RBI is a year-round baseball and softball development program that also provides educational and community service opportunities. Operated by the Reds Community Fund dating back to 2008, the program has reached new heights since the opening of the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy in 2014, which hosted the RBI World Series in 2016 and 2017. The program’s senior boys team won the RBI World Series in 2021 and the RBI softball team is currently participating in its fourth consecutive RBI World Series.
Like last year’s inaugural event, MLB at Field of Dreams will be a national FOX Sports broadcast. MLB built a ballpark adjacent to the movie site, with an approximate capacity of 8,000 fans at the fan-favorite tourist destination, to host the first Major League game ever played in the State of Iowa. Last summer’s thrilling walkoff win for the Chicago White Sox over the New York Yankees delivered nearly six million viewers and marked the most-watched single regular season baseball game on any network since 1998. With kids ages 12-17, it was the most-watched game in 10 years. Kevin Costner was an active participant in the night’s festivities. In May, MLB at Field of Dreams was named the 2021 “Sports Event of the Year” by the SportsBusiness Journal.
