Local High School Senior played in SmilesLEAGUE All-Star Game

Thirty-four graduating high school seniors hit the field at Busch Stadium last weekend for the third annual SmilesLEAGUE Coaches’ Choice High School Seniors All-Star baseball game hosted by Delta Dental of Missouri and the St. Louis Cardinals. The game was designed to highlight the athletic abilities of these high school players, while promoting the importance of making smart decisions on and off the field through Delta Dental’s Ignite a Tobacco-Free Nation campaign.

This year’s all-star lineup included graduating high school seniors from St. Louis city and county public high schools, who were pre-selected by their school’s coaching staff, and placed on either the “All-Star Blue Team” or the “All-Star Green Team.” 

The "All-Star Blue Team” was coached by former Cardinals third baseman Scott Cooper, a St. Louis native who played high school baseball for the Pattonville Pirates, spent seven seasons in the major leagues and was a member of the American League All-Star team in both 1993 and 1994.

The “All-Star Green Team” was coached by former Cardinals outfielder Kerry Robinson, who is also a St. Louis native. Robinson was a three-sport athlete for the Hazelwood Spartans and went on to play for the Tampa Bay Rays and was a Cardinal from 2001 to 2003, appearing in the post-season in 2001 and 2002.

The “All-Star Blue Team” coached by Scott Cooper defeated Kerry Robinson’s “All-Star Green Team” for the third consecutive year. The final score was 9-2. Tommy Breunig of Oakville High School was named the MVP of the game. In addition to catching a great game, he went 1 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. The Home Run Derby was modified due to the weather.  In lieu of the traditional pre-game derby, the Home Run Derby contest winners were determined based on stats from the game. “All-Star Green Team” player Adam Hanks from Northwest High School secured the Home Run Derby title with a triple that hit off the centerfield wall in the 5th inning. He also hit a foul ball in the 7th inning that was just short of being an out-of-the-park home run. “All-Star Blue Team” player Matt Hink from Marquette High School was the runner up.

Through Delta Dental of Missouri’s sponsorship with the St. Louis Cardinals, the dental health benefits provider aims to promote awareness of the dangers of tobacco through its Ignite a Tobacco-Free Nation project. In agreeing to participate in the event, all SmilesLEAGUE All-Star players joined campaign spokesperson and Cardinals all-star third baseman David Freese in the mission for a healthy mouth and body, both on and off the field. More specifically, each player signed a tobacco-free pledge acknowledging that they do not smoke or chew and ultimately vow to be an advocate for a non-smoking and non-chewing lifestyle among their peers.

Monica Green, manager of corporate communications for Delta Dental of Missouri commented on the mission behind the All-Star game, “Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. It can cause health-related problems for teens at an early age, including periodontal disease, coughing, shortness of breath and other issues related to nicotine addiction. The fact is that we cannot end the tobacco epidemic without focusing our efforts on young people. Nearly 100 percent of adults who smoke every day started smoking when they were 26 or younger, so early prevention is key. If we can prevent adolescents from using tobacco before the age 18, the chances are high that they will not take up the habit.”

The public service announcements, featuring David Freese, are currently airing during Cardinals game broadcasts and can be accessed at www.smilesleague.com. Additional information tied to creating a tobacco-free generation of healthy kids is available on Delta Dental’s microsite, www.GoodHealthStartsHere.org.

As part of the all-star game, Delta Dental also included a fundraising component to benefit the Cardinals Care, Give Kids A Smile and Delta Dental Health Theatre organizations. A raffle was held for a chance to win some exciting prizes including the opportunity to meet David Freese before a home game. Winners received four field-level tickets to the Cardinals home game on Thursday, June 20, 2013; four tickets to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and activities in New York on July 14 - 16, 2013; as well as autographed jerseys from David Freese and Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright. Nearly $12,000 was raised through this effort.

“We feel it is our social responsibility to help influence and inspire the youth in our community to establish healthy life habits early on,” commented David Haynes, president and CEO of Delta Dental. “Our mission is to improve oral and overall health, and tobacco use is a major driver of poor oral health. The all-star game will raise awareness of these lifestyle choices, and the proceeds will benefit some wonderful organizations that provide oral health education and free services for underserved children.”

To learn more about the Delta Dental’s SmilesLEAGUE or Tobacco-Free Nation, visit www.DeltaDentalMo.com/TobaccoFree. To help ignite a tobacco-free nation, join the Twitter conversation at #TobaccoFreeNation.