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Rock Cats' 4th Homestand of 2009

May 21, 2009 - Eastern League (EL1)
New Britain Rock Cats News Release


New Britain, CT - With the wet weather that had lingered over southern New England finally moving out - and warmer, more seasonal conditions on their way in - the New Britain Rock Cats are set to raise the curtain on their 4th Homestand of the 2009 Season next Tuesday (5/26) night in the Hardware City. And at 6:35 PM that evening, the ‘Cats will kick off the last homestand of May with an important 3-game series against none other than the Trenton Thunder, Eastern League partners of that red-hot team in the Bronx, the New York Yankees. Tuesday evening's contest will commence a 6-games-in-6-days stretch for the Rock Cats that, following the initial three mid-week games with the Baby Bombers from Trenton, will continue over the ensuing weekend with three more against Binghamton, the Eastern League affiliate of the other team from Gotham, the New York Mets. And if this New York hardball immersion isn't enough for you, there'll also be a post-game Pyrotechnics Show, a pre-game Block Party, Hat and Ball Giveaways, Carl Edwards' #60 NASCAR vehicle at the front gates, and, oh yeah, Rocky's furry pals are coming to town on Sunday afternoon for Mascot Day at the Stadium! Terrific baseball - and great family fun!

Here are the details of all the scheduled action in and around New Britain Stadium for the period between Tuesday, May 26th and Sunday, May 31st:

TUESDAY NIGHT, MAY 26TH, 6:35 PM: With the Rock Cats back in town after a quick 7-game swing through Pennsylvania and western New York, awaiting them at the Stadium will be the Trenton Thunder, EL partners of that team in the Bronx, the New York Yankees. A Northern Division rival, the young Yankees are again loaded with talent and very much in the hunt for a spot near the top of the standings. Beyond the baseball competition, Tuesday night is also Kids Eat Free Night at the Stadium, whereby all fans 12-and-under receive a coupon upon entry for a free Hot Dog (Kayem!) and Soft Drink. Once again, this fun and economical opportunity is made possible by our friends at the Harte Nissan. Pass the relish! And kids will be in the house on Tuesday evening as the Rock Cats - in cooperation with McDonalds - are recognizing all young people from across Connecticut who participated in the important D.A.R.E. Program during this 2008-2009 academic year. Congrats to them all! In addition, we'll have other special guests with us on Tuesday night as the selfless folks from the Bristol-based Wade's World Foundation - the wonderful group Helping Children's (with cancer) Wishes Come True - will be at the Stadium for a fundraiser. Great people - great cause!

WEDNESDAY NIGHT, MAY 27TH , 6:35 PM: The Thunder from Trenton are back with us at 6:35 PM to play Game #2 of this mid-week, three-game series. These Jersey Boys bring their own particular swagger with them and, with that Yankees uniform on, are always a tough foe for the Cats. Beyond the action on the field, the first 1,200 kids (12 years-and-under) through the gates will receive a free Baseball - courtesy of our pals from The Scotts' Miracle-Gro - who will also be bringing their NASCAR vehicle - Carl Edwards' famous #60 - to the front gates of New Britain Stadium for fans to see. And since is Wednesday, it's also Family 4-Pak Night whereby fans get 4 Reserved Seats, 4 Hot Dogs, 4 Popcorns and 4 Soft Drinks for the family-friendly price of $30. This popular weekly feature is courtesy of SBLI. Beyond the above, we'll also have fundraisers in the park for two great groups: the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training will be with us - as will the Plainville-based Friends of the US Naval Sea Cadets. We are honored to have both groups in our venue!

THURSDAY MORNING, MAY 28TH, 10:35 AM: The two North Division clubs - the Thunder and Rock Cats - will do baseball battle for the third and final time in this series on Thursday morning. The Rock Cats will swing open the gates of New Britain Stadium at 10:35 AM for what will be their fifth Baseball in Education Day of the young season. Sponsored by our partners at Dattco Transportation and Achieve Financial, the action will start with a series of informative pre-game presentations by the energetic crew from the Talcott Mountain Science Center, who will instruct the assembled students in a variety of baseball-related scientific facts as they settle in for the early game's first pitch. Morning baseball is a treat for fans of all ages and we cordially invite retirees, businessmen and women able to stretch out their lunch hours - and all others - to bring their coffee and join us for this early start time. You won't be disappointed!

FRIDAY NIGHT, MAY 29th, 6:35 PM: The New York State of Mind at the Stadium continues as - even with the Yankees' prospects now departed - in come the Binghamton Mets, EL partners of the National League's New York Mets. This 6:35 PM contest will be Game #1 of a three-game weekend set. And once the exciting action concludes on the field, there'll be a post-game Pyrotechnics Show on the diamond, under the Connecticut stars. This particular show has received rave reviews and is well worth sticking around for!

SATURDAY NIGHT, MAY 30TH, 6:35 PM: The young Mets from Binghamton are back with us at 6:35 PM on Saturday night for the middle game of this three-game showdown. And on this date - in addition to all the baseball action on the field - there'll be loads of pre-and après-game action. Before the baseball begins, there will be a pre-game Block Party outside the Stadium's front gates as our friends from D'Angelo's and 7-11 will be out there offering food and drink samples and specials to fans who drop by from 4:30 PM on! For the kids, there will be games, bouncy inflatables, and other age-related fun activities on site as well. Once fans start streaming through the front gates, the first 1,200 who are 12-and younger will re- ceive a Rock Cats replica baseball cap, courtesy of our friends at Public Power and Utilities! Moreover, once the evening's game concludes, there will the Saturday night post-game fun called AT&T Launch-A-Ball, whereby participating fans toss tennis balls at on-field targets with a chance to win great prizes. It's a blast, and all the proceeds benefit the Rock Cats Foundation which, in turn, helps our neighbors in need. A Win-Win!

SUNDAY AFTERNOON, MAY 31ST, 1:35 PM: The homestand will conclude with a 1:35 PM Sunday afternoon game between the Rock Cats and their Divisional rival from the Empire State, the Binghamton Mets. While the baseball action on the diamond promises to once again be exciting, so will the action in and around that competition. Our friends at Barnum Financial Group - season-long sponsors of Sundays as "Family Fun Day" at New Britain Stadium - are helping to double our pleasure on this day as they are also presenting the pre-game (12:30 PM) Mascot Day, whereby Rocky and several of his furry, friendly pals from around the region will participate in an on-field Kickball Game. The gates will open early on Sunday so parents can bring the kids to this pre-game event - it promises to be fun for fans of all ages! At the end of what is likely to be an intense game, fans will wants to stick around for the kids' post-game Run of the Bases. This is a special thrill for our youngest fans, ages-12-and-under...and a pleasant, relaxing sight for their parents, grandparents, and guardians. When the young heads hit the pillows at the end of this day, they should have smiles on their faces.

There will be two other important activities taking place at New Britain Stadium on Sunday, the last day of this Fourth Homestand. The good folks from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation will be with us for a JDRF Family Network Outing - these are the tireless people who fuel and support the important JDRF Fund-A-Cure Program. In addition, The Samaritans of the Capital Region will be with us on Sunday. This important group will be at the Main Gate throughout the day (pre-game and in-game) offering a wide variety of tasty Ice Cream as part of their "Scooper Sunday" fundraising event. To help a great cause - at $5 per individual and $10 for families of 3 or more - fans are invited to indulge their ice cream tastes to the fullest. Ice cream concoctions will be available to participants from Guida's Milk & Ice Cream, Friendlys, Rita's Italian Ice, and Salem Valley Farms Ice Cream, the latter courtesy of The Sweet Shoppe of East Haddam.

The New Britain Rock Cats are the Double-A, Eastern League affiliate of the American League's Minnesota Twins. Fans interested in securing tickets for this upcoming Homestand may do so by either calling the Rock Cats' Ticket Office at (860) 224-8383, or by visiting the Stadium Box Office (M-F, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Sat, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM) in person. For those interested in the convenience of on-line purchasing, Rock Cats tickets may also be procured electronically by visiting the club's website at www.rockcats.com.

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