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Cal Ripken, Jr. Hits It Out Of The Park in Japan
Nov 15 - Traveling as a U.S. State Department Public Diplomacy Envoy, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. - baseball's all-time "Iron Man" - conducted baseball clinics for kids in Tokyo, Tohoku, and Kansai during his weeklong visit to Japan. Mr. Ripken was joined by former American League All-Star (and former Baltimore Orioles teammate) Brady Anderson, and was also reunited with his longtime friend Mr. Sachio Kinugasa, Japan's own "Iron Man" and a former star with the Hiroshima Carp.
During the visit to Tohoku, Mr. Ripken and his group had the opportunity to see some of the towns that were hardest hit by the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami. After conducting a clinic for the kids in Ofunato, Mr. Ripken said, "We didn't know what to expect when we reached the local school and the young kids who lost so much. What we found was an amazing spirit that seems to be in so many of the Japanese people. Despite the hardships they have endured, these kids wanted to play a little baseball and have some fun."
In Kansai, Mr. Ripken visited with representatives from the Japan Boys League, conducted baseball clinics in Nishinomiya and Kyoto, met the mayor of Kyoto, and threw out the first pitch at the All Japan Girls Baseball Tournament.
At the end of his visit, Mr. Ripken stated, "We judged the success of our visit on whether or not we could make a kid smile, and we saw a lot of smiles. I would like to thank the Japanese people for this opportunity, and I was honored to be here."