Tonight: Grizzlies Face Division Rivals Shaumburg Boomers for $2 Tuesday
The St. Louis Cardinals have dropped to third place during a rough patch that could be signs of a return to expectations, losing 9 of the last 13 games. Thankfully, they get to close out their current road trip with a visit to Chicago where they hope to tee off on the lowly White Sox. Maybe the Birds can get some mojo rising in Chi-town before returning home this weekend to play division rivals, the Cincinnati Reds.
Our Gateway Grizzlies return to Sauget, IL tonight (Tuesday) having had better fortunes than the Redbirds, winning 7 away games out of 12 during their recent sojourns. This hasn’t been good enough to hold onto first place, however, as the Grizz Gang find themselves 2 ½ games behind the Schaumburg Boomers. The Grizzlies have the chance to claw their way back into first against said Boomers for the next three nights in a row.
This 3-game series kicks off with another $2 Tuesday at Arsenal BG Park. That means $2 tickets, $2 hot dogs, and $2 Natural Light products (beer and seltzer typically). Grizzlies games are always a great family entertainment value, but these prices make it even better! There’s a playground for the kids out near the left field wall. Izzy the Grizzly wanders the stands and is always available for a selfie (see my new author photo). And, there are plenty of other affordable food and drink options beyond the $2 Tuesday fare. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.
Grizzly Bites:
- The Grizzlies are coming home on a bit of a warm streak, taking 2 out of 3 from the New York Boulders in their home park. A big series highlight was an ace Father’s Day pitching performance by their eldest player, Zac Treece, who pitched six-plus innings of one-run ball in a 6-1 victory that clinched the series at Clover Stadium. At age 35, Treece is a true journeyman pitcher, having played in the US (for the Grizzlies and the now defunct River City Rascals), New Zealand, Germany, and Australia.
- Speaking of journeyman pitchers, Trevor Richards, former Grizzlies right-hander, was designated for assignment by the Kansas City Royals and then became a free agent after clearing waivers. An Aviston, IL native, Richards went undrafted by major league teams in 2015 and signed with the Grizzlies instead. He worked his way into the big leagues and spent time with the Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, and finally the Kansas City Royals. Let’s wish him luck in this next chapter of his career!
There’s good news for folks traveling over from the Missouri side to see the game: the road construction on I-255 has been completed 6 weeks ahead of schedule! The highway has been reopened and is smooth as silk (well, as close as pavement can get, I suppose). So, all roads again lead to an evening of baseball fun.
I am planning to be in section 106 on the first base side. Come join me!
$2 Tuesday at Gateway Grizzlies
Hello, Metro St. Louis baseball fans!
The St. Louis Cardinals on the Missouri side appear to have hung the ‘for sale’ sign ahead of the July 31st trade deadline. That signals an effective surrender of postseason hopes for the Redbirds. But our Illinois Boyz, the Gateway Grizzlies, sit atop the Frontier League’s Midwest Conference West Division leaders with a half-game lead. Here’s to hoping they can continue their winning ways – they are 39-21 – and contend through the playoffs.
Dear Readers, I’d like to pause for a moment to acknowledge a failure in my reporting. I’ve spent the past handful of articles trying to entice you to make the trip to Sauget, IL, to see Gateway Grizzlies baseball, appealing to your love of affordable, family-friendly fun. However, I’ve been informed by a few friends that I’m not giving enough notice, and that is what has prevented me from assembling the Grizz Gang of my dreams. I admit, I have often procrastinated and ended up publishing a piece on the same day as the game I’m hoping to coax you into attending. I get it, folks have a lot on their schedules in summertime. So, with that in mind, I’m taking a different tack this time.
It’s July 24th, and I’m going to talk about two nights in August. So, get out your calendars (or phone calendars, as it may be) and let’s make this happen! August 5th and 12th are the last $2 Tuesdays on the Grizzlies’ schedule. Hopefully, that’s enough lead time for you to plan on joining me for $2 tickets, $2 hot dogs, and $2 Natural Light products (beer and seltzer typically).
The Grizzly Details:
August 5th – The Mississippi Mud Monsters come to town. The Mud Monsters are 8 games behind the Grizzlies in third place at the time of this writing. They are not likely to present much in the way of a challenge for the division crown, but don’t let that keep you at home. This is the Frontier League, and anything can happen on any given night. We’ve seen games where the lead changes hands nearly every inning. Folks with deep FOMO will want to stay til the (sometimes bitter) end.
August 12th – The Grizzlies host the Lake Erie Crushers for the last $2 Tuesday. The Crushers are the current leaders of the Midwest Conference Central Division in the Frontier League. That means this matchup in August could likely repeat itself in the playoffs if both teams manage to hold onto their respective division leads.
Hope to see you there!
Joe Thebeau is taking on the role of grizzled Gateway Grizzlies correspondent. Joe’s contribution to local media has primarily been in the form of music writing, recording and performing in his band Finn’s Motel. He’s also a lifelong baseball fan and Red State Refugee who has relocated to the Metro East.
