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Copper Kings Sign Maryland Governor's Aide in eBay Auction

April 4, 2003 - Arizona-Mexico League (A-ML)
Bisbee-Douglas Copper Kings News Release


The minor league Bisbee-Douglas Copper Kings of the fledgling Arizona-Mexico Baseball League have awarded a one-week contract to Robert Ballinger of Ellicott City, Maryland after he was the highest bidder in an on-line auction for the dream of a lifetime.

General Manager John Guy had placed a one-week professional contract on eBay recently and guaranteed that the winner would appear in a regular season game and get their name into the record books. Ballinger responded by winning the auction after some late heated bidding with a winning amount of $2,555.

Normally, Guy would be worried as to what he got with this promotion but thankfully the winner not only is a former ballplayer at Western Maryland University but still appears occasionally in an Over-30 league in the Baltimore area. The 34 year old former first baseman will join the Copper Kings on May 27th for the last day of Spring Training and be ready for the season opener in Bisbee on May 30th where he will be introduced with the rest of the ballclub on Opening Night.

Ballinger is the Public Information Officer for Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich and he describes the governor's reaction to his winning by saying "he's laughing at me." The statehouse employee will take a one week vacation and venture to southeastern Arizona for the minor league week-one he is not easily going to forget.

The Copper Kings revive their professional team in an area rich in baseball history-playing at the nation's oldest ballpark that formerly hosted such players as Billy Martin, Don Larsen and five of the Chicago Black Sox.



Arizona-Mexico League Stories from April 4, 2003


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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