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Playoff Berth at Stake; New Britain honors Grandparents, Latinos & Great Fans

August 26, 2008 - Eastern League (EL1)
New Britain Rock Cats News Release


New Britain, CT - With a hint of Autumn creeping into the New England air - and kids of all ages getting set to return to school - the New Britain Rock Cats are, sadly, about to bring the curtain down on another season of exciting professional baseball in central Connecticut. However - before the fat lady sings - there are four extremely important ball games left to be played at New Britain Stadium, and they will take place over the upcoming Labor Day Weekend when the aspiring Binghamton Mets - Eastern League partners of the National League's high-flying New York Mets - come to town with their 2008 Postseason dreams hanging in the balance. These mini-Mets are loaded with talent - not to mention hope - as they are, on the final weekend of the 2008 Regular Season, in an intense battle with two other Northern Division teams for the league's last available playoff spot. The main obstacle to Binghamton being able to continue playing into September is their weekend hosts - the Rock Cats! The baseball drama should be extremely high from Friday night (8/29) through Monday afternoon (9/1), when, at last, these baseball matters should all be settled. And given that it's Rock Cats Baseball, there will be the usual assortment of pre-and post-game activities and giveaways in and around the ballpark such that fans of all ages can smile and enjoy themselves throughout the entire Labor Day Weekend.

Here are the details related to the Rock Cats' 13th and Final Homestand of 2008:

FRIDAY NIGHT, AUGUST 29th, 7:05 PM: The Binghamton Mets march into town on Friday night for the 7:05 PM opener of this very important four-game series. The host Rock Cats will be doing all they can to maintain their recent high level of play which, if successful, would insert a sizeable Stanley wrench into the Mets Playoff plans. To mitigate the baseball tension on the field, there will also be much wisdom, as its Grandparents Night at the Stadium.

Our friends at the Central Connecticut Senior Health Services will be joining us with the winners of their recent contest - Why my Grandfather/Grandmother is an All-Star! Every nominee is certainly a winner - and the top entries will take the field, hand-in-hand with the grandchildren who nominated them, for a well-deserved acknowledgement and bow for their All-Star performances! All grandparents in attendance and their grandchildren may join the contest winners on the field for a pre-game parade. In addition, the Central Connecticut Senior Health Services folks will be giving away a Photo Magnet Frame to the first 1,200 adults through the gates.

On the topic of paying attention to one's health, WFAN-Radio's Ed Randall will be with us on Friday night to raise awareness about Prostate Cancer; Mr. Randall is a cancer survivor and has formed "Bat For a Cure" Charity to keep the men in our lives healthy and well.

Friday night is also Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Night, and we'll have a Heineken Happy Hour, with pre-game specials on Heineken products throughout the park beginning at 5:35 P.M. and lasting until the first pitch. The Rock Cats will also host its annual Octoberfest, a celebration of the German heritage featuring a live performance by the popular dance group Alpenland Taenzer and authentic specialty foods presented by East Side Restaurant. . Fans should stay in their seats after the game, because, as if all that wasn't enough, there will be a dazzling post-game Pyrotechnic Show.

SATURDAY NIGHT, AUGUST 30th, 7:05 PM: The B-Mets are back for Game 2 of this big Weekend series, with the on-field hardball action starting again at 7:05 PM. In addition to the ballgame, the Rock Cats will be honoring the Can't Beat Bernie's Player of the Month with a pre-game trophy presentation. And speaking of pre-game presentations, the Barnum Financial Group - a member of the MetLife family - will be making a very special one when they give 150 needy children brand new bicycles! Barnum has been a valued, season-long Rock Cats sponsor and they chose to put an exclamation point on our productive relationship with this generous "Bikes for Kids" donation.

And, in a repeat of an enormously popular late-season giveaway last year, Bernie's will again be distributing warm and colorful Stadium Blankets to the first 1,200 adult fans to pass through the turnstiles on Saturday. These will be great companions at upcoming high school and college football games!

Fans may take part in a unique event with the 2nd Annual Cork-N-Bat Wine Tasting charity event. This exciting event, made possible by the Rock Cats Foundation, will take place on Saturday from 6-8 PM. The Rock Cats Foundation has teamed up again with Autism Speaks for this event, as the proceeds will benefit these two great causes. Tickets for the event, which will be held in the Webster Terrace Picnic Area, are available for $30 and include wine tasting, all-you-can-eat food in the picnic area, and a ticket to the game. Order forms are available to print on www.rockcats.com as well as at the stadium.

The evening will also feature Smirnoff Ready-to-Drink product specials as well as sampling and a pre-game Happy Hour featuring tasty Smirnoff and Jose Cuervo products. Lastly, Saturday night means it's also time for AT&T Launch-A-Ball, a post-game contest where fans have fun and can win prizes by hitting targets on the field with tennis balls. And everybody wins as all proceeds go to the Rock Cats Foundation!

SUNDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST 31st, 1:35 PM: Game three of this, the final homestand of 2008, will get underway at 1:35 PM when the Rock Cats will charge out of their dugout to again battle the Binghamton Mets. While the game's first pitch is scheduled for early afternoon, the ‘Cats will open the stadium gates at 11:35 AM as we celebrate the 9th Annual Latino Beisbol Fiesta at the ballpark. Our friends at Budweiser and Bud Light as well as Hot 93.7-FM will be sponsoring a pre-game concert by national recording artist, NOTCH, at 12:30 PM. El Grupo Semilla will also perform for the crowd. In addition, the pre-game festival will include a pre-game autograph session with Latin American players and tasty authentic Latino food offerings, with food and Bud Light drink specials available all afternoon.

The Rock Cats have long enjoyed the presence of terrific Latino players - David Ortiz and Francisco Liriano among the most-recognizable names - not to mention the members of the current troupe, Felix Molina (Puerto Rico), Armando Gabino (Dominican Republic), Venezuela's Rodolfo Palacios, Frank Mata, Jose Mijares, and Yohan Pino, and American-born Danny Valencia. The club wishes to publicly acknowledge their collective contribution with this event. Speaking of contributions, the Rock Cats will also be announcing the winner of the 2009 Springbrook Ice & Fuel 10th Player of the Year on Sunday afternoon, an always fun and interesting occasion.

As part of our Latino Besibol Fiesta celebration, all fans in attendance are encouraged to bring a donation of new or gently used baseball equipment for Roberto's Kids. Any fan doing so will be rewarded with a free ticket to the 2009 Rock Cats Opening Day game on April 16!

Roberto's Kids, formed by Roberto Clemente, distributes new and gently worn baseball equipment collected from baseball leagues, charitable organizations, individuals and retailers in the United States and Canada to disadvantaged children in Latin American countries. Presently, the program is focused in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. For more information please visit, www.robertos-kids.org.

Finally, as its Sunday, it's the Barnum Financial Group's Family Fun Day, which includes great fun for kids in the form of our post-game Run-of-the-Bases.

MONDAY AFTERNOON - LABOR DAY - SEPTEMBER 1st, 1:35 PM: The 2008 Season will come to a close with this 1:35 PM Labor Day game. Once again, Binghamton is with us and there is the very real possibility that the mini-Mets' post-season hopes will come down to this final game of the year. This final day, though, is really about the New Britain fans - as its Fan Appreciation Day at New Britain Stadium. All General Admission tickets are $1 - while supplies last - and there will be other specials throughout the stadium and in the Third Base Shop, the Rock Cats Official Team Store.

There will be a Player Magnet Set Giveaway, featuring five former Rock Cats - Scott Baker, Glen Perkins, Francisco Liriano, Kevin Slowey, and Nick Blackburn - who currently comprise the 2008 Minnesota Twins starting rotation! The Player Magnet is made available by AIG. As if that wasn't enough, all children 12 and under in attendance will receive a Back to School Folder, courtesy of Supercuts. Please do join us so we can say "THANKS" to you all, the best fans in the Eastern League!

The New Britain Rock Cats are the Double-A, Eastern League affiliate of the American League's Minnesota Twins.

Fans interested in securing tickets to see the Rock Cats play for the final time in 2008 are invited to call the Rock Cats Ticket Office at (860) 224-8383 or visit the Box Office at New Britain Stadium from Monday - Friday (10 AM - 6 PM) and on Saturdays (10 AM - 2 PM). Those fans interested in the convenience of on-line purchasing may exercise that option by visiting the cub's website at www.rockcats.com.



Eastern League Stories from August 26, 2008


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