Mud Hens notebook: Lottery to give fans a shot at Triple-A All-Star tickets
5/7/2006The Mud Hens will hold a lottery that will give fans a chance to purchase ticket packages for the 2005 Triple-A All-Star Game, which will be played at Fifth Third Field.
Starting tomorrow, fans who wish to purchase tickets for the game and the festivities surrounding it can enter their names into the lottery. Fans can register for the lottery at the Swamp Shop at Fifth Third Field as well as online at www.mudhens.com.
The lottery, which will be held June 12, will produce 250 winners who can purchase two packages of tickets. Each package includes one ticket for the home run derby on July 10; one ticket to the fan fest, which will be at the SeaGate Centre July 8-12; and one ticket to the all-star game itself on July 12.
Each ticket package costs $95.
Fans who wish to bypass the lottery and guarantee the opportunity to buy tickets can do so by purchasing season tickets, including mini-plans of 18, 36 and 54 games, or purchase a Mud Hens gift card worth at least $300.
CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR: Circumstances will prevent the Mud Hens from seeing a pair of big-league pitchers in the next couple of days.
The Atlanta Braves were expected to send LHP Horacio Ramirez to Toledo to make a spot start for Richmond today. Ramirez, who went on the disabled list April 5 with a strained left hamstring, was supposed to pitch three innings for the
R-Braves in the first of three rehab appearances.
But Atlanta's 14-inning loss to the Mets in New York Friday, combined with an injury to reliever Chuck James, led Atlanta to instead activate Ramirez before yesterday's game.
Speaking of the Mets, they called up RHP Jose Lima from Norfolk to start today's game with Atlanta in place of John Maine, who was injured in his last appearance for New York. Lima originally was scheduled to start for the Tides tomorrow at Fifth Third Field.
Lima, who threw a no-hitter while pitching for the Mud Hens in 1994, has pitched in the big leagues in each of the past 12 seasons. He was 17-16 in parts of three seasons in Toledo and is 89-98 in the majors, including a 21-win season for Houston in 1999.
ROSTER MOVE: Before the game the Mud Hens placed RHP Matt Mantei on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder. Mantei, who saw action the previous two nights, had allowed just one hit and one unearned run in five innings with five strikeouts and five walks.
To take Mantei's place on the roster the Mud Hens activated LHP Alex Herrera, who is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in seven appearances. Herrera went on the temporary inactive list May 1.
SELLOUT CROWD: Last night's crowd of 9,008 was the Mud Hens' third sellout this season and the 110th in the five-year history of Fifth Third Field.