The Rivalry: Red Sox – Yankees Greats Highlight Granite State Baseball Dinner

 

MANCHESTER, N.H. – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays), the Fisher Cats Foundation, and the Ted Williams Foundation have confirmed the initial group of guests for the 2019 Granite State Baseball Dinner, presented by Northeast Delta Dental.

This year’s fundraising event will be held on Saturday, November 23 at 5 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown Hotel Expo Center. Since 2007, the event has hosted over 13,000 guests and donated more than $1.75 million to the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD) and the Fisher Cats Foundation. Tickets are available at NHFisherCats.com.

Hall of Famers Goose Gossage and Wade Boggs headline the 2019 celebrity guest list, along with several other Red Sox and Yankees legends: Bucky Dent, Bill Lee, Luis Tiant, Rico Petrocelli and Bob Stanley. The players will sign autographs from 5 – 7 p.m., and share stories from their careers and the greatest rivalry in baseball during the subsequent dinner program.

New Hampshire’s own Chris Carpenter  will join the festivities, as the 2005 Cy Young Award Winner and two-time World Series Champion continues to donate his time to raise funds for the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock and the Fisher Cats Foundation.

Goose Gossage, a 2008 Hall of Fame inductee, will make his first appearance at the Granite State Baseball Dinner. Gossage pitched for nine teams in his 22 big league seasons, including seven with the Yankees (1978-1983, 1989). He was a nine-time All-Star and led the major leagues in saves for three years, including the 1978 World Series Championship season.

First Ballot Hall of Famer Wade Boggs will attend the dinner for a third time. A career .328 batter with 3,010 hits, he was the only player in the 20th century with seven straight 200-hit seasons. Boggs played 11 years in Boston to begin his career (1982-1992), and won the 1996 World Series with the Yankees. He spent his last two seasons in Tampa Bay, and in 1999 he became the first player to join the 3,000 hit club with a home run. Boggs entered the Hall of Fame wearing a Red Sox cap in 2005, and had his number 26 retired at Fenway Park in 2016.

Bucky Dent, a prominent figure in the Red Sox – Yankees rivalry, will make his Granite State Baseball Dinner debut. Dent is best known for his three-run home run in the 1978 American League East Tiebreaker Game. With New York trailing 2-0 in the top of the seventh, Dent’s go-ahead homer eventually led the Yankees to a 5-4 victory and a playoff berth. He was named 1978 World Series MVP, hitting .417 with 7 RBI in the six-game series win over the Dodgers.

Red Sox greats and popular baseball dinner mainstays Bill Lee, Bob Stanley, Rico Petrocelli and Luis Tiant — who all played against Gossage and Dent in the 1970s — will return to Manchester in 2019.

“When it comes to the best rivalries in sports, it doesn’t get any better than Red Sox – Yankees,” said Fisher Cats President Mike Ramshaw. “The Red Sox have had the upper hand in recent years, but there’s a lot of history between these two teams, and I know this year’s celebrity guests will have plenty of stories to tell.”

Tickets for this year’s event are $80 and can be purchased at NHFisherCats.com and by calling 603-641-2005.

Doors to the event will open at 5 p.m. with a silent auction and an autograph session with the honored guests from 5-7 p.m. The dinner and the evening’s program will begin at 7 p.m.

The primary beneficiary of the dinner is the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD). CHaD, New Hampshire’s comprehensive, full-service children’s hospital, is committed to providing outstanding compassionate care for children and their families. Offering primary, specialty, and tertiary care to the children of New Hampshire, Vermont, and beyond, their focus includes keeping all kids healthy and safe.

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats established the Fisher Cats Foundation to be a catalyst for the betterment of communities statewide by supporting youth programs that encourage education and promote healthy living. Through the generous support of players, employees, sponsors, and fans, the Fisher Cats Foundation continuously works to make a positive impact throughout New Hampshire and north-central Massachusetts. As the primary funding source for the team’s philanthropy, the Fisher Cats Foundation supports a wide variety of non-profit organizations and coordinates several fundraising programs and events. Since its inception in 2006, the Foundation and the Fisher Cats have provided more than $5.7 million in monetary and in-kind donations to thousands of non-profit organizations.

The Ted Williams Foundation works to preserve and build on the rich tradition of our national pastime through education and outreach. Proceeds from the Granite State Baseball Dinner are instrumental in the Foundation’s mission to provide youth baseball programs and scholarships for deserving student-athletes. The Foundation is also an active partner with the Rays, Red Sox, Twins, Orioles & Phillies Organizations raising funds to provide assistance to their many charitable programs including the Boys & Girls Club, Pediatric Cancer, Animal Shelters and youth Diabetes programs.

For more information about the charitable Granite State Baseball Dinner, presented by Northeast Delta Dental, please call the Box Office at (603) 641-2005 or visit www.nhfishercats.com.

For tickets and information, visit www.nhfishercats.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

First responders and military can attend this Wednesday’s Midwest League championship game for free

 

SOUTH BEND, Indiana (September 9, 2019) – The South Bend Cubs will play the first two games of the Midwest League Championship series at Four Winds Field this Wednesday and Thursday night. On Wednesday night, September 11, South Bend Cubs President Joe Hart has invited all active and retired military, as well as all first responders, to attend that night’s game free of charge.

“We are so proud to be in the championships. It’s certainly a special night for us as a team, but also as a community,” Hart said. “We can spend the evening together honoring those who protected our country on 9/11, and celebrating those who continue to protect us. We want as many military personnel and first responders as we can get in the stadium on Wednesday.”

Hart said all first responders, active duty and military veterans can receive two free tickets to the game. Guests must present Military ID or form of first-responder identification at the Box Office to claim tickets. The offer is not available online.

This week’s Midwest League championship games take place at Four Winds Field, 501 W. South Street, South Bend. Tickets can be purchased online at SouthBendCubs.com or by calling the Box Office at 574-235-9988. Gates for both games will open at 6 p.m., first pitch is at 7:05 p.m.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Trick-or-Treat at Eastwood Field Is Back!

 

Niles, OH – The Scrappers are excited to announce the twenty-first annual “Trick or Treat” at Eastwood Field, presented by Chemical Bank, a Division of TCF National Bank, media partners 21 WFMJ and WBCB and radio partner Mix 98.9. The event will take place on Wednesday, October 23 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. “Trick or Treat” at Eastwood Field is a fun and safe way to celebrate Halloween for children ages 12 and under. Ticket quantities are limited and are available on a first come first served basis. Children and adults will require a ticket. Tickets are just $1 each and are on sale now at the Scrappers Team Office located at Eastwood Field. In addition, anyone that donates canned goods at the “Trick or Treat” event for Feed Our Valley will receive a free general admission Scrappers ticket valid during the 2020 season.

New to the 2019 Trick or Treat event is a “Fast Pass”. The “Fast Pass” is only available for the first 100 kids, includes admission for one child and two adult tickets and allows you to skip the line and get in at 5:45pm for only $10. Those that purchase the Fast Pass will receive a wristband upon purchase.

Purchasing tickets before the day of the event is highly recommended.

The Scrappers are looking for area businesses to participate in this year’s “Trick or Treat” event. Businesses will receive table space at Eastwood Field. This is a community event and a great way to promote your business to the public. Early reservations are encouraged as space is limited. Please contact Kate Walsh for complete details by calling 330-505-0000 or emailing kwalsh@mvscrappers.com.

To stay up to date with the Scrappers during the offseason or for more information on 2020 ticket packages, visit mvscrappers.com or contact the front office at 330-505-0000.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Fifth Third Field to Host AHA Heart Walk/Run on September 21

 

Dayton, Ohio – Fifth Third Field will host the American Heart Association’s Greater Dayton Heart Walk/Run on Saturday, September 21 beginning at 9:15 a.m. A signature event of the American Heart Association, the Heart Walk/Run promotes physical activity and healthy living in an environment that’s fun for the whole family. All proceeds will go toward funding research and education involving the reduction of heart disease and stroke. Individuals or teams can register online at heart.org/daytonwalk or by calling (937) 401-4862.

The Walk/Run is specifically designed for children and adults of all ages and abilities. Day-of registration starts at 7:30 a.m., which is also when the gates open at Fifth Third Field. Opening ceremonies begin at 9:00 a.m. The Heart Walk is scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m.

Registration is quick and easy if you visit heart.org/daytonwalk. Once you click “Register,” you can join a team, join as an individual, or start your own team. After you complete registration, you can personalize your site and invite friends and family to participate or sponsor your efforts.

Participants can also download the new Heart Walk Mobile App with many great features.

The American Heart Association is a leading and relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Since the inception of the Heart Walk 25 years ago, mortality rates from cardiovascular disease and stroke have plummeted by 45 percent. Each walker and each donation has helped to transform health statistics into lives saved. Why? Each time someone laces up their shoes or forms a team to participate in the Heart Walk they are instrumental in innovative breakthroughs. Every donation helps create new technologies such as the artificial heart valve, cholesterol drugs, stents, and the mechanical heart pump which helps extend the life of patients. The Heart Walk is open to the community and all are welcome to participate and change the story of heart disease and stroke in the Miami Valley. The American Heart Association is working to fund big ideas that will pioneer breakthroughs in our understanding and treatment of heart disease and stroke.

ABOUT THE MIAMI VALLEY DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION

Located in Kettering, the Miami Valley Division of the American Heart Association covers 12 counties in the area and is committed to fighting heart disease and stroke throughout Ohio. The mission of the American Heart Association is to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. For more information, visit heart.org/dayton.

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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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Volcanoes to honor Sprague Little League Sept. 2

KEIZER – It seems only fitting as the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes get ready to start the South Division playoffs that the team is honoring the Sprague Little League team recently home from the 2019 Little League World Series.

This is a very special and important event for both the Volcanoes and the entire community,” said Mitche Graf, Volcanoes President. “It wasn’t all that long ago that professional baseball players were Little League athletes dreaming of getting drafted someday. Come to Volcanoes Stadium on September 2 and share this wonderful fabric of the journey in baseball. If there is one game you want to see before the Northwest League playoffs – this is it.”

https://www.milb.com/salem-keizer/tickets/single-game-tickets

Click above and enter “FAMILY” to get a $5 GA tickets. All kids 12 and under are FREE!

Don’t miss the fun as the Volcanoes honor Sprague Little League with special offers as they take on Eugene. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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Spann presented with Troubh Community Service Award

Portland, Maine- The Portland Sea Dogs are proud to announce that the 2019 recipient of the William Troubh Community Service award is Gretchen Spann. Spann was presented the award by Sea Dogs’ President & General Manager Geoff Iacuessa along with members of Mr. Troubh’s family including wife Nancy in a pre-game ceremony at Hadlock Field on Friday, August 30th when the Sea Dogs hosted the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

The “William Troubh Community Service Award” was established in 2015 to honor a local citizen who is making a positive impact within the city of Portland. Mr. Troubh was a lifelong resident of the city of Portland who dedicated his life to making Portland a great place to live and work. He served multiple terms on the Portland City Council and was Mayor of the city in 1974 and 1975 and again in 1983 and 1984. Mr. Troubh was instrumental in bringing the Portland Sea Dogs to the city in 1994. He also played a major role in the development of the Portland Waterfront, Cumberland County Civic Center and the Portland Ice Arena, now named in his honor. His contributions will be enjoyed by residents and visitors of the city for generations to come.

Over the last 10 years, Spann our has gone above and beyond for an organization that is near and dear to her heart – the Maine Children’s Cancer Program (MCCP). Since 2012, Spann has served on the Board of Directors for the program and has been an integral part in raising vital funds and spreading awareness to support Maine’s youngest cancer fighters. For a decade, Spann has led Team MCCP, “running for Kids with cancer”, in the Maine Marathon, providing a space for patient families, supporters and friends of MCCP to challenge themselves and go to tremendous distances for children in Maine battling cancer. In ten years, Team MCCP has raised over $290,000, none of this possible without Spann’s leadership and dedication. Spann’s hard work, drive, and compassion towards Maine Children’s Cancer Program is one of the many reasons she has been nominated today. In addition to her work with MCCP she also volunteers with numerous other non-profits and with her children’s school.

Past recipients of the award include Marc Lamontagne (2018), Howard Spear (2017), Roger Goodoak (2016) and John Menario (2015).

The Sea Dogs will begin accepting nominations for the 2020 award in February.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

SMOKIES AND U.S. CELLULAR TO HOST LITTLE LEAGUE TAKEOVER

SEVIERVILLE – The Tennessee Smokies have announced they have teamed up with U.S. Cellular to host a Little League Takeover on Tuesday, September 3rd at Sevierville City Park Baseball fields from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM. 2019 marks the second year in a row the event will take place at the Sevierville City Park Baseball fields, and the third year in a row the Smokies have partnered with U.S. Cellular for this event overall. The U.S. Cellular Little League Takeover will allow the youth baseball players ages 5-13 to experience what it is like to be a Smokies player for a day.

“We are extremely excited to team up with U.S. Cellular for this event,” added Smokies President and COO Chris Allen. “This is a great event to allow these kids the chance to experience what it is like to be a Smokies player for a day. We are thrilled to be involved in this event as we love being a part of this Sevierville community.”

The event will take place at the Sevierville City Park Baseball fields located at 1005 Park Rd, Sevierville, TN 37862. The youth baseball players will play their scheduled games with a host announcing the players, on-field games, inflatables, prizes, and much more. The youth baseball players will also have a chance to feel like a true Smokies player with a mock interview station featuring a podium and a media backdrop where they can answer questions following their game.

“At U.S. Cellular, we’re happy to bring interactive experiences like this to the communities we serve,” said Nathan Waddell, director of sales for U.S. Cellular in Tennessee. “Providing an opportunity for these kids to enjoy a day in the life of a professional baseball player is as exciting for us as it is for them. We hope they all soak in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

The U.S. Cellular Little League Takeover will also feature the Smokies mascot interacting with the players throughout the event.

ABOUT THE TENNESSEE SMOKIES

The Tennessee Smokies are the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Members of the ten-team Southern League, Smokies baseball has been entertaining families and fans of America’s national pastime in the East Tennessee region for over 100 years. To learn more about the Tennessee Smokies, visit www.smokiesbaseball.com

ABOUT U.S. CELLULAR

U.S. Cellular is the fifth-largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, providing national network coverage and industry-leading innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The Chicago-based carrier is building a stronger network with the latest 5G technology and offers a wide range of communication services that enhance consumers’ lives, increase the competitiveness of local businesses and improve the efficiency of government operations. To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or www.uscellular.com. To get the latest news, promos and videos, connect with U.S. Cellular on Facebook.com/uscellular, Twitter.com/uscellular and YouTube.com/uscellularcorp.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

C’s partner with The Cape Group on New Community Initiative

(Nat Bailey Stadium – Vancouver, B.C.) – The Vancouver Canadians Baseball Club in cooperation with The Cape Group are proud to announce a new community initiative that will give local baseball organizations the chance to truly make a difference for players of all abilities.

The Change-Up Field Project will award two (2) baseball organizations from within the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) with a grant of $50,000 to refurbish a facility/field that is utilized within their community for amateur baseball.

Applicants will have to meet a criteria set in place by The Change-Up Field Project (click HERE for details) and the recipients of this annual grant will be announced at the Vancouver Canadians Annual Hot Stove Luncheon in January of 2020.

“When we look at a submission from an organization, we are looking for goals that directly benefit the youth from within its membership,” states Vancouver Canadians President Andy Dunn.

“Whether it’s creating a better ballpark environment through field improvements or building something new for children of all abilities to access their ballpark – we are looking for constructed ideas that show a direct benefit to children from across the GVRD.”

Applications are now set to be received and close on November 1st, 2019.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

CPR Mass Training Event at Four Winds Field September 5

SOUTH BEND, IN – For the third year in a row, the South Bend Cubs will host a CPR Training Event with over a thousand local children participating from South Bend Community School Corporation and School City of Mishawaka at Four Winds Field. This event is the largest in the region.

Unlike heart attacks or strokes, which result from disruptions of blood flow, Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) occurs when the heart has an electrical malfunction and stops beating without warning. SCA is the leading cause of death in adults over 40. In 2015, several Saint Joseph County physicians created a task force to collect data on survival rates and conduct evidence-based interventions to improve those survival rates. They found that 70% of these incidents occur in the home and that, on average, one resident of Saint Joseph County suffered SCA every 28 hours. Despite these startling statistics, SCA is treatable. Prompt administration of CPR within 3-5 minutes is the key to survival.

On September 5th, over 1,800 8th-grade students from Saint Joseph County schools will gather at Four Winds Field to be taught hands-only CPR using take-home training kits. Multiple studies have shown that students, when given this kit, train an average of 2.5 additional people at home and in their communities. To improve knowledge retention, community leaders and first responders will also present testimonies that inspire students to engage in the training by expressing the importance of this life-saving skill.

With the support of numerous community partners, the event was coordinated by enFocus, a local nonprofit, and the Out-Of-Hospital-Cardiac-Arrest (OHCA) Task Force to drive home the importance of prompt bystander intervention for victims of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Sponsors of this event are enFocus, St. Joseph Health System, Beacon Health System, the University of Notre Dame, Press Ganey, and the South Bend Cubs. Additional partners are Dr. William Sarnat, OHCA Task Force, and the City of South Bend.

The event is not open to the public, but news media representatives are welcome. Please see the second page for a specific timeline. In the event of inclement weather, enFocus will announce the postponement of the event to Thursday, September 19th.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Makynlee Culbertson to Celebrate “Home Run For Life” with OKC Dodgers Friday

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma City Dodgers conclude the 2019 “Home Run For Life” series Friday night as they partner with INTEGRIS to recognize Makynlee Culbertson during the Dodgers’ game against the New Orleans Baby Cakes at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

Culbertson, who was diagnosed at just six weeks old with spinal muscular atrophy, became the first child in Oklahoma to receive a new one-time gene therapy known as Zolgensma® thanks to the help of her child neurologist Jennifer Norman, M.D., at INTEGRIS Pediatric Neurology at Baptist Medical Center.

Spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, is a severe neuromuscular disease that leads to progressive muscle weakness and paralysis.

On July 19, at 17 months of age, Culbertson received Zolgensma® via an IV over the course of one hour. Now just six weeks later, improvements in Culbertson’s health are already evident – and continue to emerge.

“Home Run For Life” recognizes individuals in the Oklahoma City community who have overcome a significant medical event with the help of their families, physicians and health care professionals. To symbolize the end of their battle against adversity, honorees take a home run “lap” around the bases during an in-game ceremony.

“Five times a season we are proud to welcome these extraordinary Oklahomans to take the field at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark,” OKC Dodgers President/General Manager Michael Byrnes said. “This is the ninth straight year we have partnered with INTEGRIS to honor these amazing individuals’ perseverance and courage to overcome major health challenges.”

SMA is characterized by the loss of motor neurons, which are responsible for communicating with muscles and telling them to work properly. This loss of motor neurons, which cannot be brought back, is due to a SMN1 gene that is missing or not working properly. Without enough SMN protein, motor neuron cells eventually stop working and die leading to difficulty breathing, eating, speaking and lifting the head.

Zolgensma was recently approved for the treatment of pediatric patients younger than two years of age with SMA. The one-time intravenous infusion is designed to address the genetic root cause of SMA by providing a functional copy of the SMN gene to halt disease progression. It is intended to replace a lifetime of chronic therapy for pediatric patients with SMA.

“This treatment has truly created a paradigm shift for what was previously a uniformly devastating and fatal disease,” Norman said. “SMA is essentially the ‘Lou Gehrig’s Disease’ of childhood. With early treatment, we can now give these kids a normal life. That was essentially unthinkable even just three years ago. It has truly revolutionized the practice of neuromuscular medicine.”

Advances in Culbertson’s health have already arisen in August, which is fittingly SMA Awareness Month.

“She’s significantly louder already, where before she had a really weak cry and couldn’t really cough like you or I can. Now she can,” Shanna Culbertson, Makynlee’s mom, said. “Her grip and strength in her arms; her head control has gotten significantly better; her core strength; she can hold herself up for longer. We see little things every day. We just hope to keep gaining off of it.”

Shanna Culbertson noted that while the treatment is not a cure for SMA, it will continue to help improve her daughter’s quality of life.

“She’s still going to have a lot of therapy and rehab and stuff to gain back what she’s lost, but it stops the progression of it,” she said.

The Culbertson family, of Moore, Okla., feels very fortunate that their primary and secondary insurance plans covered 100 percent of the therapy that comes with a hefty $2 million price tag.

“It is definitely crazy expensive,” Norman said. “But ultimately, over the course of a child’s life, the one-time cost is actually a substantial savings compared to what insurance companies and families would spend for the intensive medical needs children with this disease would otherwise require.

“In addition to overall cost savings, there is also a huge quality of life benefit to the drug, which really can’t be described with a dollar amount.”

To read Culbertson’s full story, visit the Dodgers’ “Beyond the Bricks” website at: medium.com/beyond-the-bricks.

The Dodgers continue their homestand with 7:05 p.m. games tonight and Thursday against the Iowa Cubs at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. An on-field naturalization ceremony will take place prior to tonight’s game as 40 people will be naturalized as United States citizens in conjunction with a U.S. District Courts initiative. The series then concludes on a $2 Thursday, featuring $2 select beer, bottled water and Pepsi products.

Fan Appreciation Weekend opens at 7:05 p.m. Friday when the Dodgers begin their final series of the season against the New Orleans Baby Cakes at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Gates open at 6 p.m. and the first 1,000 fans will receive a Dodgers hat. Select players will be available for pregame autographs and the OKC Disc Dogs will perform on the field. Friday Night Fireworks, presented by Supermercados Morelos, are scheduled to follow the game. Culbertson’s “Home Run For Life” will take place following the third inning and fans will have the opportunity to bid on game-used, game-worn and autographed Dodgers memorabilia during the Clubhouse Collectibles silent auction, presented by The Oklahoman.

Saturday’s game between the Dodgers and Baby Cakes starts at 7:05 p.m. and fireworks are slated to follow, presented by Allstate. Select players will be available for autographs prior to the game and fans will receive a complimentary 2019 team poster when they exit the ballpark.

Sunday’s game against New Orleans starts at 2:05 p.m. on a Chaparral Energy Family Sunday, featuring many family friendly activities including inflatables, face painters and kids can run the bases after the game. Red the Bat Dog will assist on the field during pregame activities and serve as bat dog for the game’s first three innings Sunday before interacting with fans on the concourse during the game. Red is a three-year-old Labrador retriever/German shepherd mix trained by Lukas Miller of Sit Means Sit dog training in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

Catch the final OKC Dodgers game of the season on Labor Day starting at 11:05 a.m. Monday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

Dodgers public address announcer Jared Gallagher will work from the concourse during the game. Fans can also celebrate the unofficial end of summer with the OKC Dodgers and Downtown OKC by participating in fun activities on the Mickey Mantle Plaza, including sidewalk chalk, bubbles and hula hoops.

Tickets are available through the OKC Dodgers ticket office located on South Mickey Mantle Drive, by phone at (405) 218-2182, or by visiting okcdodgers.com.  Live radio coverage of each game begins 15 minutes before first pitch on AM-1340 “The Game,” 1340thegame.com and through the free iHeartRadio or MiLB First Pitch apps.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Little League champs to be honored Thursday

The Eastbank All-Stars, Little League World Series champions from River Ridge, will be honored at the New Orleans Baby Cakes’ home finale on Thursday by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.

The Eastbank Little League softball team, national runners-up, will also be honored during the pregame ceremony preceding the Baby Cakes’ game against the Memphis Redbirds at 7 p.m.

Eastbank won the Little League World Series with an 8-0 victory over Curacao in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on Sunday.

The ‘Cakes wrap up the home schedule on Thursday with fan appreciation giveaways, Thirsty Thursday drink specials, and a postgame fireworks show.

For more information, contact the Baby Cakes at (504) 734-5155.

Eight-year-old Pensacola girl embraces Home Run For Life moment

Before she ever got the go-ahead signal, Scarlett Helm was ready to race around the bases.

Helm, an 8-year-old Pensacola girl, who successfully battled through attention deficit disorder and undiscovered diabetes, was honored for her courage and spirit Saturday in the season’s final “Home Run For Life” celebration during the Blue Wahoos game against the Jackson Generals.

Smiling and eager to embrace the moment, Helm raced around the bases as a sellout crowd cheered and both teams’ lined the baselines to congratulate her.

Her life has changed since February. Back then, her parents noticed she was often exhausted and experiencing frequent, erratic, mood swings. Her appetite decreased. She couldn’t gain weight.

Her parents figured it was part of side effects from the medication she was taking for attention deficit, hyperactive disorder. But as she began to fall into worse symptoms, her parents suspected something more serious was happening.

Her pediatrician conducted a blood test which revealed her blood-sugar levels were almost three times the normal range. She was immediately admitted into the Pediactric Emergency Room at Sacred Heart Hospital. It was then discovered she had Type 1 diabetes.

With treatment, care and her parents help, the diabetes in now under control and Helm is a normal, young girl.

She recently started second grade at the Montessori School of Pensacola. She listed her favorite animal as a sloth on her biography. He favorite movie is Rapunzel.

She is now enjoying gymnastics.

As she showed on Saturday, Helm sped around the bases, her hair waving, her face aglow as she easily touched every base and jumped on home plate, then into the arms of Kazoo, the Blue Wahoos mascot.

It was another special moment provided by the Blue Wahoos and the Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

South Bend Cubs to Host Trick or Treating Event on October 28

SOUTH BEND, IN – After the success of last year’s event, the South Bend Cubs have once again partnered with the South Bend Police Department to bring back Stu and Swoop’s Cops and Goblins trick or treating event on Monday, October 28 from 5:00 P.M.-7:30 P.M at Four Winds Field.

Over 6,000 kids and parents packed the ballpark last year in a massively successful first go-around of the event. Stu and Swoop’s Cops and Goblins allows local families to come out and enjoy safe trick or treating as the South Bend Police and Fire Department will be joined by other city officials. The groups will hand out candy with other South Bend community sponsors. Along with the groups present, South Bend Cubs mascots Stu and Swoop will be present to meet and take pictures with the kids.

With the completion of The Ivy at Berlin Place Apartments and “Gateway to South Bend” between the two buildings, patrons attending the event can enter and exit through Gate D past center field. The success and attendance of last year’s event has also brought in more vendors for this year’s function. Tables will be set up all throughout the concourse.

The South Bend Fire Department will also bring along their smoke house to the event. The partnership between the Cubs and South Bend Police Department allows the tandem to give back to the entire South Bend community.

“Community policing is a priority for the South Bend Police Department and this annual trick or treat event is the one officers look forward to the most,” South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski said. “This fun and safe event for families is yet another opportunity for the community and officers to come together and continue to build positive relationships that benefit the city as a whole.”

“We were hoping for a good turn out last year but did not expect our first year hosting this wonderful event to be so successful,” South Bend Cubs Director of Media and Promotions Chris Hagstrom-Jones said. “Given the success of last year, we plan to use more of the ballpark to space out candy tables and try to get more kids through the lines.”

Halloween music will also be playing from the speakers around the ballpark. Both the Cubs Den Team Store and 1st Source Bank Performance Center will be open to the public. Kids hoping to check out the Performance Center will be able to take swings in the same batting cages used by the South Bend Cubs players.

Kids arriving in their Halloween costumes will have the chance to enter a costume contest at the park. Prizes will be awarded to those who are wearing the most fun and creative costumes. Make sure to arrive early, as a crowd exceeding last year’s 6,000 is expected this year.

Any other businesses and organizations who are interested in hosting and sponsoring a table at the event can contact Officer Keenan Lane at 574-235-5941 for more information.

About the South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs are the Class A minor league affiliate of the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. Over the past 31 seasons, the team has won five Midwest League titles, most recently in 2005, and has captured 12 division titles. In 2019, the South Bend Cubs hosted the Midwest League All-Star Game. In June 2017, Four Winds Field, home of the South Bend Cubs, was voted Best Class A ballpark in the country by Ballpark Digest. In 2015 the team was named Ballpark Digest’s Team of the Year and received the John H. Johnson President’s Award, the highest award in minor league baseball. The team is owned and operated by Swing-Batter-Swing, LLC whose principal shareholder is Andrew T. Berlin of Chicago, Ill.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Blue Wahoos, Covenant Care help 97-year-old WW II fighter pilot fulfill wish

Attired in a fighter pilot’s suit, Albert J. Lane clutched a cold beer in his left hand and a century of life spirit in his heart.

Mr. Lane, a U.S. Army fighter pilot in World War II, had just taken one final flight Friday night, which included a flyover at Blue Wahoos Stadium, perfectly timed after the National Anthem, as a cheering, sellout crowd waved at the vintage aircraft.

Through Pensacola’s Covenant Care, a Blue Wahoos corporate partner and its “My Wish” program, Mr. Lane was able to exit his wheelchair and settle into the co-pilot’s cockpit of a vintage, dual-wing, 1943 Boeing N2S-4 Stearman aircraft and fulfill his own wish.

It was 82 years ago when Mr. Lane, a Michigan native, last climbed into an open cockpit plane of that era, training for a future role as a B-17 Bomber in the United States Army. He remembered how to do it again Friday night.

“How about that! I got in that plane,” said Mr. Lane, excitedly, about an hour after the flight, as young children and admiring adults gathered around him on the stadium concourse.

It created a powerful, emotional scene that made even Jhoan Duran‘s no-hit bid into the seventh inning, along with the Blue Wahoos eventual 3-2 win against the Jackson Generals, seem secondary on this memorable night.

“That was really special to see,” said Blue Wahoos manager Ramon Borrego, who stood and cheered from the dugout as Mr. Lane was honored on the first base line in the bottom of the sixth inning. “When you see a guy like him who went to World War II and served this country…I was thinking about it and thought, ‘Wow, this guy fought in World War II. He gave everything to his country.’

“And he still had energy. He began to get up from that wheelchair. That was amazing to see. I could think and see this man, say back when he was in his 20’s in that airplane.”

Mr. Lane lives in Greenwood, a small town near Marianna in Jackson County, about two hours east from Pensacola. When Covenant Care got involved and arranged a My Wish request, the Blue Wahoos joined to help provide the flyover experience at the stadium.

“It’s such a great tie-in for us,” said Blue Wahoos president Jonathan Griffith. “The wishes Covenant Care grants are local and regional and in our own footprint, so it’s awesome to be part of, and meets our own mission to improve the quality of life in our area. It’s very cool to be part of this.”

The My Wish program began about a year ago and has provided a couple hundred such final wishes, according to Covenant Care president and CEO Jeff Mislevy.

“We thought about how do we connect donors to these wishes. And it’s a unique platform,” Mislevy said. “Because an individual donor has an opportunity to entirely support a wish for someone. You make that person to person connection and there is just so much power in that.

“I wanted to be here to see him fly over. It chokes you up in a way. I can’t imagine the emotion that must be pouring through his veins right now. That’s what powers us to do this. And this was unique to him.”

The gold vintage bi-plane that Mr. Lane was flown in was provided by Pensacola’s Roy Kinsey, who operates Veterans Flight and annually participates in the Pensacola Beach Air Show.

Kinsey and others at Pensacola Aviation Center helped Mr. Lane from his wheelchair. They aided him to climb on a step-stool, hoisted him on the wing and into the open-air co-pilot cockpit of the plane. Kinsey then flew the aircraft.

Lane’s physician, Robin Albritton, who lives in Marianna and works there at Jackson Hospital, was at Blue Wahoos Stadium standing on the concourse, watching the flyover.

“When Covenant Care called me two weeks ago to tell me what they were doing, I put my phone down and cried,” said Albritton, his voice wavering with emotion. “He is a real American hero. He deserves this so much.

“Having taken care of him for the past eight years, I knew he probably got into that plane by himself. That man is sharp as a tack. He first came to me at 90-years-old and gave me the biggest, ol’ hug. I’ve had long conversations with him when he visits. I have done just enough to not get in his way these years. To see this is unbelievable. People like him remind me of why I do this.”

After the plane returned to Pensacola Aviation, Mr. Lane and his group traveled to Blue Wahoos Stadium. Covenant Care staff were there waiting to congratulate the World War II veteran.

The smile on his face, the throng of strangers, including so many children, who wanted to meet him and get his autograph, were poignant examples of how meaningful, how special this experience became.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Home Run for Life: The Story of Lainey Loftus

  While baseball may be our focus here at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium, the IronBirds take pride in being a part of the Aberdeen community and strive to make an impact that goes beyond the sport itself. On August 18th, the IronBirds recognized fourth-grader Lainey Loftus, whose brave story has inspired us all.

Last November, Lainey began having vision issues, which led her parents to bring her to an Ophthalmologist. It was there that they discovered something was pressing on her optic nerves and causing her loss of vision. After a CAT scan revealed a brain tumor on her optic nerves and Pituitary gland, her family was sent to Oncology at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. The doctor at Johns Hopkins decided the best course of action for Lainey was chemotherapy and radiation. Over the next few months, Lainey had four rounds of chemo and 24 proton radiation treatments. After many long months of fighting, an MRI in May showed that the tumor was gone, and her treatments were over. With her tumor gone, Lainey is gaining strength every day and begins fourth grade in a month.

Lainey enjoys playing softball and is excited to get back onto the field soon now that she is healthy again. She has always been a big Orioles fan and even got the chance to go to a game recently. At last Sunday’s game, Lainey threw out the first pitch before the game. The IronBirds are proud to honor Lainey for her bravery in fighting this terrible disease, and so happy for her and her family now that she is growing stronger every day. No family should have to go through what the Loftus family has gone through in the past year. The IronBirds wish Lainey and her family the best as they begin a new chapter in their lives.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.