Bradley Delivers a Message to Kids in RBI Program

Players cherish their few days off, but center fielder Milton Bradley gave up one of his Monday. Bradley was a guest of honor at the annual dinner supporting the local chapter of the RBI (Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities) program, with third baseman Adrian Beltre, owner Frank McCourt, former owner Peter O’Malley and a host of former players also scheduled to attend.

In Los Angeles, the youth on city playgrounds that once produced such stars as Eddie Murray, Ozzie Smith, Darryl Strawberry and Eric Davis now tend to prefer basketball and football. The RBI program, founded in Los Angeles in 1989 by scout John Young and subsequently expanded across the country with the support of Major League Baseball, aims to reclaim at least some of those playgrounds, albeit with a fraction of the resources teams devote to scouting and player development in Latin America.

Bradley, who played on an RBI team while growing up in Long Beach, said he would urge RBI participants to swing hard but study hard too. The RBI program offers tutorial support.

“Sports is great, and it’s fun to get involved,” Bradley said. “If it’s your dream, then strive to be a baseball player, or whatever, but the most important thing is to stay in school, get good grades and get an education.”

As a player who graduated from the RBI program into the major leagues, Bradley might be considered a role model for the current generation of RBI participants. However, if those children are looking for a role model, Bradley would advise them to look elsewhere.

“Role models are parents, policemen, firefighters -- people who make a difference in people’s lives,” he said. “Sports is entertainment. In sports, we mess up.

“Look at someone else, someone who is working for the betterment of the community.”

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The Dodgers have not sold out their 35 suites this season, but McCourt said his long-term plan could include construction of additional suites at Dodger Stadium.

“At some point in time, we’ll need more,” he said.

With aggressive marketing and a winning team, McCourt believes he can sell out the suites, an increasingly lucrative source of revenue for pro sports teams. There is very little room to build additional suites at Dodger Stadium, but he said team executives plan to explore options this winter.

“If somebody wants to lease my office, I’ll work somewhere else in the building,” he said.

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The Dodgers acquired triple-A first baseman Brian Myrow from the Yankees, completing the May 15 trade that sent pitcher Tanyon Sturtze to New York.