A team of Chicago cops (in blue) takes on a team of men from the BUILD program in the Donna Dudley Peace Project All-Star Game last week at Little Cubs Field in Humboldt Park. | Jared Lansman/Homicide Watch Chicago
By JARED LANDSMAN
Homicide Watch Chicago
Retired Chicago cop Isadore Bo Ramos stepped to the plate, trying to knock the softball out of the park against a team of former gang members. "Before the game I go by and shake their hands, and let them know explicitly, prepare for an ass whoopin'," he said.
As a kid, Ramos was involved with BUILD, a youth program established in 1969 with the goal of keeping kids away from a lifestyle of crime and gangs.
As he looked out at Little Cubs field in Humboldt Park last Thursday during BUILD's Donna Dudley Peace League All-star game, he reflected on the youth-intervention program that started in his own neighborhood.
"I am a product of BUILD. I joined at the age of 15. They had a youth reach-out program that was very instrumental in the formation of my life," Ramos said.
Retired cop BO Ramos coaches first base in the Donna Dudley Peace Project All-Star Game last week. Ramos took part in the program as a youngster. | Jared Lansman/Homicide Watch Chicago
"It enabled me to go to college. I graduated, and the college work-study program was excellent. They did intensive tutoring to keep me on my Ps and Qs. And then I was fortunate enough to take the police exam and get hired."
One of BUILD's most-popular programs is the Peace League, which pits at-risk children of all ages from different communities against each other in softball, something organizers say helps them understand each other on a different platform than when they see each other on the streets.
The most important day of the summer is the All-Star game, where earlier in the afternoon kids in younger leagues played, while the concessions stand doled out snacks, a disk-jockey played tunes, and parents watched from the grandstands.
But the culminating event is the game between Chicago Police officers and Peace League All-stars, young adults who have graduated from earlier programs.
Before the game, 19-year-old Paul Ortiz was joking with teammates in the dugout, a huge smile on his face.
"I got my younger brother, my cousin, and my pretend son involved with BUILD ... I’ve played softball here since I was 13. BUILD has helped me out through good times and bad. It's great for communities, as it builds a bridge, instead of having everyone be segregated."
And about that final game of the night.
"A lot of people have a negative stigma with police, thinking they always want to kill them. Police wanna help, and sometimes tragic events happen but most cops are not like that. I’m really excited about [the game] because it shows that cops are cool people," Ortiz said.
A student at Malcom X College, he is studying to become an X-ray technician. Being involved and having fun with the league kept him out of trouble early, and made him come back to coach younger kids.
Parents look on from the bleachers at Little Cubs Field in HUmboldt Park as kids take part in one of last week's all-star contests in the Donna Dudley Peace League. | Jared Lansman/Homicide Watch Chicago
Adam Alonso, executive director for BUILD Inc., describes the benefits of kids being from different communities
"The idea behind the Peace League is to bring different factions and different gangs together, kids who wouldn't normally be together, to do sports and activities in a way that's safe, so they can actually be a kid again.
"And quite honestly, so they do not have to worry about looking over their shoulder, but can enjoy just being out there and hitting the ball and being on a team. It doesn't matter that these are your rivals out on the street ... Over time, we hope that things change for them," Alonso said.
Although the crowd had grown a little sparse as dusk settled over one of the city's most crime-ridden neighborhoods, the kind of warm summer evening often associated with shootings instead fostered feelings of togetherness and friendly competition under the lights.
"I believe in BUILD because I have seen the product they put out. These kids are not bad kids," Ramos said. "They are misguided.
"We that are optimistic look down a tunnel and see a light coming and say, 'Great, that's the light at the end of the tunnel.' These kids look down that tunnel, and when they see that light they say, 'Uh oh, here comes that damn freight train.' That's the difference. Until we give them hope, or the understanding that they too can succeed, we’ll lose these kids."
Despite losing last year to the All-stars, the police have played 37 of these games and only lost three times, he said.
"Losing three out of 37 is a damn good record, I wish the Cubs were that good."
And the cops won again, 15-12.
But Ramos added, "At the end of the day, everyone is going to come out of it with a smile on their face."
Spectators get snacks from the concession stand during the Donna Dudley Peace League event last week in Humboldt Park. | Jared Lansman/Homicide Watch Chicago