Crawdads to Host 2014 SAL All-Star Game

Mid-Summer Classic to be played in Hickory for the 3rd time

By Aaron Cox

July 11, 2013

HICKORY, NC - The Hickory Crawdads are proud to announce that Crawdads Stadium will be the site of the 2014 South Atlantic League All-Star Game.

The 55^th SAL All-Star Game will be held Tuesday, June 17^th, 2014 as part of a 2-day, All-Star celebration in Hickory. The game will mark the third time the 'Dads have hosted the Mid-Summer Classic, joining 1994 and 2001.

"On behalf of the ownership group we look forward to hosting the 2014 South Atlantic League All-Star Game in Hickory," said Crawdads owner Don Beaver. "It's a tremendous honor to be selected and we look forward to entertaining the players and the league executives from the other 13 teams. It's the preeminent event in the South Atlantic League every year and it's the Crawdads privilege to host it next season."

The 2-day celebration is still being finalized, but will feature plenty of opportunities for fans to get up close and personal with the South Atlantic League All-Stars. The public festivities begin with an event Monday night, followed by a fan fest on Tuesday prior to the game and finish with a post-game celebration. A ticket will be required for all events. There will also be time set aside for the All-Stars and their guests to enjoy the Hickory area.

"The staff is already working hard in preparation for this prestigious event," said Crawdads General Manager Mark Seaman. "You only get the opportunity to host the SAL All-Star Game about once every decade, so when your opportunity comes you want to make it special for the fans and players."

The SAL All-Star game has seen numerous participants move on to Major League careers including MLB Hall-of-Famers Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton and Ryne Sandberg, as well as fellow Big Leaguers Robinson Cano, Bryce Harper and Madison Bumgarner.

The Crawdads themselves have helped produce several SAL All-Stars that went on to successful MLB careers, including Andrew McCutchen and Magglio Ordonez.

"If you look at the future major leaguers that have played in this game, it's pretty awe-inspiring," said Seaman. "It's definitely the can't miss game on the Crawdads 2014 schedule."

More information about the 2014 SAL All-Star Game and details on how to reserve your tickets will be released in the coming weeks. For more information please contact the Crawdads at (828) 322-3000 or visit www.hickorycrawdads.com.

###