Sixty-six kids from across the country  with their eyes on  one day adding their names to  a long  line  of Panamanian  baseball stars will participate in the final round of the 2018 Caja de Ahorros Pitch, Hit & Run competition, on  Saturday, February 17 at the Rod Carew Stadium.

Participants will compete in competitions for a chance to be one of four winners who will earn the grand prize: all-expenses-paid trips to New York City to watch a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium this season.

Winners and a guest will also receive $500 to spend on their trip courtesy of Caja de Ahorros.

Highlights of the event will include a special appearance from former Yankee great and four-time World Series Champion Orlando ‘El Duque’ Hernandez. The former pitcher will provide pointers and sign baseballs for each of the 66 participants.

Past player appearances have included Baseball Hall of Famer and twelve-time All-Star Roberto Alomar, thirteen-time All-Star and Panama native Mariano Rivera, five-time All-Star Bernie Williams and two-time All-Star Carlos Delgado.

The youth skills competition, which is in its sixth year in Panama, has been sponsored by Caja de Ahorros since its inception and visited ten cities engaging over 2,200 total participants, ages nine through twelve, this year.

Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit & Run encourages youth players to develop their skills by competing in pitching, hitting, and running competitions, which include Regional and National levels.

The competitions were conducted in partnership with Pandeportes, a government agency focused  on encouraging the development of recreational sports, and Prodena, a Panamanian sporting events production company.

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