Out of Bounds: Who doesn't love Ladies Night? By Jake Linger
The Bowie Baysox have created and nurtured a fine tradition over the past two seasons and this year the Pink in the Park game, normally billed as a breast cancer awareness event, is getting a bit of a face-lift.
The term "face-left is cliche, yes! But there are bigger fish to fry!
Traditionally, Pink in the Park has stood on its own, raising money for the Breast Fund of Holy Cross Hospital. But the third annual Pink in the Park game, which will be held Sunday at Prince George's Stadium at 6:05 p.m., will serve as the culmination of a weekend-long celebration of - the ladies!
The inaugural "Women's Weekend" will begin tomorrow evening when the Baysox welcome "All My Children" star Walt Willey to the ballpark.
Please, do not confuse Walt Willey with the act of sticking a wet finger in someone's ear.
The former improvisational comedic actor originated his current role of Jackson Montgomery on the popular daytime drama in 1987 and has won numerous awards over the last two decades. Plus, my mom thinks he is the hottest guy ever on daytime TV.
Sorry, Regis. Apparently you were a very close 329th on the list.
Willey, who still performs stand-up when AMC is on hiatus, will be signing autographs and posing for photos with fans throughout the game.
Yes, males of Bowie, there will also be a baseball game. Lots of dirt and sweat and purpose pitches will be our focus. The Baysox will begin a crucial three-game series against the Altoona Curve tomorrow evening at 7:05. Altoona is eight games back of Bowie in the Southern Division, so a sweep of the Curve would go a long way in making up the 5.5 games Bowie needs catch the division-leading Akron Aeros.
Take a deep breath, folks. Now what would you say if I told you that to celebrate the 1992 film "A League of their Own," Tom Hanks, Rosie O'Donnell, Geena Davis and Madonna would be making surprise appearances at the stadium during Bowie's midseries game against Altoona Saturday?
I'd be just as surprised!
Since the cinematic powers will most likely never set foot in Bowie, how about the inspirations for the film? Jean Faut, Gloria Elliott, Sarah "Salty" Ferguson, Ruth Hartman, Joanne McComb and Gertrude "Gertie" Benner will be in attendance to meet and greet fans throughout the game. The ladies will be recognized during pregame ceremonies for their historical seasons spent playing in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
Sunday is the day that I personally look forward to each season, this being my second as the Blade-News sports editor. It's Pink in the Park Day.
Here is the deal: The Baysox players and coaches will be wearing one-of-a-kind pink jerseys during the game that will be auctioned off to lucky Baysox fans. In fact, the jersey auctions will take place throughout the game and the winners - well - will get the shirt right off the players' backs!
The Baysox game-worn pink jersey auction has raised $20,000 in two seasons for Holy Cross, and this season the team hopes to bring in even more for the Holy Cross Hospital Cancer Institute Fund, which is used for early breast cancer detection and smoking cessation programs at the facility.
"The Bowie Baysox are honored to be able to work with Holy Cross Hospital once again to use our public forum as a minor league baseball organization to bring attention to a very important cause," said Baysox general manager Brian Shallcross. "We hope that by utilizing our stadium and this annual event to help spread the word about women's cancer awareness, we can make a difference in the fight for a cure."
Tickets for Baysox games can be purchased by visiting www.baysox.com; Pink in the Park tickets can also be purchased specially by visiting www.holycrosshealth.org. After a little hard-core investigative journalism (because someone has to do it), I have learned that $4 of every ticket purchased directly from the above Holy Cross Web site will go directly to the fund.
Quick FYI: Each of the games this weekend will be followed by a fireworks display.
For those who cannot attend Pink in the Park Sunday, there is also a link to a "giving area," where donations may be made.
In the unlikely event that the game is rained out (unlikely because Mother Nature could not possibly have that type of sense of humor two consecutive years), Pink in the Park will be rescheduled for Aug. 10.
During the 2007 Pink in the Park game, Bowie defeated the Binghamton Mets, 11-4, for their seventh straight win behind six Chris Waters strikeouts and the go-ahead run scored by Luis Hernandez. Maybe this year's benefit game will spark a much needed streak again for your Baysox.
According to the American Cancer Society, "more than 240,000 cases of breast cancer (was) expected in the United States in 2007. That means that, on average, women have a one in eight chance of developing breast cancer at some time in life." Do the math, folks, nearly each of us knows someone who has experienced breast cancer.
Not cool.
"Breast cancer hits home to many families including my own," said Shallcross. "In addition to the money we will raise to benefit breast cancer research with Holy Cross Hospital, we hope to enlighten our community about breast cancer. It is a relatively recent phenomenon that people have been open to discuss breast cancer. We will continue to encourage the dialog and awareness."
I have a challenge for all of my devout Out of Bounds readers. Sell out Prince George's Stadium Sunday. Let's show the county, the state and the nation that little ol' Bowie, Md., supports breast cancer awareness and that a venue that sells 8,000 tickets for an exhibition softball game can also sell at least that many to support a disease that we all will come face to face with at some point in our lives.
Guys and gals, let's make it a Pink Out. I challenge every man and woman attending the Pink in the Park game to wear pink. Imagine how uncomfortable the Altoona players will be as the only people in the ballpark not wearing pink.
I imagine they will feel like a bunch of sissies!
