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Earl Weaver to Appear at All-Star Fan Fest

Orioles Hall of Fame manager to sign autographs from 3:30-5:30 on June 21
January 25, 2013
Salisbury, Md. - The Delmarva Shorebirds, class "A" affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, are excited to partner with Cheerwine & Crush Strawberry to host the All-Star Game Fan Fest at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium on June 21. Fan fest will take place in the parking lot of Perdue Stadium starting at 2:30 p.m. Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver is scheduled to appear at Fan Fest from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. to sign autographs and interact with fans. Weaver will also serve as an honorary manager and participate in the plate meeting before the game to exchange the lineup cards. Fan Fest precedes the 2011 South Atlantic League Strike Out Hunger All-Star Game presented by Perdue, with first pitch set for 7:30 p.m. Fans must have an all-star game ticket in order to attend Fan Fest.

Weaver, now 80-years old, managed the Baltimore Orioles for 17 years from 1968 to 1982 and from 1985 to 1986. Weaver won 1,480 as the skipper for the Orioles, which includes six Eastern Division titles, four American League pennants and a world championship in 1970. Weaver led the Orioles to five 100 plus win seasons (1969, 1970, 1971, 1979 & 1980). In his 17 years at the helm of the Orioles, Weaver had just one losing season. The Earl of Baltimore, as he was affectionately dubbed by loyal supporters, fashioned a winning percentage of .583 over his distinguished career.

Weaver was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. He ranks 19th all-time amongst 20th century managers in victories. The Baltimore Orioles also honored Weaver by retiring his #4 jersey.

The Hall of Fame skipper will sign autographs from 3:30 until 5:30 p.m. In order to get an autograph from Weaver, the Shorebirds are asking fans to donate two non-perishable canned food items or make a monetary donation to the "Strike Out Hunger" campaign.

"We are so excited to have a legendary manager coming to the 2011 South Atlantic League Strike Out Hunger All-Star Game, said Shorebirds general manager Chris Bitters. "Fan Fest will have something for everyone to enjoy."

In addition to Weaver's presence, the Shorebirds have a wide array of activities scheduled for the Cheerwine & Crush Strawberry All-Star Game Fan Fest. All Northern Division and Southern Division All-Star players and coaches will be signing autographs. Northern Division all-stars will sign autographs from 3:15 to 4:05 p.m. and the Southern Division participants will sign autographs from 4:15 to 5:05 p.m. Furthermore, fans will have the chance to watch both teams take batting practice.

The Shorebirds will have several inflatable's set up for kids of all ages including a moon bounce and a slide and castle combo.

Fan Fest will also feature the Amp Simulator Race Car, Oakley Glasses Mobile Tour, Dr. Pepper Football Toss, United States Air Force Raptor Vehicle and more.

The Shorebirds are hosting the SAL All-Star Game for the first time since 1999. Recent SAL all-stars include current major league players such as Josh Hamilton ('00 - Charleston RiverDogs), Jason Heyward ('08 - Rome Braves), Madison Bumgarner ('08 - Augusta GreenJackets), Brad Bergesen ('07 - Delmarva Shorebirds), Elvis Andrus ('06 - Rome Braves), Brian Wilson ('05 - Augusta GreenJackets), Ben Zobrist ('05 - Lexington Legends), Eric Young, Jr. ('06 - Asheville Tourists) and Andrew McCutchen ('06 - Hickory Crawdads).

Great seats still remain for the 2011 South Atlantic League All-Star Game. To secure your spot at Perdue Stadium call the Shorebirds Box Office in advance at 410-219-3112.

All-Star Game Ticket Pricing
$25 Picnic Deck - Includes hour and half buffet
$17 Field Box
$17 Luxury Level
$15 Reserved Box
$11 General Admission

For more information about the 2011 South Atlantic League Strike Out Hunger All-Star Game presented by Perdue, contact the Shorebirds at 410-219-3112.

Delmarva Shorebirds
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The Delmarva Shorebirds are the Class "A" Affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The Shorebirds are owned by 7th Inning Stretch, L.P., the same company that owns the Stockton Ports of the California League and the Everett AquaSox of the Northwest League. The Shorebirds are the proud hosts of the 2011 South Atlantic League "Strike Out Hunger" All-Star Game presented by Perdue. The game will be contested on June 21, 2011. For more information, call the Shorebirds at 410-219-3112.

The Shorebirds are celebrating 16-years of professional baseball on the Eastern Shore. During the 2009 season, the Shorebirds finished with an average attendance of 3,567 fans, the largest average since the 2002 season. In 2007, The Shorebirds had the top attendance based on market size in Minor League Baseball(tm), according to Sports Business Journal (Aug. 2008). In 2010, more than 6,000 fans packed Arthur W. Perdue Stadium nine times including a season high of 8,993 fans on August 7th.

The Shorebirds were established in 1996 by an investor team headed by legendary chicken company owner, the late Frank Perdue. The Shorebirds have called Arthur W. Perdue home ever since. For more information about the Delmarva Shorebirds call 410-219-3112 or visitwww.theshorebirds.com.