Battle Creek, Michigan – The 2021 National Amateur Baseball Federation Charles Blackburn Majors Division World Series got underway two days ago at Bailey Park. 16 teams from 8 different states; Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania will compete in four different pools, each playing in three pool games from August 4th to 6th. The top two teams in each pool move on to the Quarterfinals on Saturday and the two teams that advance play in the Semifinals. The Championship Game is scheduled for 12 o’clock on Sunday.

There have been some interesting jerseys through the first two days of action. The jerseys that come to mind the most are Team Debs from Buffalo, New York. They wear light pink jerseys with small dark pink cancer ribbons all around it and black numbers with “Team Deb” across the front in pink lettering on a black background. 

Prior to Team Debs second game of Pool B play against the Lombard Orioles, Co-Manager Jared Fabian explained how they got their name. Team Deb originally went by Gronk Shell, but after the 2014 NABF Blackburn Majors Division World Series they had a new name and been better for it ever since. “My best friend Max Zimmerman, who is now the owner of the franchise, his mother had passed away from breast cancer about six years ago now,” said Fabian. The franchise changed the name to play in honor of Deb and they even do charitable acts and fundraisers. “We do an open swim, a fundraiser for pediatric cancer. So, we try and give back and use the brand or the team name to keep the community together and pass on her legacy,” said Fabian.   

Despite Team Deb losing their first two Pool B games to Garden State Surge 3-1 and 5-3 to Lombard Orioles, they are playing for a great cause and bringing people and their community closer. Team Deb plays one more Pool B contest tomorrow at 12 o’clock at C.O. Brown Stadium against Detroit Jet Box.