A Brief History

"Building Champions - One Team At A Time"

Boston Astros:
The Astros program was incorporated as part of SEB in 1987. Established by Robert Lewis, Jr. and Jose Ruiz in the late 1970s, the Astros originated at the Villa Victoria Housing Development in the South End neighborhood of Boston. The community baseball program was developed to provide youth from Villa Victoria with opportunities to engage in forms of healthy competition and athletic activity while also keeping young people out of trouble.

Success and Accomplishments:
Since its inception, the Boston Astros program has achieved immense success. To date, the Astros have served over 8,000 boys and girls on more than 600 teams. Through their competitive pursuits, the Astros have established themselves to be one of the Elite teams in the nation. The Astros have competed at the local, regional and national level – playing teams such as the Canadian National Team, the Dominican Republic All-Stars, Team Puerto Rico, and the Bronx New York Stars and competing across the country in states including Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey. In addition, the Astros were also able to compete in Japan and following this competition, they were featured in Japanese print and radio as a model American baseball program. Recent tournament victories include:

• Participation in 12 National Championship Tournaments since 2000.
• 2002 Champions of the Triple Crown National Tournament
• Ranked in the top 6 in 8 of the last twelve National Tournaments
  
• 2004, 2007 and 2008 New England Regional Champions
  
• 2005, 2006, and 2007 Eastern Massachusetts State Champions
  
• 2004 Massachusetts Championship Finalist

Part of the mission of the Astros program has been to increase the number of baseball players playing competitively at the high school, amateur, and college level. Attesting to the program’s success, four former Astros are currently competing at the Major League Level. These players include Manny Delcarmen of the Boston Red Sox, Juan Carlos Portes of the Minnesota Twins, Rony Mercado of the New Hampshire Pride and Dorian Rojas of the Brockton Rox. In addition, over 30 former players are currently attending and playing baseball at a junior college, community college, or a four-year college or university

The 2009 Season:
In 2009, the Astros program will have 6 teams representing over 125 young men. The teams will play a full schedule of games and tournaments at the local, regional and national level. In 2009, The Astros will compete in the following national tournaments.

• Triple Crown Baseball/Softball: College World Series National Championships, Omaha, NE; National Championship, Myrtle Beach, SC; Regional Championship Series, Branford, CT
• East Coast Tournament of Baseball, Lancaster, PA.,
  
• Cocoa Expo Tournament of Champions, Cocoa Beach, FL

Vision For the Future:
By developing outstanding players who represent the values of teamwork, sportsmanship, dedication, and an ethic of hard work, South End Baseball and the Boston Astros are committed to continuing to grow towards becoming one of the top baseball and softball programs in the country.  We aim to:

• Serve as a Baseball/Softball feeder program of potential student athletes for colleges and universities to gain opportunities for scholarships and financial aid to further their educational pursuits
  
• Initiating a Boston Astros Alumni Association
  
• Launching a Boston Advisory Board