The Phillies RBI team does
some California dreamin’

By Melissa Yerkov
Times Sports Editor

Last year, the athletes on the Phillies RBI Senior squad had their dreams come true as they took home the World Series championship crown.
This year, they’re working hard to have history repeat itself.
The squad — whose roster includes players ages 16 to 18 from throughout the Philadelphia area — was granted an automatic invitation to this year’s World Series tournament play as defending champions. They will be in Compton, Calif., from Aug. 6-11 to compete against some of the most skilled teams in the country.
"There is some very tough competition," said coach Steve Bandura, who led the RBI senior squad since 1993. "There’s certainly enough talent to win. We’ll have to execute our fundamentals. We’re going to have to play pretty much flawless to win this thing."
The Phillies RBI program (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) originated in 1993 through Major League Baseball. It gives young athletes an opportunity to play competitive baseball and enhance their skills both on and off the diamond. In 1995, the program expanded to include softball; today it exists in more than 200 cities, with more than 120,000 athletes competing each year.
The RBI leagues provide uniforms, T-shirts and hats for all players, catcher’s equipment, bases, batting helmets and bats.
In addition to the traditional RBI League, there are three all-star teams — a junior (ages 13-15) and senior (ages 16-18) baseball team and a girls softball team (ages 15-18). The youngsters at each level get the chance to travel and compete in local and national tournaments, with hopes to qualify for the RBI World Series.
And this year — the second one in a row — the senior squad has reached the Promised Land.
"It’s all very exciting," said Tim LeCompte, who plays shortstop and third base for the Phillies RBI senior team. "I heard everything is different in California, and I can’t wait to see what it’s going to be like."
Last year, the RBI Phillies were the first senior-division team from a cold-weather city to win the World Series, when they defeated Los Angelos, 2-1, at Dodger Stadium.
"It was great! All their hard work finally paid off," said Bandura, a Northeast Philadelphia native who graduated from Father Judge in 1979. "This year we only have three kids back from last year’s team. We’re a young team, but they’re making progress and continuing to improve every day."
One of the new faces on this year’s squad is LeCompte, a 17-year-old Holmesburg resident who was bumped up from the junior team this season.
"This is my first year coming onto it and it’s going great. I’ve never been to California and I’m really excited," said LeCompte, who will travel to the RBI World Series with his father, Fran. "There’s a lot of kids on the team that I never met before, so at first I was quiet. But now we’re all buddies. They’re great guys."
LeCompte first heard of the Phillies RBI program during his days playing with local CYO squads like the Crispin Canons and Fox Rok.
"When I was younger, all of my friends played for the younger team," recalled LeCompte. "Coach Steve (Bandura) has always been around with other local teams, and I ended up trying out."
Now, two years later, his baseball skills have earned him a chance to travel across the country.
"I love this (Phillies RBI League). It’s tough competition," he said. "It’s good for me for college, because I’m facing such tough competition. And I love the traveling. The road trips are fun."
During the school year, LeCompte faces stiff baseball competition on a more local level — playing for Roman Catholic High School in the Philadelphia Catholic League Red Division.
"I like the atmosphere in Center City," said LeCompte, who travels about 30 minutes to school from his Northeast Philadelphia home. "I like the kids there and it’s a great school.
"Last year’s season was tough," he continued, referring to Roman’s dreadful 2-12 record on the baseball field. "We lost thirteen seniors, so it was a rebuilding year. Being a senior this year will definitely be interesting, though. I think we all have much higher expectations for this year."
The versatile athlete also plays center forward for the Roman Catholic soccer squad. However, if you ask the baseball buff, life on the pitch always took a back seat to his true passion.
"Soccer has always been basically preparation for baseball so I could stay in shape," he said. "I just love the atmosphere of baseball. There’s nothing like being on the field. It’s the best feeling in the world." ••
Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@phillynews.com