FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Baseball Youth to print special Topps and Upper Deck trading cards

For the first time ever, youth players can win their own card printed next to the pros

MOREHEAD, Ky. (February 18, 2008) – In an effort to continue sparking kids’ interest in collecting baseball cards, Baseball Youth magazine will be inserting Topps and Upper Deck Major League Baseball cards along side a selected youth player in each issue.

Baseball Youth readers can collect three trading cards inside each of the six issues in 2008. Kids will find a Topps and Upper Deck card of Major League players while the third card will feature a youth player chosen through a special promotion.

Baseball Youth publisher Scott Hacker wants kids to get excited about this opportunity to have their trading card printed in a national magazine alongside some of today’s greatest big leaguers.

“What makes this promotion so unique is that a kid gets to have their trading card created and printed right next to the pros,” Hacker said. “Imagine what these kids can tell their friends if we make their baseball card.”

"We're seeing a resurgence in kids' interest in collecting baseball cards, and efforts such as this unique Baseball Youth promotion help kids discover the fun of this time-honored tradition,” Evan Kaplan, Category Director of Trading Cards & New Business Development for the Major League Baseball Players Association said. “This is the first time we've offered kids an opportunity to have their own baseball card printed right next to the cards of some of their favorite big leaguers. It's sure to be a keepsake each of the winners will cherish forever."

With the magazine’s promotion, kids are encouraged to send in a photo in uniform, a personal bio, stats and a paragraph describing their baseball card collection. Winners will be determined by their photos and written submission.

This one-of-a-kind promotion will be heavily publicized on the Baseball Youth Road Trip that travels to major youth baseball tournaments and World Series events across the country with an interactive FanFest experience. Topps and Upper Deck are national sponsors of the Road Trip along with the Major League Baseball Players Association, Louisville Slugger, Backyard Sports, Disney Channel, Disney’s Wide World of Sports and AirHeads.

“We will reach close to 500,000 kids on the Road Trip, and we want each kid we see to send us photos and information for this trading card promotion,” Hacker said. “Baseball cards are an important part of the Road Trip, and this is another way to push kids to collect baseball cards.”

Printing the collectible trading cards is just another step Baseball Youth is taking to help engage kids with our nation’s favorite pastime. The new BaseballYouth.com was launched at the end of 2007 along with MyBaseballYouth.com, an online youth baseball network.

Kids can go to the Web site to learn more about the trading card promotion and even talk with other players from around the nation through the online community. Registering to become a member is simple and free.

Baseball Youth, The Nation’s Baseball Magazine for Kids, offers features on every level, from the professional ranks to the youth leagues. Major league players are profiled and a host of baseball experts give tips for improvement in each issue. Plus, games, contests and posters make learning the national pastime fun.

Go online to BaseballYouth.com to become a subscriber to The Nation’s Baseball Magazine for Kids for $17.95. The magazine is printed six times a year and can also be found in select bookstores around the nation.

About the Major League Baseball Players Association The Major League Baseball Players Association (www.MLBPLAYERS.com ) is the collective bargaining representative for all professional baseball players of the thirty Major League Baseball teams and serves as the exclusive group licensing agent for commercial and licensing activities involving active Major League baseball players. On behalf of its members, it operates the Players Choice licensing program and Players Choice Awards, which benefit the needy through the Major League Baseball Players Trust, a charitable foundation established and run entirely by Major League baseball players.

About Dugout Media Dugout Media (www.dugoutmedia.com) publishes Baseball Youth along with other national magazines Softball Youth and Soccer Youth. The company also specializes in full-service event marketing for regional and national events like the Baseball Youth Road Trip with the Major League Baseball Players Association, the Softball Youth Road Trip with National Pro Fastpitch and will soon introduce a Soccer Youth Road Trip this fall. Regional events include the Prep Fever Football and Basketball Tours in selected U.S. cities.

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