Tigers Nominated For MiLB Patriot Award

NORWICH, CT- The New York-Penn League has announced the Connecticut Tigers have been nominated for Minor League Baseball's Charles K. Murphy Patriot Award. The award began in 2016 and is presented annually to one Minor League Baseball club or individual employed by a club for outstanding support of and engagement with the United States Armed Forces and veterans, both at the ballpark and in the community.
 
The award is named for longtime Florida State League President and U.S. Army veteran Charles K. Murphy, who passed away in February of 2015. A retired Lieutenant Colonel after 21 years in the U.S. Army, Murphy broke into professional baseball in 1975 and led the Florida State League from 1990 until his passing.
The winner of the Charles K. Murphy Patriot Award will be announced at the annual Baseball Winter Meetings Banquet, December 10^th at the Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Florida.
"We are incredibly proud and honored to have been selected as a nominee for this great award. The Southeastern Connecticut community is deeply tied with the military. We feel it is of the utmost importance to thank and honor those that serve and have served our country, protecting our freedom," said Connecticut Tigers General Manager Dave Schermerhorn. "The work we do and the programs we have in place to support the military community are not done for awards, but because we feel it is what should be done to thank these courageous men and women."
Some examples of work done by the Tigers to thank and honor the military in our area include a $2 discount on all tickets for every home game with military ID as well as inviting veterans to Dodd Stadium each Veterans Day for a tour of the stadium and a pair of free tickets to a game the following season.
Each season one Friday home game is Military Appreciation Night at Dodd Stadium. All current and/or former military members and their guests can receive a ticket and food voucher redeemable for a hot dog, bag of chips and bottled soft drink all for just $7.
The Tigers have also teamed with the Better Business Bureau Military Line for the past four seasons to bring the CT Military All-Stars program. Fans in the community are asked to submit their nominations for their Military All-Star. A panel of judges then select nine nominees to be honored on the field prior to the annual Military Appreciation Night. In addition, the nine honorees are featured in a baseball card set given away to the first 1,000 fans through the gates that night.
In an effort to raise funds for military families, the Tigers have held an annual auction of game-worn military themed jerseys from Military Appreciation Night, benefitting the BBB Military Line Student Ethics Scholarship as well as the auction of game-worn "stars and stripes" hats from July 4^th, benefitting the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society.
The Connecticut Tigers are the New York-Penn League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Connecticut. 2018 season memberships and team merchandise are on sale! The front office and box office is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday and can be accessed in person or by calling 860-887-7962.

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