2015 Play ball Cities for Play Ball Month

News release from Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball:

Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball and U.S. Conference of Mayors announce 2015 Play ball Cities for Play Ball Month

(August 3, 2015) – Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball, in conjunction with the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM), today announced that more than 125 cities, covering 34 U.S. States, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, have signed on as designated PLAY BALL Cities for the inaugural “PLAY BALL Month” of August 2015. The cities are being designated based on the commitment by each city’s Mayor to sponsor a baseball or softball-related activity during August. Mayors will report their activities to www.usmayors.org. Major League Baseball and the U.S. Conference of Mayors announced their PLAY BALL partnership at USCM’s 83rd Annual Meeting in June.

“For decades, baseball has had a unique ability to bring communities together, and today, Major League Baseball is seeking to strengthen that connection between our sport and cities across the country through our new PLAY BALL initiative,” said Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. “We are thrilled to begin this new and innovative partnership with Minor League Baseball and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and I thank all the mayors who have stepped up to support this effort to provide fun experiences for kids and families during PLAY BALL Month.” “The PLAY BALL initiative is baseball in its purest form, building relationships between the game and its future generations,” said Pat O’Conner, Minor League Baseball President & CEO. “It is incredibly important for us to encourage participation at the grassroots level and Minor League Baseball fully supports these efforts.”

“Mayors are pleased to join Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball in bringing fun baseball and softball activities to our cities,” said USCM President Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “I am proud to have already participated in a PLAY BALL event in my community and look forward to hearing how other mayors across the country celebrate baseball – our Great National Pastime.”

During this month, mayors across the country will host activities to engage children, citizens, families and city departments to organize individual and community-based, baseball and softball-related events, such as playing catch, running bases and more. The activities will be focused on strengthening bonds between families, communities and the game.

PlayBall.org serves as the initiative’s online home and is accessible via MLB.com, USABaseball.com and other partner websites. Coaching tips and parent resources are prominent components of the site. PlayBall.org also gives parents, coaches and kids information on how to participate in PLAY BALL activities, links to youth-related news and events, and searchable maps to help find local community leagues. Health and safety information, including the Pitch Smart and Play Sun Smart programs, also are available.”The Conference of Mayors is honored to have joined Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball in helping to inspire a renewed enthusiasm for the game,” said USCM CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran. “We are pleased with the number of mayors who have made commitments to sponsor a Play Ball activity, and look to involving more mayors in the future.”

For details on each city’s event, please visit https://www.usmayors.org/.

 

List of 2015 PLAY BALL Cities (along with respective Mayors):

• Alexandria, VA (Mayor William Euille)
• Anaheim, CA (Mayor Tom Tait)
• Apopka, FL (Mayor Joe Kilsheimer)
• Arlington, TX (Mayor Jeff Williams)
• Baltimore, MD (Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake)
• Birmingham, AL (Mayor William Bell)
• Boston, MA (Mayor Martin Walsh)
• Branson, MO (Mayor Karen Best)
• Bridgeport, CT (Mayor Bill Finch)
• Camuy, PR (Mayor Edwin Garcia Feliciano)
• Chapel Hill, NC (Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt)
• Charleston, SC (Mayor Joseph Riley)
• Cincinnati, OH (Mayor John Cranley)
• Clarence, NY (Mayor David Hartzell)
• Clarksville, TN (Mayor Kim McMillan)
• Cleveland, OH (Mayor Frank G Jackson)
• Columbia, SC (Mayor Stephen Benjamin)
• Columbus, OH (Mayor Michael Coleman)
• Corona, CA (Mayor Eugene Montanez)
• Corpus Christi, TX (Mayor Nelda Martinez)
• Cupertino, CA (Mayor Rod Sinks)
• Davie, FL (Mayor Judith Paul)
• Dayton, OH (Mayor Nan Whaley)
• Des Moines, IA (Mayor T.M. Cownie)
• Doral, FL (Mayor Luigi Boria)
• Dublin, CA (Mayor David Haubert)
• Dubuque, IA (Mayor Roy Buol)
• Durham, NC (Mayor William Bell) Elizabeth, NJ (Mayor J Bollwage)
• Elk Grove, CA (Mayor Gary Davis)
• Erie, PA (Mayor Joseph Sinnott)
• Fort Myers, FL (Mayor Randall Henderson)
• Fort Wayne, IN (Mayor Tom Henry)
• Frederick, MD (Mayor Randy McClement)
• Fremont, CA (Mayor Bill Harrison)
• Frisco, TX (Mayor Maher Maso)
• Gary, IN (Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson)
• Greenville, NC (Mayor Allen Thomas)
• Gresham, OR (Mayor Shane Bemis)
• Hallandale Beach, FL (Mayor Joy Cooper)
• Hayward, CA (Mayor Barbara Halliday
• Hempstead, NJ (Mayor Wayne Hall)
• Hermosa Beach, CA (Mayor Michael Keegan)
• Hialeah, FL (Mayor Carlos Hernández)
• Hillsboro, OR (Mayor Jerry Willey)
• Hoffman Estates, IL (Mayor William McLeod)
• Houston, TX (Mayor Annise Parker)
• Huntersville, NC (Mayor Jill Swain)
• Indianapolis, IN (Mayor Gregory Ballard)
• Irvine, CA (Mayor Steven Choi)
• Irving, TX (Mayor Beth Van Duyne)
• Johns Creek, GA (Mayor Michael Bodker)
• Kansas City, MO (Mayor Sly James)
• Knoxville, TN (Mayor Madeline Rogero)
• Lakeland, FL (Mayor Howard Wiggs)
• Las Cruces, NM (Mayor Kenneth Miyagishima)
• Las Vegas, NV (Mayor Carolyn Goodman)
• Lexington, KY (Mayor Jim Gray)
• Lima, OH (Mayor David Berger)
• Little Rock, AR (Mayor Mark Stodola)
• Livermore, CA (Mayor John Marchand)
• Los Altos, CA (Mayor Jan Pepper)
• Louisville, KY (Mayor Greg Fischer)
• Macon, GA (Mayor Robert Reichert)
• Madison, WI (Mayor Paul Soglin)
• Manhattan Beach, CA (Mayor Wayne Powell)
• Mesa, AZ (Mayor John Giles)
• Millstone, NJ (Mayor Raymond Heck)
• Milwaukee, WI (Mayor Thomas Barrett)
• Miramar, FL (Mayor Wayne Messam)
• Monroe, LA (Mayor James Mayo)
• Mount Vernon, NY (Mayor Ernest Davis)
• Myrtle Beach, SC (Mayor John Rhodes)
• Nashville, TN (Mayor Karl Dean)
• New Orleans, LA (Mayor Mitchell Landrieu)
• Newark, NJ (Mayor Ras Baraka)
• Newport News, VA (Mayor McKinley Price)
• Newton, MA (Mayor Setti Warren)
• Niagara Falls, NY (Mayor Paul Dyster)
• North Miami, FL (Mayor Smith Joseph)
• North Wilkesboro, NC (Mayor Robert Johnson)
• Oakland, CA (Mayor Libby Schaaf)
• Ocala, FL (Mayor Kent Guinn)
• Oklahoma City, OK (Mayor Mick Cornett)
• Orland Park, IL (Mayor Daniel McLaughlin)
• Orlando, FL (Mayor Buddy Dyer)
• Oroville, CA (Mayor Linda Dahlmeier)
• Palm Bay, FL (Mayor William Capote)
• Paterson, NJ (Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres)
• Pembroke Pines, FL (Mayor Frank Ortis)
• Philadelphia, PA (Mayor Michael Nutter)
• Phoenix, AZ (Mayor Greg Stanton)
• Piscataway, NJ (Mayor Brian Wahler)
• Pittsburgh, PA (Mayor Bill Peduto)
• Plano, TX (Mayor Harry LaRosiliere)
• Providence, RI (Mayor Jorge Elorza)
• Quincy, IL (Mayor Kyle Moore)
• Racine, WI (Mayor John Dickert)
• Rochester, MN (Mayor Ardell Brede)
• Rochester Hills, MI (Mayor Bryan Barnett)
• Roseville, CA (Mayor Carol Garcia)
• Sacramento, CA (Mayor Kevin Johnson)
• Salem, VA (Mayor Randy Foley)
• Salt Lake City, UT (Mayor Ralph Becker)
• San Antonio, TX (Mayor Ivy Taylor)
• San Francisco, CA (Mayor Edwin Lee)
• San Gabriel, CA (Mayor Jason Pu)
• San Leandro, CA (Mayor Pauline Cutter)
• Seattle, WA (Mayor Ed Murray)
• Socorro, TX (Mayor Jesus Ruiz)
• St. Louis, MO (Mayor Francis Slay)
• St. Petersburg, FL (Mayor Rick Kriseman)
• Tacoma, WA (Mayor Marilyn Strickland)
• Tallahassee, FL (Mayor Andrew Gillum)
• Tempe, AZ (Mayor Mark Mitchell)
• Tigard, OR (Mayor John Cook)
• Torrance, CA (Mayor Patrick Furey)
• Trenton, NJ (Mayor Eric Jackson)
• Washington, D.C. (Mayor Muriel Bowser)
• West Covina, CA (Mayor Fredrick Sykes)
• West Hollywood, CA (Mayor Lindsey Horvath)
• West Sacramento, CA (Mayor Christopher Cabaldon)
• Westlake, OH (Mayor Dennis Clough)
• Wilmington, DE (Mayor Dennis Williams)
• Woodland, CA (Mayor Tom Stallard)
• York, PA (Mayor C Bracey)
• Yuba, CA (Mayor John Dukes)

 

About Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is the most historic professional sports league in the United States and consists of 30 member clubs in the U.S. and Canada, representing the highest level of professional baseball. Major League Baseball is the best-attended sport in North America, and the last decade includes all 10 of the best-attended individual seasons by fans in MLB history, with each regular season eclipsing the 73 million mark. Now led by Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr., MLB currently features record levels of labor peace, competitive balance and industry revenues, as well as the most comprehensive drug-testing program in American professional sports. MLB remains committed to making an impact in the communities of the U.S., Canada and throughout the world, perpetuating the sport’s larger role in society and permeating every facet of baseball’s business, marketing and community relations endeavors. With the continued success of MLB Advanced Media and MLB Network, MLB continues to find innovative ways for its fans to enjoy America’s National Pastime and a truly global game. For more information on Major League Baseball, visit www.MLB.com.

About Minor League Baseball
Minor League Baseball, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, is the governing body for all professional baseball teams in the United States, Canada, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic that are affiliated with Major League Baseball clubs through their farm systems. Fans are coming out in unprecedented numbers to this one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found at Minor League Baseball ballparks. In 2014, Minor League Baseball attracted 42.4 million fans to its ballparks to see the future stars of the sport hone their skills. From the electricity in the stands to the excitement on the field, Minor League Baseball has provided affordable family-friendly entertainment to people of all ages since its founding in 1901. For more information about Minor League Baseball, visit www.MiLB.com.

About The United States Conference of Mayors
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,407 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. website.