Happy Anniversary - SWB Style
Moosic, Pa. - The zenith fast approaches. On Saturday, June 7, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders' (Triple-A/New York Yankees) season-long celebration of the franchise's 25-year run apexes with an event full of good times and celebrations. A Hall of Fame induction, marriage vows renewed as a couple celebrates its 25th anniversary, special jerseys and flashbacks in time highlight the festivities as the RailRiders take on the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers).
The signature moment of the night will take place before the game gets underway. Dave Miley, the only manager the SWB franchise has known during its days as a Yankees affiliate, will be formally inducted into the International League's Hall of Fame. He will be presented with "The Curtain Call" statue and the first 2,500 fans through the gates will receive a statue of Miley's likeness thanks to The Times-Tribune. The skipper won an off-season fan vote as the signature face of the SWB Yankees era to earn the giveaway honor. The IL Hall of Fame plaque display, a traveling testament to the storied legacy of the circuit, will be on hand as well.
With anniversaries on the brain, Debbie and Marty Novick, parents of RailRiders regional sales manager Alyssa Novick, will renew their vows as they celebrate 25 years of marriage. The officiant for the services? RailRiders president/GM Rob Crain who has become an ordained minister for the event. The couple was wed May 6, 1989 and has been a "baseball family" for years. Marty played middle infield for Independence H.S. in Glendale, Ariz. where he led the team in batting average. When Debbie battled cancer and lost her hair, no ball cap was allowed in the Novick house save for one with the interlocking NY of the New York Yankees.
During the contest, the RailRiders will wear uniquely designed jerseys that incorporate all three of the franchise's eras. The pinstriped look blends the color schemes and logos from the Red Barons, Yankees and RailRiders. After the game, the jerseys will be auctioned off with proceeds benefitting the Dave Miley Hall of Fame Scholarship Fund. Throughout the night, there will be music and video clips from the last 25 years. The visiting player headshots will be celebrities from 1989, the franchise's inaugural season. The Misericordia Pre-Game Show will include testimonials by season ticket holders and "25 years ago" slides will sport stats from 1989. The night concludes with fireworks thanks to Jack Williams Tire & Auto and Kumho Tire.
The RailRiders return home on Tuesday, June 3 to kick off an eight-game homestand. It gets underway with a four-game set against the Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles). Tuesday's 7:05 p.m. affair will be televised on My Network TV with John Sadak and Aaron Berlin on the call at 7 p.m. Jim Riley will fill in on the radio with pregame coverage starting at 6:35 p.m. on NEPA Sports Radio - The GAME, Northeast PA's largest sports radio network: 100.7 FM, 1340 WYCK-AM, 1400 WICK-AM, 1440 WCDL-AM and 106.7 FM. For season ticket information, single-game tickets or to book a ballpark group outing, call (570) 969-BALL (2255) or visit swbrailriders.com.
- SWB RailRiders - All Aboard! -