The Cardinals, White Sox, Twins and Reds have plans in place for their winter fan fests including autograph sessions and memorabilia sales.
Passes for the 13th annual St. Louis Cardinals Winter Warm-Up will be available starting today. One of the most popular fan events in baseball, the three-day event will take place Saturday, January 17 through Monday, January 19 (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day). Times are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday. The Winter Warm-Up will again be held at the Millennium Hotel in downtown St. Louis.
The most popular attractions of the Warm-Up will return for 2009, including autograph sessions, clinics on baseball techniques and strategy, interactive games and a sports card and memorabilia show. Panel discussions with team owners, scouts, broadcasters and other baseball officials and personalities will also take place throughout the weekend.
Many players’ autographs are free with your admission pass, while others require an autograph ticket available through a specific additional donation. Please check the Cardinals website (www.stlcardinals.com) in January for details, including players autographing dates, times, and, if required, additional donation amounts. Autograph tickets will be available, until sold out, each day of the Winter Warm-Up at the Millennium Hotel. In addition, a limited number of autograph tickets will be available at a one-day only "Early-Bird Special," Saturday, January 10th from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the Millennium Hotel in downtown St. Louis.
Admission passes, valid for all three days of the Warm-Up, cost the same as last year — $40 for fans age 16 and over, $10 for children age 5 to 15 and kids under 5 are admitted free of charge. Members of the military, police and fire departments with an active ID will receive one free adult pass which must be obtained by coming to the Cardinal offices.
The Minnesota Twins have announced plans for TwinsFest 2009, scheduled for Friday, January 23 through Sunday, January 25, 2009, at the Metrodome. More than 50 current, former and future Twins players are expected to appear throughout the course of the weekend. The club will also host a large baseball card show. TwinsFest admission prices are $8 in advance for adults ($12 at the door) and $4 in advance for children 14 and under ($6 at the door).
The Chicago White Sox again will offer fans unique access to the home and visiting clubhouses at U.S. Cellular Field during the annual "Holiday Clubhouse Sale" the weekend of Dec. 5-7. During the sale, new, officially licensed team merchandise, including 2008 Playoff gear, will be marked down 20 to 50 percent and sold in the White Sox home clubhouse, an area of the ballpark rarely visited by fans.
The Holiday Clubhouse Sale takes place on: Friday, Dec. 5, 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Fans planning to attend should park their vehicles in Lot E and enter U.S. Cellular Field through the Stadium Club entrance, located between Gates 2 and 3. The cost of admission is $5, which is good towards a purchase at the clubhouse sale.
The Cincinnati Reds "Redsfest" will be held at Duke Energy Convention Center in downtown Cincinnati on Friday, Dec. 12 from 4 to 10:30 p.m. and on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
One-day tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for fans 12 and under, while two-day tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for kids.
Since returning from a two-year hiatus in 2004-05 due to construction at the convention center, Redsfest has drawn record crowds in consecutive years. Last year’s event attracted more than 20,000 fans over two days.
"Redsfest is the benchmark for fan festivals throughout Major League Baseball," said Reds President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Castellini. "Redsfest XI will once again be nothing short of spectacular."
Current and former Reds players expected to attend Redsfest XI include Gold Glove second baseman Brandon Phillips, first baseman Joey Votto, outfielder Jay Bruce and Reds Hall of Fame outfielder Eric Davis.
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