Originally published Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 12:00 AM

People in Sports | Cal Ripken Jr.

Cal Ripken Jr.: The Orioles' Hall of Fame shortstop is taking his mission to teach baseball to children to South Africa next spring. It will be the...

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JEFF CHIU / AP

Cal Ripken Jr.: The Orioles' Hall of Fame shortstop is taking his mission to teach baseball to children to South Africa next spring.

It will be the second time in about 18 months that Ripken, an American public-diplomacy envoy, will represent the United States and baseball in another country.

Last October, Ripken and other Ripken Baseball staff members worked with Chinese coaches and children in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

As part of the baseball exchange, 11 South African youth coaches will travel to the U.S. next week and spend two weeks at Ripken Baseball headquarters in Aberdeen, Md.

Willy Balmat: The veteran chef for various Tour de France teams says he enjoyed cooking for Alexandre Vinokourov more than he did for seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong.

"It was easier with Vinokourov. He appreciated good cooking, especially when I prepared a deer's liver flambeed with cognac," Balmat told Wednesday's edition of sports daily L'Equipe.

As for Armstrong, "he was incredibly demanding" and "left nothing to chance. It was not easy with Armstrong. Actually, he was annoying."

The Associated Press

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