CORPUS CHRISTI - The 2008 Corpus Christi Hooks schedule, released Tuesday, features 70 home games in a campaign that gets under way on Thursday, April 3, when the Tulsa Drillers visit Whataburger Field for the first of three contests.
After the Tulsa series, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, known for the last 21 seasons as the Wichita Wranglers, come in for three games.
"We're looking forward to another great year of Hooks Baseball," General Manager Michael Wood said. "We've already begun planning the promotional calendar and season-ticket invoices are going out this week."
Wood added there is a waiting list for 2008 season tickets, but encouraged fans who have an interest to contact Matt Boland at mboland@cchooks.com or 561-HOOK.
"If individuals or businesses want Hooks season tickets, this is a great time to inquire," Wood explained. "We'll do everything we can to accommodate their requests."
The Hooks open at Whataburger Field for the second time in their four-year existence. The 2006 club began its Texas League championship run with four games against the San Antonio Missions. Last April, the Hooks' season opener and second game were postponed due to extreme cold in snow-covered Wichita.
The first four games in franchise history were played at San Antonio's Nelson Wolff Stadium in 2005.
Corpus Christi has a balanced schedule month-by-month in 2008, with 14 games in April and May, 13 in June, 16 in July and 13 in August.
The Hooks play Texas League North Division members Tulsa (Colorado Rockies), Northwest Arkansas (Kansas City Royals), Arkansas (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) and Springfield (St. Louis Cardinals) 12 times each.
In the South, Corpus Christi squares off against Frisco (Texas Rangers) and Midland (Oakland Athletics) on 32 occasions, vs. arch-rival San Antonio on 28.
The Hooks and Missions, defending TL champs, are in town for Cinco de Mayo weekend. Springfield, which won the North in 2007, provides the opposition on Memorial Day, May 26.
As has been the case since 2005, Hooks Monday-Saturday home games will start at 7:05. April and May Sunday contests begin at 2:05, with a switch to 6:05 for summertime.
The '08 slate has 11 Friday night home games, 12 on Saturdays.
The Arkansas Travelers announce that new season ticket packages for the 2008 season at award-winning Dickey-Stephens Park will go on sale November 1. Box seat and reserved seat full-season plans for all 70 home games are available for deals ranging from one, two or three seasons. Fans are encouraged to contact Travs Director of Ticket Sales David Kay at (501) 664-1555 or (501) 664-7559 on or after November 1 to inquire about seat availability. Don't miss out on a chance to be a part of the Travs' second season at one of America's finest minor league ballparks!
Box seat holders will receive a parking pass allowing them to park in the lot west of the Broadway Bridge. Season ticket holders will receive a credit-card style pass for their seats, but have the option of having paper tickets printed for each home game upon request. Season ticket holders will also have the option of printing out their single-game tickets from the comfort of their own computer using the Travs' online ticket partner Ticket Return.
Box Seats (prices per season)
- $375 - 3 years (2008-2010)
- $450 - 2 years (2008-2009)
- $525 - 1 year (2008)
Reserved Seats (prices per season)
- $280 - 3 years (2008-2010)
- $355 - 2 years (2008-2009)
- $430 - 1 year (2008)
Season tickets will not be sold for general admission or grass berm seating.
Cards Win Texas League Organization of the Year Award
For a second consecutive year, the Springfield Cardinals have been named Texas League Organization of the Year.
"We are very honored to have the wonderful support of Cardinals fans throughout Southwest Missouri", said Vice President / General Manager Matt Gifford. "It's humbling for our staff to receive this award in back-to-back years, but the fans should definitely get a lot of the credit." "Every member of our staff gives their all throughout the season, so it's very rewarding to see all their hard work be acknowledged."
Despite five home games being lost to rain, the Cardinals drew over 480,000 total fans and averaged 7,078 fans per game in 2007, the second-highest total in all of Double-A.
The Springfield Cardinals remain a strong presence in the community as well. The "Get Your READ On" Program has visited more than 30 public schools and continues to grow. This past July, the second annual Cardinals Care Pro-Am, a charity golf tournament held in Branson, helped raise over $70,000 for local charities in the Ozarks.
"The Texas League has become a league of high accomplishments", said Texas League President Tom Kayser. "It's great that Springfield has continued to excel in so many different areas. The internal awards they've won this year, the level of innovation, game entertainment, fan satisfaction and employee involvement in the community has been very impressive."
The Springfield Cardinals open the 2008 regular season on Thursday, April 3rd at Hammons Field. For Season Ticket information, please call the Cardinals ticket office at (417) 863-2143 or visit their website online at Springfield Cardinals. We hope to see you at Hammons Field in 2008. Go Cards and Get Your RED On!
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Garrett Reddehase has been named Field Superintendent of the Corpus Christi Hooks, General Manager Michael Wood announced Thursday.
Reddehase, 25, has been a member of the grounds crew at Whataburger Field since the ballpark opened in 2005. After promotion to interim field superintendent five months ago, he directed the crew through a summer which saw over 20 inches of rainfall when the Coastal Bend averages 34 annually. Torrential rains resulted in only two postponements and no games were lost. Texas League managers voted Whataburger Field the second-best playing surface in the eight-team circuit, tops in the South Division.
"Garrett has done a remarkable job for our organization and the baseball fans of South Texas," Wood said. "We had a lot of challenges with the weather in 2007, but he and his crew met each and every one of them."
Under current Round Rock Express Field Superintendent Brad Detmore, Reddehase was a member of Whataburger Field's award-winning grounds crew in 2005, when the playing surface was voted best in the TL. That same season, Detmore was named Double-A Sports Turf Manager of the Year by the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA).
Reddehase, a former junior college pitcher who gave up the game after Tommy John surgery, graduates from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in December with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology Sports Management and a minor in Business. He is a member of the STMA, Coastal Conservation Association, TTA (Texas Turfgrass Association) and is currently completing sports turf management certification from Penn State University.
Montgomery Biscuits Win 2007 Southern League Championship
MARIETTA, GA - The Montgomery Biscuits emerged Southern League champions for the second consecutive year on Sunday, posting a 4-3 victory against the Huntsville Stars in the pivotal fifth game of the Southern League Championship Series.
It is the seventh league championship in as many trips to the postseason for the City of Montgomery, which won five times in the 1970s as the Rebels. Prior to the Biscuits claiming back-to-back titles, the Rebels were the last Southern League team to win championships in succession, doing so from 1975-77. No other city has claimed more than five Southern League titles in the circuit's modern era.
Biscuits outfielder Chris Nowak was named Most Valuable Player of the Southern League Championship Series, batting .611 (11-for-18) with three home runs and six RBI in the five games. He launched a three-run homer in the first inning of the series opener, beginning a streak of three straight games with a blast.
Nowak went 4-for-4 in Sunday's series finale at Huntsville's Joe Davis Stadium, with his final hit serving as arguably the most crucial. The 24-year-old native of Wisconsin led off the ninth inning with a single and scored on Sergio Pedroza's dramatic three-run homer, which turned a two-run deficit into Montgomery's margin of victory.
2007 Southern League Championship Series Results
Game Date Score Site
Game 1 September 12 Huntsville 8, Montgomery 4 Riverwalk Stadium
Game 2 September 13 Montgomery 2, Huntsville 1 Riverwalk Stadium
Game 3 September 14 Montgomery 4, Huntsville 1 Joe Davis Stadium
Game 4 September 15 Huntsville 4, Montgomery 1 Joe Davis Stadium
Game 5 September 16 Montgomery 4, Huntsville 3 Joe Davis Stadium
Jacksonville, FL - With the holiday gift-giving season approaching, the Jacksonville Suns announce a new way for fans to enjoy their hometown team with the introduction of the new Suns Gift Card program. The gift cards are redeemable throughout the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville and are the perfect gift for any Suns fan.
The Jacksonville Suns Gift Card can be used anywhere credit cards are accepted at the Baseball Grounds and are ideal for giving the gift of baseball to family, friends or coworkers. Fans can purchase any of our numerous ticket options through the box office, from bleacher seats to season ticket packages; be stylish from head to toe with Suns souvenirs and apparel from the Perfect Game Team Store; and enjoy classic ballpark fare at the concession stands or a restaurant-style meal in the Sundowner Lounge. Gift cards may be presented as payment at any of these locations for a convenient and flexible way to enjoy Suns baseball, even in the off-season.
Gift cards may be purchased year-round through the Perfect Game Team Store or by calling the front office at (904) 358-2846. Cards are available in $5 increments with a $10 minimum value, and are reloadable for multiple uses. For more information, please call our front office at (904) 358-2846.
The Jacksonville Suns are the Double-A Southern League Affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers and play at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, located in the downtown sports complex. The Suns play a 140-game season from April through Labor Day and will open the 2008 season at home against the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx on April 3, 2008. Season tickets and sponsorships are currently on sale by calling (904) 358-2846 or visiting the Baseball Grounds during normal business hours.
Jacksonville, Fla. - Jacksonville Suns relief pitcher Jonathan Meloan has been named Double-A relief pitcher of the year for 2007, as part of the yearly postseason awards from MILB.com, the official website of Minor League Baseball.
The hard-throwing right-hander became one of the most dominating closing pitchers in the Southern League with the Jacksonville Suns during 2007, saving 19 games in 22 opportunities. Meloan pitched 45.1 innings with 70 strikeouts, 18 walks and a 2.18 ERA with the Suns. Southern League opponents could only muster a .155 average against the Suns reliever.
Jacksonville's closer was named to the Southern League South Division All-Star team and pitched a scoreless inning in the game in Pearl, Miss.
In a 10-game stretch from May 21 to June 11, Meloan gave up just one hit and three walks in 12 2/3 scoreless innings while collecting 19 strikeouts. Meloan was a perfect 14-for-14 in save situations before his mid-July promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas and gave up three earned runs in the remainder of his time with the Suns. Meloan was promoted to the Los Angeles Dodgers in September.
Meloan entered the 2007 season as the seventh-best prospect in Baseball America's rankings of the Los Angeles Dodgers' minor league system.
The Los Angeles Dodgers selected the Houston native in the fifth round of the 2005 draft after collecting back-to-back 10-win seasons at the University of Arizona.
Reading's Scott Hunsicker named 2007 Eastern League Executive of the Year
PORTLAND, MAINE - The Eastern League is pleased to announce that Scott Hunsicker has been named the 2007 Eastern League Executive of the Year. The 2007 season marked Scott's first as the General Manager of the Reading Phillies, after spending the previous nine seasons as the Assistant General Manager of the club. Mr. Hunsicker will receive his award at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tennessee during the Opening Session on Monday, December 3rd.
Under Scott's guidance the Reading franchise welcomed a league-high 466,385 fans to FirstEnergy Stadium this season, the fourth highest attendance total in franchise history and the sixth consecutive season the R-Phils have led the Eastern League in total or average attendance. One of the reasons for the league-best attendance total was another extensive list of innovative and exciting promotions, including the countdown to the 10-millionth fan in franchise history, a Fans' Choice Bobblehead Campaign, concerts at games that featured over 40 different bands and a season ending Demolition Derby and Tribute Band Festival.
"Scott did an excellent job in his first year at the helm for the Reading Phillies and his selection for this award is well deserved," said Eastern League President Joseph McEacharn. "Scott has been a tremendous asset to the Reading Phillies, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Eastern League. His commitment to the local community of Berks County, Pennsylvania, to player development and to the integrity of the game is one of the many reasons that the R-Phils continue to be recognized as one of the top organizations in all of Minor League Baseball."
Hunsicker, a 1992 graduate of Albright College, has been with the Phillies for his entire career in professional baseball. Scott got his start with the R-Phils as an intern in 1992 and spent his first two seasons as a full time employee as a Tickets/Concessions Assistant. Following that Hunsicker moved on to hold the positions of Director of Tickets/Group Sales (1995-96), Director of Sales and Marketing (1997) and Assistant General Manager (1998-2006).
With the presentation of this award the Eastern League would also like to recognize the outstanding job performed by the entire Reading Phillies staff.
Minor leagues news 10/18
Texas League
