Rock Cats Host Binghamton in Friday - Monday Weekend Series

Published on July 7, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
New Britain Rock Cats News Release


New Britain, CT - The New Britain Rock Cats have played steady baseball over the first half of the 2011 Season - they started strong and remain in the upper echelon of the historic League's Eastern Division - and they are now set to return home tomorrow night (7/8) to begin play in their 9th Homestand of the year, a four-game weekend set with Binghamton - the longtime affiliate of the New York Mets - that will run from Friday evening to Monday (7/11) night. And if these talented mini-Mets aren't enough, the `Cats have also scheduled a terrific in-Stadium PyroTeknics Show for Friday night, Irish Night with live music and Green Rock Cats Hat Giveaway on Saturday night, Family Fun Day on Sunday when 100 local kids are going to be surprised with new bikes on the field and, on Monday, an opportunity to have your beloved dog accompany you to the game in the now annual Bark-in-the-Park Fundraiser for worthy local canine causes! Come celebrate with us!

Here are details associated with the Rock Cats 9th Homestand of the 2011 Season:

FRIDAY NIGHT, JULY 8th, 7:05 PM:

The would-be Mets from the Empire State enter the Hardware City to open this four-game weekend series at 7:05 PM on Friday night. The B-Mets bring a veteran skipper - former big-leaguer Wally Backman is at the Binghamton controls this season - and, no surprise, the scrapper has got his guys playing hard. To get everybody in a celebratory mood, ball park gates will open at 5:35 PM on Friday, giving fans an opportunity to repair to the open-air Samuel Adams Rooftop Bar & Grill for food and drink specials in advance of the weekend's First Pitch. Binghamton is a very talented team - it's the franchise that spawned the likes of David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Scott Kazmir - among others - and this year's edition is also loaded. Speaking of talent - the first 1,500 fans through the gates on Friday night will receive a Rock Cats Prospect Baseball Card Set, courtesy of some other heroes, the Connecticut Chapter of the Disabled American Vets. Once all the hardball action concludes on Friday night, please stick around for a Friday Night Postgame PyroTeknics Show! Sit back and enjoy as the Connecticut skies are illuminated by this entertaining post-game display! Thanks to the good people at Levy & Droney for making this fun possible.

SATURDAY, JULY 9th - YOUTH CLINIC 12:30 PM / NIGHT GAME 7:05 PM:

Saturday is going to be another very busy day at the ball park as we'll not only be playing an important game with Binghamton - a 7:05 PM affair - but it's also the occasion for the second TD Bank Youth Baseball Clinic of 2011 at New Britain Stadium. For the 12th year in a row, the Rock Cats' Manager, Coaches and Players are inviting kids (12-and-under) to join them on the field for tips about how to play the Game! Just bring a glove and learn from the pros! It's all free - it's great fun - and will run for 90 minutes from 12:30 AM to 2:00 PM. Families and friends are invited to observe from the stands and all kids who attend will get a Free Ticket to the evening's action against the B-Mets!

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The gang from western New York will be back with us on Saturday evening at 7:05 PM to play Game 2 of this 4-game Weekend series. Fans get treated again tonight as it's also Irish Night with live music and related entertainment. Moreover, the first 1,500 fans through the gates will receive a snazzy Green Rock Cats Hat, courtesy of our friends at TD Bank. And speaking of treats, there will be both pre- and post-game fun in New Britain on this night as well. The former involves a Pre-Game Block Party that will kick off about 4:30 PM where there will be games, inflatables, raffles, and food samplings for kids before they even enter the ballpark, all sponsored by our pals at Guida's Milk and D'Angelo. And when Saturday night's on-field baseball action concludes, stick around because there's more: we'll have the Post-Game Launch-A-Ball contest where fans get a chance to win great prizes by tossing tennis balls at fixed targets out on the field. This is an enjoyable family activity for participants from 3-to-93 and it is generously sponsored by FORD. In addition to the evening's on-site winners - by the way, participants can win a 2011 FORD Focus if they hit the target in center field! - a portion of the weekly proceeds also benefit the Rock Cats Foundation, which funnels the money right back into worthy community causes. Everybody wins!

SUNDAY AFTERNOON, JULY 10th, 1:35 PM:

The Rock Cats and mini-Mets will engage in baseball battle for the third time this weekend at 1:35 PM on Sunday afternoon. But before they do - the first 1,500 kids through the turnstiles will receive a terrific Rock Cats Mug, something that will come in very handy all year `round. These good looking Mugs are made possible by our great neighbors at Guida's Milk. The excitement will then heighten for one hundred local kids who are about to receive a wonderful surprise. Our partners at the Barnum Financial Group - sponsors of Sundays as Family Fun Day at New Britain Stadium - are once again taking it a step further by presenting - on the field, before the game - 100 New Bicycles (and helmets) to local kids who might otherwise go without. The kids will be our guests on Sunday - and they don't know that they'll be riding home on shiny new wheels provided by Barnum! Awesome! And, of course, as its Sunday at New Britain Stadium, all kids are invited down to the field for an unforgettable Postgame Run-of-the-Bases, thanks again to the very generous folks at the Barnum Financial Group. Great day to be a kid at the Rock Cats' ball park!

MONDAY, JULY 11TH, 7:05 PM:

The B-Mets will make their final appearance of 2011 at New Britain Stadium on Monday night at 7:05 PM. At the same time, dozens of beloved family dogs will be making their first appearances at the ball yard as it's another Bark-in-the-Park Night as the `Cats invite their furry pals to join them for a real game! This special event - sponsored by CBS Radio and intended, in part, to benefit seven terrific and participating canine-related charities - Glastonbury Dog Park, Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Operation Service Dog, 4-H Club, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Double Dog Rescue, and Guide Dogs of America - will cause a portion of the Stadium's seating area along the third base line to be set aside as a special Doggie Zone for the evening. Man's best friends will then enjoy an unlimited water supply, and each will take home a dog goodie bag loaded with healthy treats. Dog tickets are $10 each, with $5 of that donated to dog-friendly charities like those listed above. Woof! For those planning to attend on Monday night without their dogs, we'd advise them to come hungry and prepared to partake in - for $10 in advance (and $12 day-of) an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet! Starting at 6:05 PM and running for 90 minutes `til game time, fans can select an unlimited amount from a ballpark menu that includes Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Chips, Watermelon, and Soft Drinks.

Good seats remain available for all four games on this 9th Homestand of the 2011 Season. Fans interested in securing tickets should either visit the New Britain Stadium Box Office between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM or call the Rock Cats Ticket Office at (860) 224-8383. Those interested in the convenience of on-line purchasing may get their tickets in that manner by visiting the Rock Cats' website at www.rockcats.com and following the easy directions.

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Eastern League Stories from July 7, 2011


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