Promotions Start for International Baseball Season

ST. PETERSBURG - The city will ramp up efforts this week to promote the upcoming International Baseball season at Al Lang Field, with promotions for free tickets and a special press day.

The city's first International Spring Baseball Series at Al Lang Stadium starts Feb. 21. The international baseball series is an initiative by Mayor Bill Foster, who has said he would like to see St. Petersburg as a year-round sports town.

On Friday, Feb. 11., the press is invited to a Media Lunch and Season Preview  at the Walter Fuller Complex, 7901 30th Ave. North. The media will observe practice, have lunch and hear comments from Foster and the president of the Seoul Nexen Heroes, Chang Suk Lee.

The Nexen Heroes are one of the first teams set to play in the series, and arrived in St. Petersburg last month to begin practice.

The city has started a promotional effort to drum up enthusiam and local turnout for the international baseball season. A ticket giveaway has started to watch teams from South Korea, the Netherlands and Canada take on U.S. collegiate and MLB players during St. Petersburg's inaugural season of international baseball.

They just need to visit St. Pete International Baseball or the city of St. Petersburg on Facebook and follow directions to score tickets to an upcoming game. 

Here is the 2011 schedule: