Badges...You want these stinkin' badges

Did you hear about the new "Badges for Baseballs" program in the Fox Valley? If you didn't that's kind of one of the jobs of this blog.

Law enforcement officers in the Fox Valley will soon team up with some unlikely partners for an unlikely mission. Badges for Baseball will have officers teaching middle school-age kids to swing for the stars.

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen was shaking mitts in Appleton Wednesday as he announced the program will expand to the Fox Valley this season.

"It was a phenomenal success, so we decided we wanted to not only to do it in Milwaukee again but we wanted to expand it because ultimately we want it to be a statewide program," Van Hollen said.

The program run by the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation will utilize the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers staff and facilities. The 12-week program will be run at the Boys and Girls Club and will include 200 children.

Area law enforcement officers will serve as mentors and coaches. At-risk and underprivileged kids will be picked to participate and provided with the latest equipment.

Go read the whole thing.