Eli Young Band, Hall of Famer Rice to headline festivities
TROY, N.Y. » Award-winning country music act the Eli Young Band and Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Rice will be among the headliners for New YorkPenn League All-Star Game festivities to be hosted in August by the Tri-City ValleyCats.
The Eli Young Band will headline a free concert in Riverfront Park during the All-Star Fan Fest on Monday, August 14, while the Boston Red Sox legend is set to speak at the All-Star Luncheon on Tuesday, August 15. Gates at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium will open at 4 p.m. that day for preAll-Star Game festivities, which include an autograph session with both teams and the Slidin’ Dirty Home Run Derby competition. First pitch for the All-Star Game is set for 7:00 p.m.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring the New York-Penn League All-Star Game back to the Capital Region,” said ValleyCats General Manager Matt Callahan. “Our organization is looking forward to providing a
top-notch fun-filled experience for our fans, while showcasing the best professional baseball talent across the league.”
The ValleyCats and local radio station WGNA-FM joined forces to bring in the Eli Young Band, whose hit singles include “Crazy Girl” and “Even if it Breaks Your Heart” and have been honored with awards as Billboard’s #1 Country Song of the Year and ACM Song
of the Year. The band has also garnered numerous Grammy, CMA, CMT and Teen Choice awards nominations, and has a new album, “Fingerprints,” that was released in June.
Rice, meanwhile, will be the guest speaker at an All-Star Luncheon being hosted in collaboration with the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on game day at teh Desmod Hotel and Conference Center in Colonie. Rice is the only player in major league history to record more than 200 hits
while hitting 39 or more home runs in three consecutive seasons. His best season came in 1978, when he was named the AL’s Most Valuable Player, and he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Tickets for the luncheon are $45 for chamber members and $60 for non-members. Register to attend today at www.capitalregionchamber.com.
The ValleyCats last played host to the New York-Penn League All-Star Game in 2008, drawing more than 6,000 fans.
“The New York-Penn League is excited about returning to New York’s Capital Region for our 2017 AllStar Game,” said league President Ben J. Hayes. “When the ValleyCats hosted the game back in 2008, it was a tremendous success. I know their staff will go out of their way to ensure another first-class event.”
Tickets for the All-Star Game start at $10.00 and are available at www.tcvalleycats.com/allstargame, by calling 629-CATS (2287) or by visiting the Joseph L. Bruno Stadium box office.