Film to Feature Ripken’s Baseball Tour to China as Public Diplomacy Envoy for U.S. State Department
Hunt Valley, Md. – Renegade, an advertising agency, studio and content creator with in-house production facilities, announced today they will partner with the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) to air their latest film project, a documentary featuring National Baseball Hall of Famer, Cal Ripken Jr. The documentary, titled A Shortstop in China, features Ripken on his first diplomatic trip as an American Public Diplomacy Envoy for the U.S. State Department. Air dates for the film will be released soon.
The one-hour program, completely shot in High-Definition, showcases the essence of Ripken sharing his passion for baseball with youngsters and coaches throughout China. The Renegade team traveled with Ripken and former Baltimore Oriole B.J. Surhoff to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in November 2007. While there, baseball’s all-time “Iron Man” conducted 11 baseball clinics for approximately 800 Chinese children and 200 coaches.
“What a thrill and an honor it was to travel to this amazing country with a baseball legend,” said Tim Watkins, the film’s Producer as well as President and CEO of Renegade. “We received complete access to Cal, the State Department and the intricacies of the journey and the result was a perspective of Cal Ripken and of the Chinese people that has rarely been seen. We worked closely with MASN and Ripken Baseball to ensure that the film is completed and aired throughout the region.”
Along with footage from the baseball clinics, the documentary will also include Ripken accepting his appointment by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, interviews with Ripken, his wife, Kelly, Chinese residents and former Under Secretary of State for public diplomacy, Karen Hughes.
The movie is the latest step in an emerging relationship between Ripken Baseball and MASN. In November, Ripken shared stories and photographs from his travels in Nicaragua on behalf of the State Department on his exclusive blog at MASNSports.com. Over five days, Cal provided regular updates and highlights of his trip, which he made with former Oriole teammate Dennis Martinez, the first Nicaraguan to play Major League Baseball. Cal's blog can be found at http://masnsports.com/masnblogs/cal-ripken/.
"MASN is proud to support the important international work of one of baseball's greatest legends," said MASN spokesman Todd Webster. "As this documentary illustrates, Cal continues to be a role model to children around the world and this great game continues to unite people of many languages and cultures." MASN will air the documentary to nearly six million households throughout the network's seven-state region.
Ripken’s mission to help spark dialogue with youth around the world is accomplished through the universal language of sports. A Shortstop in China personalizes the “Iron Man” and the people of China while providing a rare and insightful glimpse into the unprecedented economic and political growth of an emerging global powerhouse.
ABOUT RENEGADE (www.GetRenegade.com):
Based in Hunt Valley, Md., Renegade is a content creator and advertising agency with in-house production and post production facilities. Clients of Renegade include: Comcast, Time Warner, DEWALT, Ripken Baseball, Hair Club for Men and Women and Towson University. Renegade offers its clients a wide variety of services, including Strategic Planning, Creative Development, Production, Post Production, Motion Graphics, Interactive, Training, Design, Print Design & Fulfillment and more. In its 25,000 square foot facility, Renegade houses a 6,000 square foot state-of-the-art studio that features a 3,000 square foot sound stage and six HD edit suites. Renegade’s Agency Confessional Blog can be found at http://adagencyconfessional.blogspot.com/
ABOUT MASN (www.MASNsports.com):
MASN is the first regional sports network in the country owned by two Major League Baseball franchises -- the Orioles and Nationals. The network televises every available game of both teams - more than 320 baseball games each season - and more live baseball than any network in America. MASN features in-game programming enhancements and special access to the teams and their players that only a team-owned RSN can provide. The network carries more than 275 NCAA Division I football, basketball and lacrosse games, featuring the best regional and national college action. MASN is the Official Cable Network of Georgetown basketball, George Mason basketball, and UNC Wilmington basketball and enjoys partnerships with the Big East and the Big South conferences. MASN serves a seven-state area, from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Charlotte, North Carolina and including Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, the District of Columbia and parts of West Virginia.
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CONTACT:
Chris Daley
Maroon PR
410-442-1221
Chris@MaroonPR.com
