Two Minor League Baseball All-Star Games in Connecticut This Summer

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It is an all-star summer in Connecticut, with the state hosting not one but two minor league all-star games.  The New Britain Rock Cats, the Double-A Eastern League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, will host the annual Eastern League All-Star Game at New Britain Stadium on Wednesday, July 10, preceded by a series of fan events in Hartford and New Britain.  And the Connecticut Tigers of the New York – Penn. League (NYPL) will host that league’s all-star game at Dodd Stadium in Norwich on Tuesday, August 13.

The Rock Cats have planned community events for fans leading up to the game, both at the ballpark and in the state’s Capitol City. The community events include:

·         All-Star Fan Fest The Rock Cats along with MECA (Marketing, Events & Cultural Affairs for the City of Hartford) will host an All-Star Fanfest on Friday, July 5th at 5:00 PM at Bushnell Park in Downtown Hartford. This free event will be open to the public and include: A Ribbon Cutting ceremony, Vintage Baseball Exhibition, Beer Garden, Food Vendors, Wiffle ball games, inflatable games and mascots for the kids. The event will culminate with a public screening of A League of Their Own as part of Hartford Parks' "Movies After Dark Series."

·         Wiffle Ball Tournament for Charity  

The Rock Cats are creating a mini baseball park inside Bushnell Park in Downtown Hartford. The space will be used for a community Wiffle Ball tournament, Monday July 8th through Wednesdrock cats all staray July 10th, sponsored by UnitedHealthcare. The Wiffle Ball Tournament will include teams from local companies and will benefit charities such as the YMCA of Greater Hartford.

·         Celebrity Skills Challenge The Rock Cats will host an All-Star Celebrity Skills Challenge at New Britain Stadium on Tuesday July 9th, the night before the game. This event will kick off 6:00 PM and include an autograph session with the All-Star players. Ticket prices range from $8 to $12 and a portion of event proceeds will benefit local charities.NYPL

The 2013 Eastern League All-Star Classic Presented by Dunkin Donuts will take place on Wednesday, July 10th at 7:05 PM at New Britain Stadium. The All-Star Game features the top players in the Eastern League from all 12 clubs as voted by fans, field managers and media. The Hartford Hilton will serve as the official host hotel and Dattco will serve as the official transportation supplier. Tickets range from $10 to $22 and are now on sale by calling the box office at 860-224-8383 or at www.rockcats.com. The Rock Cats last hosted the All-Star Game in 2003.

The 2013 New York-Penn League All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday, August 13 at 7:35 p.m. at Dodd Stadium in Norwich. The All-Star Celebration logo honors the community's rich maritime history and it's affiliation with the American League Champion Detroit Tigers. Maritime flags, an anchor and a dock rope make up the nautical logo, combined with classic Tigers old English lettering. Ticket prices for the All-Star Celebration Game are the same as the 2013 single game ticket prices: $10.00 for premium seat tickets, $9.00 for reserved seat tickets and $8.00 for grandstand seat tickets and are currently available online and at the ticket office at Dodd Stadium.  The Tigers home opener for the 2013 season is Monday, June 17.