‘This sport has brought a lot of brotherhood to me’: MJBL Classic, Black World Series returns to Richmond

Aug 3, 2025 - 18:25

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‘This sport has brought a lot of brotherhood to me’: MJBL Classic, Black World Series returns to Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A national youth baseball league returned to the Greater Richmond Region for the 34th year this weekend, bringing with it a deep history.

The 34th annual Inner City Classic was held in Richmond over the last several days -- from Wednesday, July 30, to Sunday, Aug. 3. This year, games were held at Dorey Park.

The Metropolitan Junior Baseball League (MJBL) was founded in 1966 by William Forrester Jr., who said his father and other local businessmen joined together to "make sure that not only [he] could play, but all Black youth in the Richmond and surrounding areas would have the opportunity to play baseball."

Decades later, his vision lives on through the MJBL’s annual championship series — the Black World Series — now in its 34th year.

"We hope to continue to keep the doors open, to provide opportunities to all [who] want to play. Now, it's more about accessibility and affordability," Forrester said. "We've got to make it affordable for these kids to play, and we have to introduce the game to them at a young age."

He said there are not many kids in the inner city and Black communities that are "not being exposed to baseball," so he added, "They don't realize the fun that is involved with this gun and the benefits that it offers."

Forrester now serves as the league’s executive director and played in the very first MJBL program in 1966 with hopes that the next generation -- like first baseman and pitcher Thomas Yarborough Jr. -- continues to benefit.

Yarborough, a first baseman and pitcher for Heritage Rebels from Greenville, North Carolina, said his team is defending champions, with hopes to win the tournament on Sunday.

"We're really just coming out here with a clear mindset, just hoping to stay focused, put some good swings on the bat and play some good defense," he said.

This week-long event brings together top athletes from cities across the country, including California, Connecticut, New York, North Carolina, Washington D.C. and Maryland. 8News previous reported that all the players come from inner-city neighborhoods, unified by a shared love for the game and a chance to compete at a high level.

"Baseball has really declined, and we're trying to develop that, but we have a national network," Forrester said. "Even though we weren't able to have as many teams locally as we wanted to. Nationally, there's pockets where basketball is still very strong amongst inner city and African American youth."

"This sport has brought a lot of brotherhood to me," Yarborough said. "Made me a couple close friends that may not be blood but they're definitely brothers for sure now."