Stevensville, MD - CloseCall America, a full-service telecommunications company specializing in low-priced community calling, today announced a partnership with Ripken Baseball's new team, the Aberdeen IronBirds. With this new agreement, CloseCall becomes an official sponsor of the Class A Baltimore Orioles affiliate in the NY-Penn League, which opened its inaugural season at the new Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Maryland on June 18, 2002.

"We're excited about this new partnership with the Aberdeen IronBirds," said Tom Mazerski, President & CEO of CloseCall America.

"We're proud to support not only the team, but an outstanding organization that does so much for young people. Cal Ripken's unique vision, which combines the game of baseball with child literacy programs, is a great way to give kids a gift that will last a lifetime."

"The season is already off to an exciting start and we look forward to being a part of this great new baseball tradition here in Maryland," Mazerski added.


"We have had a great start to our inaugural season and we had to accomplish a lot in a short period of time for the season to be a success," said Baseball Legend Cal Ripken Jr., Owner of the Aberdeen IronBirds.

"Without partners like CloseCall America that would not have been possible."

CloseCall has been providing long distance service for Ripken Baseball's headquarters in Lutherville, MD and the sales office at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, for the last six months.

"The IronBirds are proud to have a Maryland-based company as part of our corporate family," said Jeff Eiseman General Manager of the Aberdeen IronBirds.

"CloseCall's commitment to the Maryland community ties in well to the family environment that is the Aberdeen IronBirds."

Launched in April 1999, CloseCall America offers local, long distance, digital wireless, Internet and a number of other value-added services such as Call Waiting and Caller ID, to residential and small business customers primarily in Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. CloseCall America's focus is community calling - in state calls and calls across state lines that are often extremely expensive. To address this problem, and eliminate these imaginary borders and high rates, CloseCall's long distance calling plans are designed as multiple-state footprints, providing consumers with plans that fit their lifestyles and calling patterns.

CloseCall America reached a major milestone in 2001 with the connection of its 100,000th line and expects to double that result in 2002. CloseCall America's hotline is 1-877-81CLOSE (25673).

More information on the Aberdeen IronBirds and Ripken Baseball can be found on the web at: www.ironbirdsbaseball.com or www.ripkenbaseball.com.

About CloseCall America

CloseCall America, which began business in 1999, is a Maryland company with offices in Queen Anne’s County on the state’s Eastern Shore. CloseCall prides itself on its commitment to superior customer service, with all calls handled locally rather than “outsourced” to firms in other states or countries. CloseCall provides its customers local and long distance phone service, bundled packages, wireless service, BlackBerry service, high speed Internet, standard dial-up, and VoIP (broadband phone service). Additional information on CloseCall America can be found at its website: www.closecall.com.

For further information, including how to sign up, please contact CloseCall America at 1-877-81CLOSE (1-877-812-5673), or by email at customerservice@closecall.com.

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