For the first time in 37 years, the Babe Ruth World Series is back in Mobile — and organizers are racing to line up enough local host families before the first teams touch down in early August.
The tournament, which last came to Mobile in 1982 for a younger age division, now features players ages 16 to 18 from across the globe. David Todd, host president of the 2019 Babe Ruth World Series, said the series offers Mobile a rare chance to show off the city to visiting athletes and families.
“We’ve always traveled outside to go to the World Series — to actually bring it to Mobile and give an experience with Mobile and show them what Mobile’s about,” Todd said.
How host families work
What sets the Babe Ruth organization apart, Todd said, is its host family program. Rather than packing players into hotels, each athlete spends the week living with a local family, sharing meals, routines and day-to-day life in Mobile. Typically, two players are placed in each home, though some families have taken in three or four.
The program has created friendships that last well beyond baseball. Todd said his own family stayed in touch with a visiting team from Ohio for years after hosting. “We’re still friends today. We travel back and forth to Ohio. They’ve been here for my son’s wedding,” he said.
A former player with the Mobile Rawdogs who once stayed with a host family echoed that sentiment. “We felt that we were at home. Always had great home-cooked meals. Always fed us breakfast. Made sure that we were ready to go — I couldn’t thank him enough,” he said.
What’s still needed
The series needs roughly 75 host families. With a few weeks to go until game day, organizers said they were still short about 15 families. Teams begin arriving July 30, with games starting August 2.
The Mobile Rawdogs will serve as the host team and are set to face a squad from China in their opening game. Mobile’s program has won nine Babe Ruth national titles over the years, and the Rawdogs are hoping to become the first host team to win a World Series crown on its home field.