Rockford Foresters Baseball Offers Free Tickets to the Unemployed

The Rockford Foresters will again this season offer free tickets to unemployed workers.  Fans that are unemployed must their Illinois Department of Employment Security paperwork and an ID in order to get two free tickets on game days.

The Foresters ran the same promotion last year and will continue to run this promotion until the unemployment lines go away.

For more info please follow the link below.

Free ticket for the unemployed

Connor Kretz Signs With Rockford Foresters Baseball

Baseball in Illinois News

The Rockford Foresters announced today that Boylan High School graduate Conner Kretz, who currently plays for St. Ambrose University, will be playing for the team in it’s Inaugural Season in the infield.


Kretz graduated from Boylan High School in 2009. While at Boylan, Kretz was a powerhouse player batting .393 with 35 hits, 19 RBIs and 3 home runs.

With the signing of Kretz, the Foresters now have six of eight players signed that are from the Rockford area including Ryan Hickey, Ryan Jacobson, Austin Licon, Matt Carroll, and Brett Russell.

Rockford Foresters Baseball Signs First Player for 2010

Baseball in Illinois News

The Rockford Foresters announced the signing of their first player, first baseman and lefty Brett Russell from Southeast Missouri State University, a Division I program in the Ohio Valley Conference. Russell graduated from Rochelle Township High School in 2007.

“Russell is a great pickup for our team,” said Foresters Head Coach Rene Valdez. “Not only does Russell bring a heavy bat with him, he also brings with him speed.”

Russell, who is from Rochelle, graduated from Rochelle Township High School in 2007 where he played first base, outfield, and was a pitcher. After graduating from Rochelle, he played one-year at Rockford College where he earned 2008 NAC All-Conference All-Rookie honors.

Rockford Foresters Announce Head Baseball Coach for Inaugural Season

From Baseball in Illinois News Sources

The Rockford Foresters announced today that Sauk Valley Community College Head Baseball Coach Rene Valdez will be the coach that will lead the team in its Inaugural Season.


“We interviewed nearly a dozen coaches since the end of last summer and Renee stood out among all coaches for numerous reasons including his great performance as a coach on the field, his work ethic, and his ability to attract top talent through recruitment,” said President Joe Stefani. “I’m confident that Rene will not only put a great team on the field, but that he will help lead the Foresters to a league title.”

Valdez currently serves as Head Coach at Sauk Valley Community College out of Dixon, Illinois. A member of the coaching staff for the last five years, he took over the program as head coach and is going into his third season as the team’s skipper. In 2009, Sauk Valley finished 2nd in their conference with a record of 28-19.

“Being the first coach of the Foresters is truly an honor,” said Rockford Foresters Head Coach Rene Valdez. “It feels great to lead a team that is going to keep local college kids in the area while giving them exposure to Major League Baseball Scouts.”

As an assistant coach in 2006 and 2007, Valdez worked with infielders, hitters, and conditioning. He said those year were a great learning process that is helping him put everything in place this season for himself and his assistant coaches.

The Rockford Foresters are members of the new Great Plains Baseball League, and will be playing at the historic 2,422 seat Marinelli Field starting Memorial Day Weekend 2010. Single game tickets start at $4 and season tickets start at $79 per seat. Information on season tickets, group tickets and corporate sponsorships can be obtained by calling the front office at (815) 549-7487 or by visiting the team’s web site at www.RockfordForesters.com