Press Releases

ALEXANDRIA, VA (April 11, 2007) — This spring, Triple-A Baseball fans will have two phrases on their lips: “Take me out to the ballgame” and “Take me fishing.” Twenty-seven Triple-A teams are teaming up with the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and its TakeMeFishing.org Web site to create a promotion that pairs two of America’s favorite pastimes - baseball and fishing.

At home games this season, fans can enter the Take Me Fishing sweepstakes to win a Triton boat, or an invitation to a fishing expedition with players and coaches. In addition to the sweepstakes, some lucky fans will be randomly selected during games to compete in a center field casting competition in front of the whole stadium.

“Baseball and fishing are two time-cherished, family traditions that are as American as apple pie,” said RBFF President Frank Peterson. “Since our goal is to get more families to go fishing and boating, it makes sense to reach out to baseball fans.”

Triple-A Baseball fans can fill out entry forms for the Take Me Fishing sweepstakes at the team home games this season. Twenty-two first-prize winners will be selected to attend a day-long Take Me Fishing expedition at a local fishing hotspot together with players and coaches.

One lucky grand-prize winner, to be selected from a pool of entries collected by all 27 participating Triple-A teams, will receive a 17’ bass fishing boat and trailer donated by Triton Boats and powered by a 50-horse Mercury outboard.

In addition to the sweepstakes, the teams will hold casting competitions during weekend home games. Four parent/child teams will be randomly chosen from the stands to participate. Contestants will be brought onto the field where they will cast at a target. The parent/child team with the most accurate cast will win fishing-related prizes and coupons. 

Baseball and fishing share quite a bit in common. For example:

• Both fishing and baseball take us back to a simpler time of endless summers and a world of wonder
• Most of us are introduced to each as kids, usually by a parent or grandparent
• Both have “opening days” 
• They are activities appreciated by young and old alike
• Anglers and ballplayers both enjoy spending time outdoors
• There’s a place in both fishing and baseball for participants of all ages and abilities
• Participants regularly experience “strikes,” and sometimes “hits”
• If things are going well, they “catch” 
• Both sports celebrate “grand slams.” In fishing, it’s catching three or more local fish species in the same day or trip.

RBFF’s TakeMeFishing.org Web site is a mega-resource for anglers of all ages and all levels of experience and includes information on a variety of fishing and boating topics, including: the best places to fish and boat in their area; convenient access facilities, such as launch ramps, marinas and fishing piers; services, including charter operators, boat sales and rentals, fishing retailers and bait and tackle shops; and educational information, including how to choose the right boat, where to take boating safety courses and links to local fishing organizations.

Participating Triple-A teams include: Albuquerque, NM; Buffalo, NY; Charlotte, NC; Colorado Springs, CO; Columbus, OH; Des Moines, IA; Durham, NC; Fresno, CA; Indianapolis, IN; Las Vegas, NV; Louisville, KY; Memphis, TN; Nashville, TN; New Orleans, LA; Norfolk, VA; Oklahoma City, OK; Omaha, NE; Pawtucket, RI; Portland, OR; Richmond, VA; Rochester, NY; Round Rock, TX; Salt Lake City, UT; Syracuse, NY; Tacoma, WA; Toledo, OH; Tucson, AZ

About RBFF
RBFF is a nonprofit organization established in 1998 to increase participation in recreational angling and boating. RBFF helps people discover, share and protect the legacy of boating and fishing through national outreach programs including the Take Me Fishing™ and Anglers’ Legacy campaigns. 

For more information contact Stephanie West at 703-519-0013, ext. 105 or swest@rbff.org.

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