T U E S D A Y ,  N o v e m b e r    1 8 ,  2 0 0 8

A Little Less Baseball Than We Planned But A Successful First Trip

Well we are back on U.S. soil after a very rewarding visit to Nicaragua. As I mentioned yesterday we couldn’t conduct our events in the City of Leon because of the unrest after the recent elections but I don’t believe that hampered our trip too much. The good news is that the baseball equipment and school supplies that we brought for the kids in Leon will still get to them. The good people at the Embassy will drop them off next week.

Speaking of the people at the Embassy I do want to thank them for making sure that John Maroon, Tim Gebhart, Matt Backert and I had a great experience. Obviously our thanks to Ambassador Callahan and his wife Debbie. I also want to send a special thanks to a few people at the Embassy: Michelle, Craig, Shany, Kristin, Lia, Marixell, Felix, Thom, Kit, Scott and Marilyn as well as the site officers who worked hard in each city.

Following a clinic Cal helps hand out bubble gum and baseball cards to the kids.

I also want to thank the people of Nicaragua who made us feel so welcome and were truly excited about our visit. In addition, the Nicaraguan media was terrific and the trip was covered extensively.

And of course a big thank you to my friend Dennis Martinez and his wife Luz. I always liked and admired Dennis but I came away with an even greater appreciation for him, his passion, his ability to teach and his overall desire to grow the game in his native land…I hope we can help him achieve that dream.

Now we are home and it is time to reconnect with the people at The State Department and set dates for our next trip…spring of 2009 to South Africa.

As I mentioned earlier in the week these trips are great initial trips and goodwill efforts. It seems that baseball connects people and supersedes any language barriers that might exist. That said we don’t want to just make one journey to a country and simply leave.

Cal and Dennis take a team photo with the kids following a clinic.

After my trip to China last fall my brother Bill made a follow up trip earlier this year and we are working with the people in China to bring a Chinese team to the Cal Ripken World Series.

I want to make sure that we are back in Nicaragua and working with Dennis to help more kids follow and develop their passion for baseball. I believe it is a relatively untapped resource of talent at all levels.

Thanks to all of you for reading my daily blog. I am new to this blogging world so I hope that you liked what I wrote. My kids thought it was pretty cool that I am a blogger.

See you around the ballpark…how long until spring training?

Cal

M O N D A Y ,  N o v e m b e r    1 7 ,  2 0 0 8

A Wonderful Trip To Nicaragua Nears An End... But We'll Be Back!

Today was our last full day in Nicaragua as we fly out of the country tomorrow morning. We were scheduled to have a big day in the City of Leon, unfortunately the Mayor’s office and the Embassy decided that due to the unrest because of the recent elections it would be best to cancel and not travel to Leon.

I feel bad for the kids who we would have been working with but the change was unavoidable. But like I told Dennis this will not be our last trip to Nicaragua and hopefully we can meet the kids from Leon during our next visit.

The positive that came from this was that we had a chance to be real tourists and have a fun and relaxing day. We started by taking a boat tour around some of the very small islands that were formed from the volcanoes. Many of them now have beautiful private homes sitting on them. The most fun of the trip was the stop at “monkey island”. It is a very small patch of land in the lake where several monkeys live. They have become very comfortable with people and one jumped into the boat and we fed him tootsie rolls and bread. The others stayed in the trees on the island and we tossed treats to them as well. I am sure that Rachel and Ryan, my kids, will be jealous when I tell them about that.

Cal feeds a monkey at Monkey Island in Corinto, Nicaragua.

After the boat trip we visited Granada, Dennis’ hometown, for lunch and then we did some shopping. I found some great pottery that I will have shipped home for Kelly. Nicaragua is known for its pottery and the pieces were made by a couple and their sons and they were unique and beautiful.

Like I said, I am disappointed in the clinics getting cancelled, however, we had a wonderful first trip and we had the chance to impact many kids and lay down the groundwork for future visits and perhaps a way for Dennis and I to work together moving forward.

Dennis loves his native country and would be very proud to bring baseball instruction to many young ballplayers here. It is clear that there is talent and a love of the game here.

Thanks again for reading my blog. I will send a late one tomorrow to wrap up our trip.

Cal

S U N D A Y ,  N o v e m b e r    1 6 ,  2 0 0 8

A Day that Included a Visit to Dennis Martinez Stadium and Recruiting the U.S. Ambassador to Help Coach the Kids 

What an action packed day in Managua! We started with an 8 am coach’s clinic and after lunch we conducted a 2 ½ hour youth clinic for kids in the Dennis Martinez League. Most of them were younger ballplayers, 8 and 9 years old, so getting them organized is always a little more challenging.

We break them into four groups and the groups rotate through four stations: I run hitting, Dennis runs pitching, Tim Gebhart of Ripken Baseball runs infield and Matt Backert of Ripken Baseball runs outfield. We had about 120 kids and some of them were excellent ballplayers. We had a lot of kids and we needed a little extra help so I recruited Ambassador Callahan to assist me with the hitting station. Hew loves baseball and did a great job with the kids. Thanks Ambassador!

In case you weren’t away there has been a great focus on the recent Nicaraguan elections and there is some controversy over the results. I get the impression from the media that they are enjoying a reprieve from politics by covering our activities. The coverage has been outstanding…Dennis and I have been on the front page of the sports sections of the two largest papers, El Nuevo Diario and La Prensa, everyday since our arrival!

Dennis and Cal make a visit to Dennis Martinez Stadium in Managua.

Today the Washington Post ran a very favorable story and ESPN was with us all day. All of this coverage goes a long way in letting people know of our trip and helps a great deal in spreading the message of baseball.

After the youth clinic we paid a short visit to Dennis Martinez Stadium. It is an older stadium and could use some revisions but it has a lot of character and I loved the very unique light towers that curved in over the field slightly.

We ended the day with a visit to American College…it is actually a high school with an outstanding baseball program. The ballplayers asked some wonderful questions about everything from how to turn a double play to pursuing a baseball career and their education and they even had a question about steroids. Dennis and I really liked that interaction and there was very substantive questions and discussion.

Tonight we are at the Ambassador’s residence for a barbeque and we will be heading to bed early (I am tired!). Tomorrow we visit the city of Leon and then head home Tuesday morning.

Thanks as always…please check in again tomorrow.

Cal

S A T U R D A Y ,  N o v e m b e r    1 5 ,  2 0 0 8

A Day to Relax

There was no baseball on the schedule today. We had a chance to see a little of the country and its beautiful beaches.

We started the day with a drive to Rivas where Dennis Martinez has a lakefront resort named La Mar. It is a wonderful place on Cocivolca Lake, Looking out onto the lake there are two dormant volcanoes, a beautiful view. Dennis and I talked about his plans to grow the resort and maybe add some ball fields to it.

Cal Ripken and Dennis Martinez pose for a photo at the Masaya volcano.

While there we relaxed, ate fresh fruit and drank coconut milk straight out of fresh coconuts. After our time there we visited the beachfront tourist town of San Juan del Sur. It had a large, beautiful beach and it is quickly being discovered by surfers around the world.

After lunch we drove to the active volcano called Masaya and did some shopping at the market nearby.

Tonight we will be at the U.S. Embassy for a gathering of U.S. citizens living in Managua and then we will have dinner at the home of one of Dennis’ friends.

Back to baseball tomorrow with a coach’s clinic and baseball clinic at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Managua and a visit to American College in Managua that is one of the sponsors of our visit.

Monday we have a full day in the City of Leon and we return to the United States on Tuesday.

Thanks for checking in.

Cal

F R I D A Y ,  N o v e m b e r    1 4 ,  2 0 0 8

Baseball Speaks To Everyone Regardless Of Language

Cal Ripken pitches to a young girl during a Quickball game in Granada.

We spent today in the city of Granada. The day began with a coach’s clinic for about 40 youth coaches from Granada. I taught the hitting and Dennis Martinez taught the pitching. It was interesting to learn that these coaches had very few resources when it came to teaching the game. They seemed very happy to hear our presentation and receive a copy of the Ripken Baseball coaching manual, translated in Spanish.

Next we hosted about 50 younger kids from the area in a fast and furious game of Ripken Quickball. I like to refer to this as organized chaos, although I don’t know how organized it is, but the kids (that includes me) had a blast! For those of you that don’t know Quickball is a fun game played with spongy balls that keeps the kids engaged and moving.

After lunch we moved to the stadium for a more formal baseball clinic with kids in the Dennis Martinez League here in Granada. Dennis is truly like Elvis here…it is fun to watch. Baseball-wise the biggest difference between Nicaragua and China, where we went last fall, is the passion for baseball and the skill of the players. The kids in Nicaragua all play the game and there are many talented kids here. In China the game is very much in the early stages of its development.

Following the clinic we visited the Barrio La Esperanza. This is one of the poorest areas of Nicaragua and the kids are assisted by an incredibly dedicated group of people from Empowerment International. They help the kids with their school work and do all they can to get kids through school.

Cal Ripken greets kids from Barrio La Esperanza where he donated Quickball sets and school supplies and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation made a contribution to Empowerment International that will send 20 kids to school for a year.

Dennis and I visited with the people there and met the kids. Before we left we donated a few Quickball sets to them so the kids can play ball with better equipment and I was very happy that our foundation, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, was able to make a financial contribution that will keep twenty kids in school for the next year.

In addition I want to send a big thank you to the Spanish classes at Fallston High School in Harford County, the county where I grew up. The teacher, Jean Buttitta, contacted our office after reading out the trip and offered to donate school supplies. Well they gathered and sent a 200 pound bag! The supplies were greatly appreciated by the kids and teachers in the Barrio and will help so much. Thank you Fallston!

Tomorrow is our rest and cultural day. It should be a fun day. We will be visiting Dennis’ resort in Rivas and we will be attending a meet and greet for Americans working in Nicaragua. In addition we will stop by the volcano called Masaya and do some shopping…good thing because I have to pick up some souvenirs for Kelly, Rachel and Ryan.

Thanks for reading…talk to you tomorrow.

Cal

 

T H U R s d a y ,  N o v e m b e r    1 3 ,  2 0 0 8

Finally … We are in Nicaragua

Well I woke up around 2:30 am this morning and headed to BWI Airport. We had a 6am flight to Miami where we met Dennis Martinez and then endured a four hour layover. The flight to Nicaragua was great…we are tired and we are here.

Dennis and I just took part in a press conference at the United States Embassy along with Ambassador Robert Callahan and Jorge Ayestas, the Executive Director of American College here in Managua.

The press conference went well and we had a great turnout from the Nicaraguan media. It was a different experience because we had an interpreter and had to wait for her to interpret everything I was saying into Spanish. She did a great job… I guess I should have paid more attention in Spanish class in high school and in winter ball because my Spanish is nearly non-existent.

I was surprised that very few of the questions were about my serving as a Public Diplomacy Envoy and our trip here…everyone wanted to ask me about baseball and the streak. A subject I have covered once or twice in my career.

Press conference at U.S. Embassy with Dennis Martinez, Ambassador Robert Callahan, me and Jorge Ayestas from American College.

I just ducked out of a reception that Ambassador and Mrs. Callahan are hosting for Dennis and I to write my blog. I think that the time is catching up to me a little because I am starting to fade. I know we will sleep well tonight.

I am very excited for tomorrow as we begin sharing the craft of baseball with Nicaraguan kids and coaches. It will be fun to see how Dennis interacts with them. He is truly a legend down here and very well respected. Most of the kids we will be working with play in the Dennis Martinez League!

Tomorrow is a full day as we spend the day in the City of Granada. The day will start with an 8 am Coaches Clinic and that will be followed by two baseball clinics and then a visit to a community supported by an organization called Empowerment International.

Thanks for reading! Tomorrow will be fun to write because the time with the kids begins.

Cal

W e d n e s d a y ,  N o v e m b e r   1 2 ,  2 0 0 8

We Leave Tomorrow Morning! 

It seems like we have been talking about this trip for a long time but the journey is finally here and we leave tomorrow morning … very early!

I continue to be blown away by the honor that the U.S. State Department bestowed on me last summer. To remind you, last August Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appointed me to the position of American Public Diplomacy Envoy.

Having the opportunity to represent our country abroad is such an honor. Our first trip in this role was to China last fall. While there we visited Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and we taught baseball to youth coaches and kids across the country.

Baseball is still a very foreign game to the Chinese but they really embraced it and had fun learning the basics. It was a true people to people exchange and an incredible experience.

Now we are embarking on a visit to Nicaragua and I am happy to be making the trip with my friend and former teammate Dennis Martinez. Like me, Dennis is passionate about growing the game of baseball and passing along the craft to kids. Also in the traveling party will be Tim Gebhart and Matt Backert, two of our instructors from Ripken Baseball as well as John Maroon from Maroon PR who will handle all of the public relations and media. John was with us in China as well.

When we are there we will be running coaching clinics and youth baseball clinics in the cities of Managua, Leon and Granada. From what I am told the people of Nicaragua love baseball and the excitement for our trip should be high…especially with “El Presidente”, the country’s favorite son, a part of the traveling party.

We are only on the ground in Nicaragua for four full days but they are very full days and I am confident that we will be able to represent our country in a very positive way and make a small difference in the lives of some kids and coaches.

Thanks for reading … I will write to you again tomorrow.

Cal