By Kiel McLaughlin
The Baltimore Examiner
www.baltimoreexaminer.com

June 6, 2007

Cal Ripken Sr.’s love of baseball is revered throughout Baltimore. On Friday evening, hundreds of college ballplayers will take to the diamond as they begin another summer season in the league that bears the Charm City legend’s name.

The Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League is in its third year of showcasing amateur players from around country. The wood-bat league, with seven teams in Maryland and Virginia, plays through the first week of August.

“Whenever you put the Ripken name on something, the value for the players grows,” said Youse’s Maryland Orioles coach Dean Albany. “Cal and Billy told me that if we are going to put their father’s name on it, it would have to be a first-class organization, and that’s what we are trying to do.”

Albany’s squad features many familiar faces around Baltimore, including former prep standouts Joe Vellegia and Steven Bumbry, who now suit up for Old Dominion and Virginia Tech, respectively.

The Rockville Express reaches beyond the Mid-Atlantic region to fill its lineup. Its roster is littered with players from California, Florida and Colorado.

And as players come from around the country to play ball, professional scouts follow in search of top talent.

Maryland Orioles player Neil Ramirez, who has signed to play at Virginia, is projected as an early-round selection in Thursday’s Major League Baseball draft. So is Maryland closer Brett Cecil, a CRSCBL alumnus.

Albany, who doubles as a scout for the Orioles, said the franchise advocates the league, using it as an opportunity to see players for an extended period of time.

Past CRSCBL players in the Orioles system include top prospect Brandon Erbe and Chorye Spoone.

“The Orioles take full advantage of this league,” Albany said. “We get to see so many players throughout the summer. We get to see players when they are doing well and when they are slumping, and that gives us the best chance to really rate a player.”

Adding to the league’s exposure will be the return of its all-star game to Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen on July 23. The game will be broadcast live by the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.

“It is an incredible opportunity to showcase the league, and players get a chance to showcase what they can do on television,” said Alex Thompson, the league’s executive director. “We are really excited about the all-star game, and we are honored to have it at Ripken Stadium.”

Copyright 2007. The Examiner.