This year we will also be putting in a baseball field for the kids, and some playground equipment. But I've already got running water and electricity out there, and we have the capability to host bands, which we've done successfully.

Do you think the IOC will make this concession for baseball?

It's just like baseball is ... it will depend on the pitching. The kids realize it, too. We won't shut teams down. But if we don't walk too many and if we field like I think we will, we should do OK.

I was so impressed with her dedication; she really wanted this thing to happen, and she made it happen. Our first charity event was for a little girl from Lancaster who had brain cancer. We had a really good turnout, and I'll never forget how excited Vicki was that day to see it all come together.

Vicki passed away from cancer on Dec. 18, 2004. But four years before that, we had been blessed with this property. We have 20 acres here and Vicki decided she wanted to put in a picnic grove here that could be used for charity events.

The Youth Baseball Academy will serve as a sanctuary for kids interested not only in how the game is played but how the game can be a positive and productive part of their lives. The Compton academy is part of Major League Baseball's Urban Youth Initiative, which is an ambitious and important project that is designed to grow the game and to help inner city kids make better lives for themselves.