The Cal Ripken World Series has been a mid-August event in Aberdeen since moving there in 2003.
But this year the annual summer series is moving to the end of July, with play beginning July 24 and ending with the World Championship on Aug. 1 at the Ripken Experience Aberdeen powered by Under Armour, Ripken Baseball announced on its web site Friday.
"We moved the world series to late July to allow it to have its own moment in the sports landscape during that time," said Colin Clark, the vice president of corporate marketing and corporate partnerships for Ripken Baseball who oversees the world series. "That's an amazing celebration of youth baseball and we wanted to make sure that it kind of had its own moment out there, like in the marketplace, to really kind of celebrate the achievement of playing baseball the Ripken Way in July."
Since the creation of the Cal Ripken World Series for 12-year-olds, the event has run nearly simultaneously with its biggest competitor, the Little League World Series, in the mid-August time slot.
The local series was played with the same field dimensions as the series in Williamsport, Pa., when it began in Matoon, Ill. in 2000. The Major/60 series, as it was known, was played in Aberdeen as well from 2003 to 2006.
In 2007, the series in Aberdeen changed to the Major/70 Cal Ripken World Series, with 70-foot basepaths and 50-foot pitching distances. The original dimensions were 60-foot basepaths and 46-foot pitching distances.
"We've been working with the Babe Ruth League, the Cal Ripken League and nationally and internationally with all the teams and everything for quite some time to make sure this is an event that's extremely efficient, well run and it's worthy of the Cal Ripken World Series title," Clark said.
The change has been well received by most, but as expected, a few have been affected. The Raivel family of Towson was one of them. For four years, they have served as a host family for the Dominican Republic.
"After four amazing yearshosting boys from the Dominican Republic for the CRWS, we areunable to host this year due to the date change. A prior commitment to teaching summer school and a scheduled cruiseprevent us frombeing a part of the CRWS family this year," Jenny Raivel said. "We will, however, come to cheer the Dominican team on and visitwiththe otherhost families who have become dear friends over the years. We will beback next year for sure as hosting these great kidsis a joy and a highlight ofour summer."
The numbers of those who had to opt out were slim, but host families for Mexico, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico are still sought, according to Lauren Morris, Cal Ripken World Series manager. Those interested in hosting can contact Morris at 410-306-7574 or LMorris@ripkenbaseball.com.
The series will also have a new television partner, but the announcement of that will come later in the week.
"Anytime you deal with fundamental change, I think there's always conversation and things, but I think everybody is so committed to the Cal Ripken World Series and so committed to making it a successful event that they felt this was an opportunity to kind of increase the reach of it and really make it a bigger and better event," Clark said. "Everybody was pretty bought into it pretty quickly."