Fuente: © Houston Astros
http://www.astros.com/

MLB: Astros cut ribbon on refurbished youth field

St. Monica Youth Baseball Fields first field project for beginner baseball players refurbished by Minute Maid/Astros through Grand Slam for Youth Baseball

/noticias.info/ HOUSTON -- Representatives from Coca-Cola North America and Houston's hometown juice brand Minute Maid, the Houston Astros, and St. Monica Catholic Church were out on the ball field this morning to cut the ribbon on the newly refurbished St. Monica Youth Baseball Fields. The youth fields are the fourth project to be refurbished by Minute Maid and the Astros through the Grand Slam for Youth Baseball (GSFYB) program - a community outreach effort that seeks to foster self-confidence, involvement, teamwork, and fun among area children. Also at the event, Grand Slam for Youth Baseball officials announced that they are beginning to accept applications for the 2007 "Field Makeover" now through June 15.

Speaking at the press conference were Mike Saint John, Senior Vice President of Coca-Cola North America and General Manager of Minute Maid; Drayton McLane, Houston Astros Owner; Father Neal Stull, St. Monica Catholic Church Priest; and Cliff Adams, St. Monica Director of Youth Sports Ministry. Astros outfielder Chris Burke then pitched to St. Monica youth baseball players of all ages with Astros Hall of Fame Broadcaster Milo Hamilton providing play-by-play.

Present at the press conference were former Astros great Jimmy Wynn, members of the St. Monica parish community, employees from Minute Maid and Houston Astros, and a number of distinguished politicians. Also in attendance were members of the Ed Taylor family. Taylor, an 11-year employee of Minute Maid and longtime parishioner at St. Monica, passed away suddenly in 2000 at the age of 45. A special garden area located between the flagpole and scoreboard of the Field #1 was dedicated in Taylor's memory by his Minute Maid colleagues.

The St. Monica Youth Baseball Fields is the first GSFYB field refurbishment project that focused on smaller fields for beginner baseball players ages 3-12. Refurbishment of the two fields (one t-ball and one machine-pitch field) included:

• Permanent fencing
• An electronic scoreboard
• New bleachers with safety railings
• Dugout Covers
• An improved playing field
• A flagpole

St. Monica Catholic Church is located at the corner of West Montgomery Road and South Victory Street in the Acres Homes community. The church's two youth fields were nominated for refurbishment by Cliff Adams during the Grand Slam for Youth Baseball field refurbishment application process that took place April-June, 2005. The St. Monica Youth Baseball Fields were selected from dozens of worthwhile entries based on several factors including their community use and involvement and their opportunity to provide an even safer ball field for players and fans.

Youth teams and leagues are encouraged to apply to have their field refurbished in 2007 by filling out a Grand Slam for Youth Baseball "Field Makeover" application available on-line at www.gsfyb.com, in the lobby of Union Station at Minute Maid Park, or by calling (713) 259-8978.

St. Monica Catholic Church has served Acres Homes for 45 years. In the early 1940s, many Catholics from Southwestern Louisiana moved to Acres Homes and began attending Mass at St. Anne de Beaupre Catholic Church. Eventually, so many new parishioners joined that a new church was necessary. One June 21, 1959, ground was broken at the corner of West Montgomery Road and South Victory Street for St. Monica Catholic Church. The first Mass was celebrated in the church on May 8, 1960, and on September 10, 1964, St. Monica was designated as its own parish separate from St. Anne de Beaupre Catholic Church.

Today under the direction of Father Neal Stull, St. Monica Catholic Church is home to more than 500 families. In 2006, projected use of the St. Monica Youth Baseball Fields is in excess of 300 children from the St. Monica Youth Sports Ministry, the Acres Home Youth Association, and other youth baseball organizations in the Acres Home area.

All three previous Grand Slam for Youth Baseball Field Refurbishment projects were full-sized, senior-level youth baseball and softball fields. Houston Parks and Recreation Department's Settegast Park Ballfield in Houston's East End was the first field to be refurbished through Grand Slam for Youth Baseball in 2003. The Northeast Family YMCA Youth Baseball Field, located at Tidwell and North Wayside in Northeast Houston, followed in 2004, and La Marque Little League's Bobby Beach Baseball Stadium in 2005. Minute Maid and the Astros plan to renovate one local ball field each year for the next 24 years.

About Grand Slam for Youth Baseball
Minute Maid and the Houston Astros teamed up in August 2002 to create Grand Slam for Youth Baseball, a community outreach program designed to make it easier for boys and girls to play, learn about and experience baseball. The program, which seeks to foster self-confidence, involvement, teamwork and fun among area children, is composed of four key components:

1.) sponsorship of Houston Parks and Recreation Department's Youth Baseball Program;

2.) refurbishment of one youth ball field a year;

3.) a college scholarship program benefiting youth baseball/softball players; and

4.) a fundraising opportunity for youth baseball/softball teams and leagues.

For more information, log on to the Web site at www.gsfyb.com. notas_de_prensa_archivo