May 26, 2013

In an effort to stimulate attendance at Portage Park this season, the Kalamazoo Badgers Marketing and Public Relations Department has announced the planned scheduling of several promotional dates for upcoming home stands.  Each of these milestone-themed dates will feature special giveaways to the first 15,000 fans.  However, each and every fan entering the park on these dates will be eligible for several special drawings based on whether certain statistical milestones are reached by Badgers players.

The first major milestone anticipated is for the first Badger to reach 1,000 base hits.  John Collins is currently poised to reach this goal within the next several weeks.  As of this date, in this, the seventh PEBA season, only 18 players have managed to attain this milestone.  George John of the Connecticut Nutmeggers, currently sitting at 999 hits, is poised to become number 19 in the next day or so.  Armando Santana of New Orleans sits with 989 hits, followed by our own John Collins with 983 base hits.

Another milestone that is within reach is the first Badger to hit 200 home runs.  Currently with 194, John Collins is poised to soon achieve this mark.  Florida’s Tsumemasa Morimoto is the PEBA career leader with 273 round trippers.  Gloucester’s Gregory Arnold is second with 237.  A total of six players have topped 200, with Augusto Valdéz of Connecticut at 195.  This puts Collins in the number eight slot for all-time PEBA home runs.

In anticipation of Collins reaching both of these milestones within the next several weeks, the Badgers have announced that the 13 upcoming June home dates will feature either specially designed t-shirts emblazoned with Collins’s name and number or a John Collins poster/bobblehead combination.  Quantities will be limited to the first 15,000 fans attending each game.  These fan appreciation giveaways will alternate based on series.

In addition, each paid admission into Portage Park on these dates will receive a numbered commemorative ticket stub that will be used in special prize drawings that will occur if Collins reaches either of the milestones that he is chasing on that particular game.  One hundred prizes per game will be awarded and will include tickets to future Badgers home games, special field passes for Badgers Fan Appreciation Day, and a grand prize of an autographed John Collins game jersey.  If both of these milestones are achieved before the last June home date, the special prize drawings will be limited to John Collins autographed baseballs.

Mark these dates and take this opportunity to come out to the park and be a part of Kalamazoo Badgers history.