MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Bandits, O-Royals Team Up For Charity

Published on April 19, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


Wander around a baseball clubhouse for a few days, and you are bound to come across a few jokes and a lot of fun. The same can be said for the River Bandits front office.

Now, what started as a joke between friends has turned into an opportunity for the Quad Cities River Bandits and the Omaha Royals to raise money for the ALS Association, an official charity partner of Minor League Baseball.

In the process of collecting autographed baseballs for the River Bandits' Autographed Baseball Giveaway Night on May 20 at Modern Woodmen Park, Vice President and General Manager Kirk Goodman sent a request to his friend at the Triple-A Omaha Royals, Vice President and General Manager Martie Cordaro. Goodman asked Cordaro to send him some baseballs signed by Royals Triple-A prospects and future big leaguers. Cordaro complied, but he also included a personally autographed baseball with his name on it.

Continuing the joke, Goodman responded by putting the ball on ebay under the title, "Martie Cordero Autographed Baseball!!!" Touting the exploits of Cardaro, both personally and professionally, the item up for bid has already seen seven bids and nearly 40 page views. With the bid currently up to $10.50, the two GM's decided that both teams will match the winning bid and donate all of the money to the ALS Association. Furthermore, Royals President/CEO Alan Stein and River Bandits Owner Dave Heller have also agreed to match the winning bid as a donation to combat Lou Gehrig's disease.

"We like to have fun at the River Bandits and I know Martie appreciates a good prank too," said Goodman. "Although I don't think he appreciated that I intentionally misspelled his name or publicly disclosed his affinity for Star Trek. I'm surprised that the bidding hasn't already reached three figures. You would have thought Martie Cordaro had more friends than that. Well, at least there's still time for people to bid."

To bid on the baseball featuring the rare autograph, fans can visit www.ebay.com and search for "Martie Cordero." The online auction will stay live until Tuesday shortly after 5:00 p.m. central time.

"Kirk called me out in very sarcastic and untrue ways, but that is the spirit of what we do in our great industry," said Cordaro. "I hope this small stunt Kirk started will raise some awareness and funds for our great friends at the ALS Association."

Both the Quad Cities River Bandits and the Omaha Royals are fervent supporters of the ALS Association and ran fundraisers to support them during the 2008 season.

UP NEXT: The River Bandits conclude their first homestand of the year with a U.S. Bank Family Sunday, featuring player autographs, kid-friendly activities and the ability for kids to run the bases after the game. On Tuesday, April 21, the park will play host to NCAA Division I baseball for the first time with a match-up between the University of Iowa and Western Illinois.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: Under new ownership and management in 2008, the Quad Cities River Bandits topped 207,000 fans for only the sixth time in team history and the first time in 12 years. Having recently completed one of the most successful seasons in the history of the franchise - and with a renewed dedication to fans, sponsors and the Quad Cities community - the return of the River Bandits has brought a resurgence of support for the team. BanditWear, season tickets and mini-plans, and individual game tickets are on sale for the 2009 season by calling (563) 3-BANDIT or heading to www.RiverBandits.com. But hurry - good seats are going fast!

Check out the Quad Cities River Bandits Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from April 19, 2009


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