Press Release from the St. Louis Cardinals

Billy Joel Theme Night: In anticipation of his upcoming September concert at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals invite all Uptown Girls and Piano Men to Billy Joel Night. Fans that purchase a special theme ticket will receive a Billy Joel bobblehead and can enjoy pregame entertainment provided by Spanky’s Dueling Pianos in Riverview Corner. Additionally, a portion of each ticket sold will be donated to Jazz St. Louis. Fans must present the voucher in order to receive this promotional item. For more information, visit cardinals.com/theme (#CardsTheme).

Trevor’s Troops: Trevor Rosenthal will host a group from USO Missouri for tonight’s game as part of his Trevor’s Troops player ticket program. Prior to the game, the group will get to watch batting practice from the field and meet with Trevor in the dugout to take pictures and ask questions. Presented by Scott Credit Union.

Battle at Busch: 105.7 The Point and the Cardinals welcome back the Battle at Busch concert series. The 2017 schedule features 18 local bands over the course of six nights, at six different Cardinals home games in Ford Plaza. Tonight’s battle features Cardboard Room, Dirt Road Addiction and Pogo Funk. Gate 6 will open at 5:15 p.m. for the event. Performances begin at 5:15 p.m. with each act given 20 minutes to perform. Each band will be judged on a point system by Mozingo Music and 105.7 The Point. The top four scoring bands of the summer will be invited back to play on September 26 in the Battle at Busch finals for the grand prize package. Tickets are available for $10.57 to each Battle at Busch game by going to cardinals.com/battleatbusch.

MLBPAA Auction: The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association will conduct a baseball-themed silent auction by Gate 1 (Section 137) and Gate 3 from the time gates open through the fifth inning. All proceeds will benefit Cardinals Care and the Players Alumni Association, a non-profit group that strives to preserve the game of baseball while supporting a variety of charities.

From the Southern Illinois Miners

The Southern Illinois Miners’ offense was held down by the Normal CornBelters on Tuesday night at Rent One Park as the visitors came away with a 2-0 final score in the series opener.

After a scoreless first inning in which both teams threatened with men on base, Nolan Meadows led off the second inning with a first-pitch solo home run off Matt Parish to make it 1-0. In the third inning, the CornBelters loaded the bases with no one out, but scored just one run, on a sacrifice fly by Meadows for a 2-0 lead. Normal also loaded the bases to lead off the fourth inning, but Parish (2-2) got a pair of strikeouts and a flyout to keep the game close.

Southern Illinois and Normal would then threaten with men on base in almost every inning against the other’s pitching but could not break through for any more runs in the game. The Miners got close to scoring numerous times, including when they loaded the bases in the eighth inning with the potential go-ahead run on base, and when they put the tying runs on base in the ninth inning against Chad Gendron, but could not come up with the clutch hit they needed as both teams left 12 men on base in the game.

Austin Dubsky and Paul Young kept the contest tight with a combined five scoreless frames out of the Miners bullpen, while Romeo Cortina tripled among his three hits in a 3-for-5 game to pace the Miners’ offense, but it was not enough as the CornBelters got the shutout victory.
Southern Illinois will look to even the series and bounce back on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m., with Zach Cooper pitching for the Miners against Normal’s Shawn Blackwell.

The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2016 Frontier League West Division Champions, the 2014 and 2015 Frontier League East Division Champions and the 2012 Frontier League Champions. They have been awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year award three times since their inception, and also set a new Frontier League attendance record in 2007, their inaugural season. For ticket information, contact the Rent One Park box office at (618) 998-8499. For any additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.

https://www.101sports.com/2017/08/07/cardinals-honest-wanting-win-jose-martinez-must-play/

ST. LOUIS, MO (Bernie Miklasz, WXOS, 101 ESPN.  Please click on the link for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

The Cardinals need to clean up at the cleanup spot.

Hello there, Jose Martinez!

It doesn’t matter that Martinez is a 29-year-old rookie with only 185 big-league plate appearances to his name.

It doesn’t matter that his winding journey to the majors took nearly 10 years and more than 3,600 minor-league plate appearances before the Cardinals gave him a gig late last summer.

If Martinez is overexposed to MLB pitching, we may see his weaknesses exploited. He could lose confidence, and it might mean the end of his big-league dream. But don’t worry about that now. Your team is 3.5 games out of first place, and Martinez is a dependable source of offense. So use him.

Press Release from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) today announced waterfowl season dates and bag limits for the 2017-18 seasons. The seasons include 60-day duck seasons in each of the state’s four waterfowl hunting zones, along with 107 days of Canada goose hunting opportunity in the North and Central zones (15 days in September, two days of youth hunting and 90 days of “regular” goose season), 99 days of Canada goose hunting opportunity in the South Central Zone, and 87 days of Canada goose hunting opportunity in the South Zone. Goose season lengths are shorter in the South Central and South zones to coincide with duck season dates and to match hunter preferences.

The 2017-18 Illinois season dates are the second year of a five-year plan that was developed in 2015. This year, Illinois will open the regular duck, Canada goose, and snow goose seasons on Oct. 21 in the North Zone, Oct. 28 in the Central Zone, Nov. 11 in the South Central Zone, and Nov. 23 in the South Zone. White-fronted goose (specklebelly) seasons will open Oct. 23 in the North Zone, Nov. 5 in the Central Zone, and with duck season in the South Central (Nov. 11) and South zones (Nov. 23).

The daily duck bag limit is six (6) and may include no more than four (4) mallards (two hens), three (3) wood ducks, three (3) scaup, two (2) redheads, two (2) black ducks, two (2) canvasback, one (1) pintail, and one (1) mottled duck. The daily bag limit of mergansers is five (5), only two of which may be hooded mergansers. The possession limit for ducks and mergansers is three times the daily bag limit by species and sex.

Canada and white-fronted goose daily bag limits will be two (2) with a possession limit of six (6). The snow goose daily bag limit is 20 birds, with no possession limit, during the fall and winter season. The spring Conservation Order Light Goose season will open Jan. 19 in the North Zone and Feb. 1 in the Central, South Central, and South zones, ending March 31 in all zones. There is no daily bag or possession limit on snow, blue, and Ross’ geese during this season.

The September 2017 early Canada goose season is Sept. 1-15 with a daily limit of five (5) and a possession limit of 15 geese in the North and Central zones, and a daily limit of two (2) and a possession limit of six (6) geese in the South Central and South zones.

Illinois’ 16-day 2017 statewide teal hunting season is Sept. 9-24 with a daily limit of six (6) and a possession limit of eighteen (18). Shooting hours for the September teal season are different from the regular season, starting at sunrise (½ hour later than regular season) until sunset.

The IDNR 2017-18 season dates are outlined below.

Illinois Waterfowl Season Dates for 2017-18

September Canada Goose: Statewide Sept. 1 – 15

September Teal: Statewide Sept. 9 – 24

Seasons by Zone

North Zone
Youth Hunt: Oct. 14 – 15
Duck: Oct. 21 – Dec. 19
Canada Goose: Oct. 21 – Jan. 18

Central Zone
Youth Hunt: Oct. 21 – 22
Duck: Oct. 28 – Dec. 26
Canada Goose: Oct. 28 – Nov. 5 and Nov. 12 – Jan. 31

South Central Zone
Youth Hunt: Nov. 4 – 5
Duck: Nov. 11 – Jan. 9
Canada Goose: Nov. 11 – Jan. 31

South Zone
Youth Hunt: Nov. 11 – 12
Duck: Nov. 23 – Jan. 21
Canada Goose: Nov. 23 – Jan. 31

Illinois 2017-18 Snow Goose and White-Fronted Goose Season Dates

North Zone
Snow Geese
Regular Season: Oct. 21 – Jan. 18
White-fronted Geese: Oct. 23 – Jan. 18

Central Zone
Snow Geese
Regular Season: Oct. 28 – Jan. 31
White-fronted Geese: Nov. 5 – Jan. 31

South Central Zone
Snow Geese
Regular Season: Nov. 11 – Jan. 31
White-fronted Geese: Nov. 11 – Jan. 31

South Zone
Snow Geese
Regular Season: Nov. 23 – Jan. 31
White-fronted Geese: Nov. 23 – Jan. 31

The Illinois waterfowl hunting zone maps and anticipated seasons dates for the 2016-2020 seasons are available on the IDNR website at: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/waterfowl/Documents/WaterfowlZonesDatesFinal20162020.pdf

The application period for Public Duck and Goose Hunting Area Permits will be open Aug. 16-31 for the first lottery, Sept. 1-14 for the second lottery, and Sept. 15-28 for the third lottery. Permits remaining after the third lottery will be available on a first-come, first-served basis online starting Oct. 1. More information, including online applications, instructions and a list of participating sites is available on the IDNR website at: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/waterfowl/Pages/OnlinePermitApplication.aspx

Additional details on the duck, goose, and other migratory bird hunting seasons will be available on the IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov and in the 2017-2018 Illinois Digest of Waterfowl Hunting Regulations (available later this year) and the Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2017-2018, available on the IDNR website at https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Documents/HuntTrapDigest.pdf

Press Release from the St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals announced prior to tonight’s series open in Kansas City that they have activated outfielder Dexter Fowler (left forearm strain) from the 10-day disabled list and optioned outfielder Stephen Piscotty to Memphis (AAA).

Fowler, who was disabled on July 25, is batting .241 (70-for-290) with 14 home runs (T2nd on team) and 37 RBI in 81 games during his initial season with the Cardinals. The 31-year-old Fowler was disabled earlier in the year (June 25-July 7) due to a right heel spur. His 14 round-trippers are currently ranked 2nd among all National League switch-hitters.

Piscotty, 26, was recently activated from the disabled list on August 1 after missing 16 games (July 15-31) with a right groin strain. For the season, he’s batting .232 (57-for-246) with 6 HR’s and 31 RBI in 75 games. Piscotty was also sidelined earlier this year (May 5-19) with a right hamstring strain.

From the Southern Illinois Miners

The Southern Illinois Miners got a first-inning lead for the third time in three games against the Florence Freedom at UC Health Stadium on Sunday night, but fell short in their bid for a sweep by a final score of 4-1, ending a four-game win streak.
For the third night in a row, Southern Illinois got on the board in the top of the first, as after Craig Massey led off the game with a single and Nolan Earley reached on an infield hit, Craig Massoni followed with a single of his own to score Massey from second base and put the Miners on top 1-0.
After two scoreless innings by Corey Sessions, the Freedom would tie the score with an unearned run in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI infield hit by Taylor Oldham at 1-1. That would be the only run Sessions allowed in five innings of work on four hits, as the Freedom threatened with men on base in the fourth and fifth innings, but did not score.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, with two outs, the Freedom would go ahead on a two-run home run by Garrett Vail against Kyle Tinius (2-3), making the score 3-1, and added an insurance run in the seventh inning on a double by Jordan Brower for a 4-1 lead. Meanwhile, left-hander Braulio Torres-Perez (3-1) pitched eight innings, allowing just one run on seven hits, walking three and striking out five while tossing 120 pitches to hold the Miners’ offense down as the Freedom avoided a sweep at the hands of the visiting Miners.
Southern Illinois returns home for a three-game series against the Normal CornBelters beginning on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. at Rent One Park. Matt Parish will pitch in the series opener for Southern Illinois
The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2016 Frontier League West Division Champions, the 2014 and 2015 Frontier League East Division Champions and the 2012 Frontier League Champions. They have been awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year award three times since their inception, and also set a new Frontier League attendance record in 2007, their inaugural season. For ticket information, contact the Rent One Park box office at (618) 998-8499. For any additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.