Pittsburgh RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) is part of the international MLB RBI program. Pittsburgh RBI began in 1994 as part of the Roberto Clemente Foundation. Because of the program's growth and its need for additional resources, in 2003, Pittsburgh RBI became part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania. The Boys & Girls Club provides Pittsburgh RBI with the infrastructure and administrative services that are necessary for its success.

The program has continued to grow. In 2007, Pirates Charities, in its first official act, partnered with the Roberto Clemente Foundation and the Baseball Tomorrow Fund to renovate a portion of the Shadyside Boys & Girls Club facility to build a home for Pittsburgh RBI. The Pirates Community Baseball Center was officially opened in February of 2007. It features indoor batting cages, pitching machines and meeting rooms that can be used by Pittsburgh RBI's volunteer coaches. ALL Pittsburgh RBI participants have free-of-charge access to the Pirates Community Baseball Center and can use the facility to work on their baseball skills year round.

In addition to use of the Pirates Community Baseball Center, all Pittsburgh RBI participants receive complimentary coaching and training, as well as baseball or softball equipment and uniforms when needed.

Team Breakdown

The more advanced Pittsburgh RBI teams compete in the CitiParks BIG League Sports program. In 2007, six of these teams made it to the playoffs in BIG League competition. The Pittsburgh RBI Boys All-Star Team also did very well and advanced to the Championship Game in the Mid-Atlantic RBI Regional Tournament in 2007, earning a Runner-Up trophy.

In an effort to include more youth in Pittsburgh RBI and teach them the important core skills of baseball, there are many other Pittsburgh RBI teams that are active but still in development. These teams compete against one another in the Pittsburgh RBI League with the objective of being able to advance and compete in the BIG League program in the future.

"Junior" Pittsburgh RBI - Boys

The MLB RBI program is for youth ages 13 to 18. Pittsburgh RBI extends services to younger kids because it is important to begin teaching youth baseball fundamentals at the earliest age possible. These "Junior" RBI participants are provided with a variety of support services, including equipment and uniforms as needed. Pittsburgh RBI also provides assistance to community volunteers working with these young participants helping them to develop age-appropriate coaching skills and techniques. In 2007, many of these youngsters participated in Major League Baseball's Boys & Girls Clubs of America Rookie League program, which uses a pitching machine to simulate and replace the human pitcher.

Pittsburgh RBI is not just for boys! There's also an active softball program for girls. The Girls Fast Pitch Softball All-Star Team has done very well in competition and placed fourth in the RBI World Series that took place this past August at MLB's Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif.