[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
[July 2, 1997]
[Pages 902-903]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on Behalf of the Public Service Campaign for Educational 
Excellence in Baltimore, Maryland
July 2, 1997

    Thank you very much. Thank you, Bud Selig, Peter Angelos, Jim 
Hunter. To Norm Augustine, the chairman of Lockheed Martin and our 
Educational Excellence Partnership, and to Cal Ripken, who is the very 
embodiment of excellence.
    Ladies and gentlemen, excellence in baseball requires teamwork, hard 
work, and setting high standards of excellence. So does excellence in 
education. The Educational Excellence Partnership, including all-star 
athletes, businesses, Governors, and teachers, are pitching in to help 
our children aim high. The young people here behind me from the Boys and 
Girls Clubs of America embody the kind of future we're trying to build 
for them.
    I want to thank all of you out there who have worked hard to set 
high standards, not only for your own children but for the other 
children in your community. I want to thank Cal and Kelly Ripken for the 
outstanding contribution they are making to literacy here in Baltimore. 
And I want to urge all of you to rededicate yourselves to the idea that 
every one of our children can learn, and we will not get into the 21st 
century with the future we want for them until we expect every one of 
them to learn and we give them the ability, the tools, and the support 
they need to learn.

[[Page 903]]

    We are very fortunate that outstanding Major League Baseball 
players, along with business leaders like Norm Augustine, have supported 
this public service campaign for educational excellence. I want you to 
watch these ads now, and I hope you will heed them. I hope you will 
support my call for national standards of excellence in reading and math 
and go back home and think about what you can do to make sure that every 
one of our children is as devoted to excellence in education as the 
baseball players we'll enjoy watching today from the Phillies and the 
Orioles are to excellence in their sport.
    Thank you, and God bless you all.

Note. The President spoke at 3:01 p.m. at home plate in Oriole Park at 
Camden Yards. In his remarks, he referred to Bud Selig, acting 
commissioner of baseball; Peter Angelos, owner, Baltimore Orioles; Jim 
Hunter, WBAL Radio sportscaster; and Orioles player Cal Ripken, Jr., and 
his wife, Kelly. Following the President's remarks, those in attendance 
viewed the public service announcements on educational excellence, 
featuring prominent baseball players.