Cardinals Nike RBI

The Cardinals Nike RBI League is a free baseball and softball program for teens aged 14-18. The league operates with the mission to increase participation and diversity in the game of baseball and softball with a focus on underserved and under-represented communities in the St. Louis Metro and surrounding areas.

Since 1990, Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club has been providing area youth aged 14-18 the opportunity to play RBI (Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities) and Cardinals Care has provided financial support to the program for the last decade. In 2023, the Cardinals brought RBI in house to extend the opportunity for teens to play RBI throughout the St. Louis Metro and surrounding areas. The shift also helps provide a natural transition to more competitive play for children in the Cardinals Care Redbird Rookies Youth Baseball and Softball program once they graduate at the age of 13.

From its inception in 1989, RBI has grown from a local program for boys in South Central Los Angeles to an international campaign encompassing more than 200 cities and as many as 150,000 male and female participants per year. In 2023, Nike became the sponsor of RBI across Major League Baseball.

Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) is a Major League Baseball youth outreach program designed to:

• Increase participation and interest in baseball and softball among underserved youth
• Promote greater inclusion of youth with diverse backgrounds into the mainstream of the game
• Increase number of talented athletes prepared to play in college and professionally
• Encourage academic achievement
• Teach the value of teamwork