Cubs Caravan to Return to Northwest Indiana in January
Gary, Ind.-The Chicago Cubs Caravan will make its annual winter appearance in Northwest Indiana on January 17, 2008. The event, which has enjoyed tremendous popularity in the Region, features appearances by Cubs players, coaches, and broadcasters, a lottery-based autograph session, and a question and answer exchange.
For the second straight year, the event will be coordinated by the Gary SouthShore RailCats Professional Baseball Club, the 2007 Northern League champions.
The Cubs have scheduled the event as a luncheon on January 17th with doors opening at 10:00 a.m. The autograph session will begin at 11:45 a.m. and end at 12:15 p.m. The event will also include a silent auction of Chicago Cubs memorabilia.
Location of the Northwest Indiana Cubs Caravan appearance will be announced within the next few days. Tickets will go on sale December 1, 2007 at the RailCats Ticket Office, on-line at Gary SouthShore RailCats - Professional Baseball in Gary, Indiana., and by phone at (219) 882-2255.
The Cubs will tentatively identify the team participants in the caravan later this month.
More Info: The Gary SouthShore RailCats are a Professional Minor League Baseball Team serving Northwest Indiana and Chicago's south suburbs. The RailCats won the Northern League championship in 2005 and 2007 and for each of the last four years, they have been chosen "Best Local Spectator Sport" by Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly. Their 96 game schedule includes 48 home games at beautiful U. S. Steel Yard, an award-winning 6,000 seat state-of-the-art facility located next to the Indiana Toll Road (I-90) with easy access to I-65.
Washington, PA - The Independent Frontier League's Washington Wild Things, presented by Washington Federal Savings Bank, have offered a contract to Barry Bonds, according to officials. Bonds, the seven-time MVP, is the all-time Major League home run leader with 762, passing Hank Aaron (755 HR) during the 2007 season. Bonds owns the Major League Baseball single-season records for home runs (73 in 2001), walks (232 in 2004), on-base pct. (.609 in 2004), slugging pct. (.863 in 2001), HR ratio (6.52 in 2001), and HR pct. (12.06 in 2004). Bonds batted .276 with 28 home runs and 66 RBI in 126 games last season. Bonds sports a .298 career batting average and 1,996 RBI in 22 Major League seasons.
A move to the Wild Things' organization would give Bonds the opportunity to return to the market where he started his Major League career. Bonds debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986, playing seven seasons in Western Pennsylvania prior to signing a contract with the San Francisco Giants in 1993. "Many of the great one's eventually return to where their careers began," said Wild Things General Manager Ross Vecchio. "Babe Ruth began his career with the Red Sox and then finished with the Boston Braves; Willie Mays started with the New York Giants and finished his career with the Mets; and, of course, Hank Aaron began and finished his career in Milwaukee (Braves & Brewers). This contract gives Barry the opportunity to play once again in Western, PA as he continues his career."
According to the Wild Things, Bonds' contract offer includes a base salary as well as a number of incentives. "He will have the opportunity to meet certain bonus levels based on breaking any Frontier League single-season offensive record," explained Vecchio.
Bonus Level A for hitting 36 Home Runs (record 35 by Morgan Burkhardt in 1998)
Bonus Level A for 101 RBI (record 100 by Pete Pirman in 2005)
Bonus Level A for 86 Base on Balls (record 85 by Burkhardt in 1998)
Bonus Level B for breaking single season record in any of the following categories: batting average, games played, at-bats, runs scored, hits, total bases, doubles, triples, hit by pitch, and/or stolen bases
In addition, Bonds' contract offer includes other considerations including a single king-sized room when the team is on road; 50% of all net proceeds of individual Barry Bonds/Wild Things merchandise; and The Wild Things will provide Bonds a host family if needed.
The Washington Wild Things, who have played in the Frontier League since 2002, are one of four professional teams (New York Yankees, Auburn {New York Penn League}, and Kinston {Carolina League}) and the only independent team to have advanced to post-season play the last six seasons. The Washington team has played to over 100% capacity each season, selling out 200 of 290 games since 2002. Seventeen former Wild Things' players have reached affiliated baseball including pitcher David Bradley who reached "AAA" with the Oakland Athletics in 2006.
The Wild Things will open the 2008 season on May 21st. A variety of season ticket packages are available at the CONSOL Energy Park Box Office.
MARION, Ill. - This holiday season the Miners are offering fans a great gift idea, a holiday pack of 10 box seats for only $80. The 10 Game Holiday Pack offer is good for any 2008 Miners home game, excluding Opening Day. Holiday Packs will be available beginning on Friday, Nov. 23 at 10 a.m. at the Miners General Store at Rent One Park. They will also be available on the Miners website, Southern Illinois Miners.
Of the 10 games, fans can choose five weekday (Sunday-Thursday) games and five weekend (Friday and Saturday) games. Game choices are subject to availability, and seating locations may vary by game. Fans receiving the Holiday Pack as a gift have until Jan. 11 to select their games.
The Miners home opener is scheduled for Saturday, May 24 at 7:05 p.m. For the latest Miners news and updates, visit Southern Illinois Miners.
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, NOVEMBER 14, 2007: The Traverse City Beach Bums have announced the signing of former Toronto Blue Jays farmhand Jacob Cook to a 2008 contract.
Cook, a 6 foot 210-pound lefthander from Mechanicsville, Virginia, most recently pitched for the Gulf Coast Blue Jays where he appeared in 16 games and went 3-1 with a 3.28 ERA in 24.2 innings with 18 strikeouts, 7 walks, and one save.
Cook's first season as a professional was even more successful than his final stat line indicates. He dominated opposing hitters in a stretch from June 28th through August 13th, posting a 0.47 ERA in 19 innings of work while holding opposing hitters to a batting average of .211.
Cook played collegiately with James Madison University where he finished his career in the spring of 2007 as the Dukes all-time leader in appearances with 92, second with 280 career innings, and third with 240 career strikeouts. The versatile southpaw was used as a starter, reliever, and closer in college, registering 36 starts and 2 complete games among his 92 appearances. Cook's 92 appearances means he pitched in an amazing 41% of James Madison's games over the course of his four year career.
Atlantic City, N.J. - The Atlantic City Surf of the Canadian-American League announced today the signing of outfielder B.J. Weed. The LS-4 switch-hitter has spent the last three seasons in the Can-Am League, with both North Shore and the Grays.
In 2007, Weed appeared in 87 games for North Shore, hitting .268 with 27 RBI and a team-high 66 runs scored. The Newburgh, N.Y., native also finished second in the league with 35 stolen bases. It was Weed's second full season with the Spirit, after playing 75 games in the outfield for the Lynn, Mass.-based squad in 2006, hitting .264 with 24 stolen bases.
Weed spent the majority of 2005 with the Grays, the league's road team, putting together a .299 average, 34 RBI and 13 stolen bases. He also appeared in six games with North Shore and 19 with class-A Rancho Cucamonga of the California League that season.
Originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Los Angeles Angels' organization in November 2002, he spent all of 2003 and 2004 in the Angels' system, reaching as high as single-A. Weed, who turned 28 years old on Sunday, played collegiately at Jacksonville University, the same alma mater as fellow Surf newcomer Dennis Robinson.
(NASHUA, NH, November 14, 2007) Nashua Pride officials announced today that offseason player procurement efforts have already begun for the 2008 campaign. The Pride received four players in the Can Am league dispersal draft for the traveling Grays team and has agreed to terms with the New Haven County Cutters to purchase the contracts of outfielder Jeremy Pickrel, infielder Matt Mercurio, catcher Matt Hackney, and pitchers Mike Joyce, David "Bucky" Kosyk, Adam Piechowski, and Andy Weimer.
"Today's signings are just another example of our renewed commitment towards creating a fun, family-friendly baseball experience in 2008," said owner John Stabile. "Earlier this offseason, the Nashua community demonstrated their commitment towards the Pride and I intend to reward that support by fielding a high caliber team capable of defending the CanAm league championship in 2008."
Pickrel, 24, finished 2007 with a .287 average while slugging 11 HR and 54 RBI in 83 games. The outfielder hit 18 doubles, 9 triples, and 25 stolen bases while splitting time between New Haven County and the New Jersey Jackals. The Galesburg, Illinois native was selected in the 10th round by the Minnesota Twins in the 2004 draft.
Righthanders Weimer (5-6, 3.19 ERA, 20 SV, 59.1 IP) and Piechowski (6-2, 2.31 ERA, 46.2 IP, 55 K), and southpaw Joyce (2-4, 3.29 ERA, 52 IP, 29 K) were superb out of the Cutters bullpen in 2007. While starter "Bucky" Kosyk, 22, went 4-2 with a 3.08 ERA in 15 games (13 starts) for New Haven County.
Mercurio, 24, hit .226 with 31 RBI, 14 2B, and 11 SB for the Cutters in 2007. The infielder spent 2005 and 2006 in the Boston Red Sox organization.
In 202 at bats, Hackney, 24, hit .213 with 13 RBI while providing solid defense behind the plate for the Cutters in 2007.
The Pride have also acquired outfielder Sean Gamble, infielder Mike Pierre, and pitchers Dustin Nielsen and Matt Zachary in the Grays dispersal draft. Gamble hit .273 with 6 HR and 49 RBI while Pierre hit at a .285 clip with 1 HR and 25 RBI in only 137 at bats in the 2007 season. Nielsen, 5-4, 5.23 ERA in 63.2 IP, and Zachary, 1-3, 3.02 ERA in 44.2 IP, worked mostly out of the bullpen this past season.
The Nashua Pride Professional Baseball Club, entering its eleventh season, provides a fun, affordable, community-based and fan-friendly source of sports entertainment. The 2007 Can-Am League Champions will be participating in its third year of play in the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball.
(NASHUA, NH, November 14, 2007) The Nashua Pride announced today that Robin Wallace has resigned as General Manager effective immediately to take a new post with the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL). The Alabama native released this statement:
"It is with mixed emotions that I inform you of my resignation as General Manager of the Nashua Pride. I appreciate having the opportunity to lead the Pride in its rebuilding efforts over the past two seasons and hope that these contributions will help ensure the Pride will remain in Nashua for years to come.
Pride baseball provides affordable, family friendly entertainment and is an integral part of the greater Nashua community. It has been most pleasurable to become a part of this community and I would like to thank the sponsors and fans who supported the Pride during my time here. "
No decision has been made yet as to who will replace Wallace as the Pride's General Manager.
The Nashua Pride Professional Baseball Club, entering its eleventh season, provides a fun, affordable, community-based and fan-friendly source of sports entertainment. The 2007 Can-Am League Champions will be participating in its third year of play in the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball.
This past week the Skyhawks continued to make changes to their roster in preparation for the 2008 season. OF Jared Lemieux, INF Euvi Solano , RHP Dayle Campbell and RHP Matthew Hirsch, all of whom played for the Skyhawks in 2007, were given their release from the team.
In addition to the above-mentioned transactions, the Skyhawks traded RHP Dennis Robinson (whom was acquired this offseason) to the Atlantic City Surf for the #7 pick in the Can-Am Grays dispersal draft, the #7 pick in the Can-Am league tryout camp (which is held in Florida in April) and cash. The Skyhawks, in turn, used that #7 pick in the Can-Am Grays dispersal draft to select LHP Tony O'Donnell.
In addition to selecting O'Donnell in the dispersal draft, the Skyhawks also selected INF Ben Tinius with the #1 overall pick and LHP Craig Snipp with the #8 overall pick.
The Skyhawks 94-game schedule will be released within the week. Upon release of the game schedule, the Skyhawks promotional schedule will follow.
Off the field, the Skyhawks will be holding a holiday merchandise sale on December 15, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The sale will be in the Skyhawks Pro Shop, located at Skylands Park. The sale will include discounts on all merchandise and fans will be able to reserve their seats for the 2008 season, including the availability of tickets for all fireworks shows during the 2008. All nine firework shows were sold out in 2007.
news 11/14
news 11/14
