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San Jose Giants announce First Ever Opening Day VIP Experience just in time for the holidays

SAN JOSE, CALIF December 5, 2006 - San Jose Giants announced today a new ticketing package allowing fans to pre-purchase tickets for Opening Day. Opening Day tickets historically have been one of the highest sought out nights, with tickets usually going on sale one month prior to the start of the season. By purchasing the Opening Day VIP Fireworks Package fans not only secure seats in the middle of the action they also are treated to a unique, once in a lifetime experience.

The Opening Day VIP Fireworks Package is the ultimate fan experience. This package includes four box seats, four hot dogs, four sodas, one mini bat and one baseball as well as your name in lights on the video board and post game Fireworks Show. The Opening Day VIP Fireworks Package is a $150 value for only $95, while supplies last.

The San Jose Giants also offer Full and Half Season Ticket Plans; purchase by December 31st and receive free parking. Senior rates are available for Full Season Packages. If you are on a budget two plans that you may find interesting are the Bonus Books which are 10 General Admission tickets and a Family pass for $70 and Mini Plans with 10 Box Seats for $100.

In addition to great ticket packages the San Jose Giants offer top of the line merchandise, which has been showing up throughout Silicon Valley. Fans are purchasing everything from jackets to caps as well as women and youth apparel. Popular gift items include sweatshirts, hats, mini bats, baseballs, and Gigante Attitude shirts. San Jose is entering its 20th season affiliated with the San Francisco Giants and is celebrating with the unveiling of a new anniversary logo. This logo is featured on New Era Caps in both black and white.

San Jose Giants tickets and merchandise can be purchased at San Jose Giants Baseball Club or at Municipal Stadium, located at 588 East Alma Ave, San Jose, CA 95115 (the corner of Alma and Senter). The office is open weekdays from 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM. For more ticket information contact the box office at 408-297-1435 ext. 15 or email info@sjgiants.com.

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VISALIA, CA - Tampa Bay lost two right handed relievers, Nick DeBarr and Nick Moran, from the 2006 North Division Champion Visalia Oaks team in Thursday's Rule Five Draft.

DeBarr was selected by the Boston Red Sox with the 11th pick in the Major League phase. As compensation, the Devil Rays will receive $50,000 from Boston. The Red Sox must keep DeBarr on their 25-man Major League Roster all season, or offer him back to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for $25,000. DeBarr was 4-3 with a 2.74 ERA in 69 IP out of the Visalia Bullpen in 2006. His K/BB rate was a sterling 3.59 (61/17).

The Cincinnati Reds selected Nick Moran with the third pick of the AA phase, the 46th and final pick overall. Since Moran was selected in the minor league portion of the draft, he is not subject to the same roster restrictions as DeBarr. The Reds can send him anywhere in their system. Moran had battled injuries for much of the previous three seasons before 2006, but was healthy and effective second half for the Oaks. After the All-Star break, Moran was 2-0 with a 3.79 ERA in 19 IP out of the Oaks Bullpen. He posted a gaudy K/BB of 6 (24/4).

The Devil Rays also lost Josh Hamilton, one of the biggest names ever to change hands during the Rule Five Draft. The Cubs selected Hamilton, and then traded him to the Reds. Hamilton, the first overall pick in 1999, has battled substance abuse problems following an injury in 2001. Hamilton was placed on the suspended list on July 10, 2002, only to return to the game this summer with the Hudson Valley Renegades, Tampa's New York-Penn League Affiliate. Hamilton had arthroscopic surgery on his knee this off-season, but is expected to make a full recovery.

The Oaks new affiliate, the Arizona Diamondbacks, were not involved in any transactions during the Rule Five Draft.

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Recreation Park Renovation

The Oaks and the City of Visalia will soon be breaking ground on the first phase of a $5 million renovation project to Recreation Park. Please visit Visalia Oaks: Home for all of the latest plans.

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2007 Tickets

The Oaks are now selling 2007 Season Seats. Reserve your seat with a just a $50 deposit! For more Information, please call (559) 625-0480 or email info@oaksbaseball.com.

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Rancho Cucamonga, CA- Popular Quakes alum Ryan Budde was selected Thursday by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Major League portion of baseball's annual Rule 5 Draft, conducted at the Winter Meetings in Orlando. The players eligible for the Rule 5 Draft include those who are not protected on their teams' 40-man Major League roster four to five years after signing their first professional contract. Teams selecting players in the Rule 5 Draft must pay the originating club $50,000 and keep the player on the Major League roster the entire following season or offer the player back to his previous team for $25,000.

Budde, 27, was the second catcher and third player selected overall by the Phillies, who chose him with the 19th selection. Budde was a 12th round pick of the Angels in the 2001 amateur draft out of Okalahoma State University. He logged time in Rancho Cucamonga in portions of the 2002-04 seasons, enjoying his best professional season with the Quakes in 2004, hitting .251 with 13 homers and 51 RBI in 99 games. Both the 2003 and 2004 Quakes squads advanced to the California League Playoffs.

During the past two seasons Budde has caught for the Angels' Triple-A Pacific Coast League affiliate in Salt Lake City. In 2006 he appeared in 72 games and hit .233 with eight homers and 33 RBI.

The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are the Advanced-A California League affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and open their 2007 season on Thursday, April 5th at home against the Lake Elsinore Storm. For information about ticket packages and group information, please call (909) 481-5000.

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(LANCASTER, CA) - The Lancaster JetHawks and Clear Channel Radio have announced the first-ever New Year's Eve Party at Clear Channel Stadium, presented by Valencia Auto Mall. The December 31 event will feature separate areas for adults and individuals under age 21 and will take place in the Winter Wonderland complex currently set-up in the parking lot at Clear Channel Stadium. The event will run from 8:00 PM until 1:00 AM.

For $35 each ($25 for individuals under age 21), attendees will enjoy dancing with two live bands, complimentary hors de vours, non-alcoholic beverages, party favors and a fireworks spectacular at Midnight.

Adults will enjoy festivities in a large tent that will feature a dance floor and live band. Individuals under age 21 will have the opportunity to enjoy ice skating on the rink set-up as part of Winter Wonderland and will partake in pizza and beverages.

As the clock nears Midnight, all attendees will be ushered into Clear Channel Stadium where they will watch New Year's festivities live on the video board and when the clock strikes 12:00 AM, a fireworks spectacular will illuminate the night sky, welcoming in the year 2007.

Tickets for the New Year's Eve party may be ordered now by calling 661.942.1121 or on-line at www.866itsclear.com.

Don't miss the exciting 12th season of JetHawks baseball in Lancaster and the club's first as the Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The 2007 regular season opens on April 5 and ticket packages starting at only $50 are available now. To order, call (661) 726-5400 or for more information, check out the official website of the JetHawks at Lancaster JetHawks.

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(LANCASTER, CA) - Chad Epperson will be the manager of the Lancaster JetHawks for the 2007 season, the first JetHawks manager of the club's new partnership with the Boston Red Sox. Epperson has three years of managerial experience with the Red Sox organization, all at the Class-A level. Former big-league pitcher Bob Kipper will serve as the pitching coach with veteran hitting coach Dave Joppie as the third member of the coaching staff. Jon Jochim will serve as the JetHawks trainer in 2006.

In 2006 Epperson guided the Wilmington Blue Rocks, Boston's High-A affiliate, to the best record in the Carolina League's Northern Division at 67-71. Epperson's squad won the first half title and advanced to the opening round of the Carolina League playoffs, where they lost to Frederick. He has a career record of 205-210 in his three seasons managing Red Sox farm teams. Before becoming a manager, he spent two years as a hitting coach in the Boston organization. Epperson, who will turn 35 shortly before the start of the 2007 campaign, played nine seasons of Minor League baseball. A switch-hitting catcher, Epperson spent time in the Mets, Red Sox, and Orioles farm systems, as well as independent ball, advancing as high as Double-A. Epperson is a native of Louisville, Kentucky and now resides in Cape Coral, Florida with his wife and two children.

2007 JetHawks pitching coach Bob Kipper pitched for eight seasons at the Major League level before beginning his coaching career. A first-round draft pick of the California Angels in 1982, Kipper was the California League Player of the Year pitching for Redwood in 1984. Kipper made his big-league debut with the Angels in 1985, then was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, where the left-hander pitched for seven seasons. After pitching in the playoffs for the Pirates in 1991, Kipper finished his playing career in 1992 with the Minnesota Twins. A coach since 1995, the 42 year-old has been a part of the Red Sox major league coaching staff, as well as serving as a minor league pitching coach at several levels of the Red Sox farm system. He was the pitching coach for Low-A Greenville in 2006. Born in Aurora, Illinois, Kipper, his wife, and two daughters live in Greer, South Carolina.

Dave Joppie is a veteran minor league coach with eleven years coaching experience in the Red Sox and Oakland Athletics farm systems. Joppie was the Midwest League Manager of the Year and was named as Baseball America's Class Low-A Minor League Manager of the Year when he guided the Kane County Cougars in 2004. With several years of managerial experience, Joppie has also been a hitting coach at several levels of the minors, including a stint in the California League as a coach with Visalia in 2000. Joppie spent the 2006 campaign coaching with Epperson at High-A Wilmington. The 41-year-old lives with his wife and son in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Trainer Jon Jochim has a varied background in sports training. Jochim has spent the last three seasons as a trainer for the Red Sox short-season and rookie-league clubs. Prior to that, Jochim was a trainer for the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team.