The Detroit Tigers Hometown Championship, originally the Hometown World Series, began in 1995 as a baseball tournament hosted by the Youth Development Commission, featuring 28 teams from Detroit and surrounding areas. Every year since, the tournament has been successfully run, as it now accommodates 69 teams in seven respective divisions: machine-pitch (8 & under), 10 & under, 12 & under, 14 & under, 14 & under softball (girls), high school boys, and 19 & under softball (girls).
Along with the Youth Development Commission, the Hometown Championships are put on in partnership by the City of Detroit Department of Parks and Recreation, as well as the Detroit Tigers Foundation.
The Detroit Tigers Foundation, which is an affiliate of Illitch Charities, has been a part of this ‘Play Baseball Detroit’ initiative since 2008, and a huge part of the success of the program both financially and collaboratively, as stated by YDC Out-of-School program director Audrean Williams.
“They give us a grant to implement the championship tournament. We put in a proposal and say what we think it’ll cost and what we need to make it successful and they give us the funds, then Sam Abrams (from the Detroit Tigers) and I work together to make it absolutely wonderful,” said Williams.
At five o’clock p.m. on Aug. 1, the Hometown tourney officially kicked off at the beautiful Detroit Balduck Park, with the opening ceremony (being held) on the field. Alongside tournament players, family members, and friends, the ceremony also featured the Boys Scouts of America Color Guard, the Detroit Renaissance Drum Line, and songstress Arnesia Jones who sang the National Anthem. The Mayor of Detroit, the honorable Dave Bing, was also on hand to offer words of encouragement to the children and to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Mayor Bing, who fancies himself as “a (darn) good baseball player”, stressed the significance of teaching the young people the game of baseball, as well as the elusive elements of sports that can be used on and off the field.
“I think it’s so important that our young people have a chance to learn about sports, and sportsmanship,” Bing said. “It’s not just about winning, it’s about understanding how to play the game, because you’re not always going to win.”
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