Friends of Baseball was founded in 2005 by a father, son and Board of Trustees driven by their passion to give back in the form of grants and resources to the community of youth baseball and softball that they love. Friends of Baseball currently provides league sustaining funding and equipment to youth organizations that exhibit compelling need. FOB's focus is specifically dedicated to the enrichment of youth, parents and their relationship through baseball and softball. Youth baseball has been faced with many inherent challenges, including loss of playing venues, diminished resources, and facilitating the logistics of preparing for "the game;" needs exceed resources. Seed funding has been endowed by FOB's founders. These funds, along with the generous support of those who share our vision - "our partner providers" - have allowed us to provide grant funding beginning in N.W. Oregon. We now are seeking opportunities and contributions to build on our "footprint" and expand this reach regionally and nationally. Friends of Baseball is governed by its own Trustees and the Oregon Sports Authority Foundation as an Advised Fund. Once grants are funded our grantees are asked to pay forward to other organizations by sharing concepts, contacts, resources and tools in meeting future community needs.


Friends of Baseball began nearly 25 years ago. Our founders, Keenan and Ben Longcor, share a lifelong love of baseball that developed into a lifelong bond between them. Through youth baseball, Ben and Keenan were able to spend time together, talk to each other, and reflect together on the life lessons that baseball has to offer us all. Friends of Baseball grew out of a passion for this sport, and the relationship between a father and son.

Whether through something in youth baseball, or in sharing the excitement of a major league game, the years brought Keenan and Ben dozens of trips to ballparks in the Pacific Northwest and around the United States. They created memories, shared victory and loss, and had the opportunity to learn values, sportsmanship, and a mutual understanding found in the simplicity of a time-tested game of integrity.

Many years later, it is time to give back to the sport and community that helped to create these lifelong memories ... and for them to begin again. The founding hope is that through Friends of Baseball, other parents and children will kindle a similar bond found in a shared passion, vision, communication, inspiration, and through common understanding.

Want to find out more? Check out our Vision Statement.